The Portland daily press., 1880-11-25
Thank ksgiving.
BY ADAM NEWBEGIN.


character of an annual assemblage at the
homestead 1t was too like the Christmas
holiday gathering, which was an abomination
in their eyes, to have been adopted by the Pill
grims or the early Puritans. Neither Parson
Smith nor Deane speak of it as day of iolli-
ty, while they generally refer to an ordination
in that manner
1765-Jan. 3. Mr.. Foxcroft was ordained at
New Gloucester. Mr.. Longfellow was alert
and kept us merry. A jolly ordination. We
lost sight of decorum.
Commenting on this, Willis says
In those days, when rigid reserve was
maintained in exterior department, and a stiff
dignity kept up In the general intercourse
OF society, every fitting season was improved,
not only in the clerical, but other professions,
to throw off the conventional mask, and to
give free play to their social feelings. When
they did relax their grave and formal atti-
tudes, they were apt to go over to the other
extreme, carrying their indulgence farther
than those were accustomed to do who prac-
tised less restraint in their daily conversation
with the world,
Many years it is not mentioned The first
record is in 1925, Oct. 2S, General Thanksgiv-
ing" This indicates that it was an ann ual
occurrence but called for no special notice.
The next spoken of is in 1913, Oct. IS:
Public Thanksgiving on account of the VIC
tory gained by His Majesty on the Maine.
With eighteen hundred he fought the French
with twenty-eight hundred, which gives sur
prising turn to the affairs of Europe.
This was the battle of Dettingen. In 1745
there was one July 18th on account of the vic
tory a. Cape Breton. In 1749, August 2ith, on
account of rain. 1852, Nov. IS, annual. 1853,
Nov. 1, annual 1859, Oct. 25, capture of Que
bee. 1760 Oct 9, capture Of Montreal. 1864,
Nov. 9; 1867, Dec. 8; 177O, Dec. 6; 1773, Nov.
25; are all simply noticed as Thanksgivings
1774 Dec. Is; 1775, Nov. %; 1776, Dec. 70; 1777,
Dec. IS; 1779, Decs9; 1880, Dec. 7; IT,, Dec.
13; 1882, Nov. II; 1888, Dec. IL and II ,5, Dec
Is, are all set down simply as Continental
Thanksgivings In 1775 it must have been
quite cherries here, as the town had been de-
stroyed but five weeks before, and two weeks
later Mr. Peter Smith preached from the text,
"When he saw the city he wept over it," How
ever Parson Deane performed the exercises
and afterwards "dlned at Deacon Titcomb's"
In 1902, Nov. 25, we find estate THANKSGIVING
in three States" In 1918, Nov. %, Thanks
giving-I preached" Mr.. Deane was then
over eighty.
The oldest of the present generation will
probably remember it as we now find it, and
we shall have to look back to the days of the
Revolution for the beginning of the reign of
Roast Turkey and Pumpkin Pie upon that fes-
tiyal. 1t was not until about 1850 that Merry
Christmas began to be generally observed
again in New England, and although he may
seem to be "a bigger man. than old Thank S.
giving, he has not shorn him of his glory
The children can celebrate Christmas in the
city home on soft carpets and in warm parlors,
and grandpa and grandma can be there to see
the grand children gather dainty presents
from the Christ child's tree, but Thanksgiving
belongs to the old home; and out among the
New England hills, where the first snow
fringes the fields, and the first ice is shining
cold and hard on the brook, there is weather.
beaten farmhouse, with thin column of blue
smoke going straight up from each chimney,
and a roaring hardwood fire in the sitting
room fireplace, and thither come children
and grandchildren from their city homes
to spend the New England festival
Grandma has got a cooking stove
now, but Papa tells the children how he re-
open and how he used to sit in the corner when
he was little boy and watch the kettle boil
ing on the smoke-blackened crane, and he stip-
ulates that Grandma shall bake the pumpkin
pies in the old oven so that they may taste as
they used to do when he was rosy-cheeked
school-boy, poor, and coarsely clad, but with a
glorious appetite. So the old oven is opened,
and the gathering dust of the year swept out,
while Grandpa, Father and the boys all 60
out to cut up branches and make fagots of
lightwood to heat it up. And such glorious
blaze it makes in there, and how the chimney
roars; and when the blaze is down, the Curl
GUS children peep in at the red, glowing Goals
and wonder if they look like the VOLTS eyes in
the cave when Putnam went down to shoot him.
But the pies do taste better than those cooked
in stove, and when Grandma, with the rake.
pulls out some saucers with little mince pie
for each of the children, and they all gather
around the kitchen table and taste them, with
one accord Papa's taste is justified. Then such
fun the children have pulling the latchstring
to lift the wooden latch that opens to the
steep garrett stairs, and climbing up there to
find the ears of rice corn for parching, or in
exploring the dark cellar for the barrel of
rosy-cheeked apples.
Thanksgiving itself is equally delightful.
There is no candy to he hunted out of hung-up
stockings in the early morning, as at Christmas,
but Grandpa brings out store of hickory
nuts which he has kept for this occasion.
Part of the family ride to the distant church to
attend the morning exercises, while Grandma
and the girls remain to cook the dinner, and
the younger children to watch the operation
and be sure that the stufing is not forgotten
The household was astir at an early hour in the
morning, for Grandpa is an early riser, and the
children wanted to see the colt and the
bossies fed; so the dinner is served soon after
midday, and Grandpa carves the big turkey,
while the duck and chickens are placed before
the sons; and the children all have white
meat with stuffing When the pumpkin pies
are reached a solemn inquest is held, and the
old-time oven is pronounced victor over the
modern cooking stove. Then all gather
around the open fire and talk of old times,
while the children get out the checker-board,
and the old playthings which Papa or Mamma
used, and which they have found up attic,
baby is moved by the spirit of Thanksgiving,
and toddles about singing "Oh, happy dayl'
Such is Thanksgiving where it grew. and
even in town it preserves its characteristics
Here the young folks are likely to go skat-
ing instead of to church, but the same spirit of
the New England past broods over the day,
and in each household children and children's
children gather to the family hearth and re-
new the 'long, long thoughts OF youth. May
it never leave New England. While Thanks
giving is cherished We shall know that the
old Colonial strength still survives, and al
though we hail Christmas with delight, we
shall always keep the softest place in our hearts
for New England s chosen festival.
December Weather.