The Weekly Kansas chief. [volume] (Troy, Kan.) 1872-1918, 1882-11-30
THE FIRST THANKSGIVING IN NEW
ENGLAND.

Upon this day, set apart for our National and
State Thanksgiving, fancy wanders back two
hundred and forty years. to the first day of pub
lie thanksgiving ever held in this country The
year 1850 had been one of great scarcity and
distress TO the infant Colony of Massachusetts,
Bay. Death had made sad inroads into that
little pilgrim band, and at the beginning of the
new year, 1851, more than half their number
in the grave. OF the survivors, many lay
prsstrate with wasting sickness. brought on BY
hardship and destitution. In the depths of a
painless forest, surrounded by savage beasts
and more savage men, with houses that scarcely
rigors of New England winter. Famine was
approaching and ''even the Governor had seen
his last grain of meal go to the oven"
The hearts Of the best and bravest began to
fail. '.Will God utterly destroy his people Z"
they asked, in deep. observation-disclosures DESPAIR
Then, remembering for whose dear sake and for
whose true worship they had forsaken homes Of
plenty, and come to this wilderness across the
sea, they resolved to east their burden on the
Lord, and to commit their cause unto Him
whose ear is never deaf to the cry of his people
Aud pious Governor John Winthrop, with
the advice and consent of his Council, appoint
ed day of fasting and prayer. But the very
evening before, the good English ship Lyon"
laden with provisions, entered the harbor of
Eantasket, and the appointed day of fasting
changed into one of thanksgiving.
The morning of February -, 1851, dawned
serene and radiant. The very benediction of
Heaven seemed to have descended upon it, and
every heart was in unison with Natures peace
and joy. From every little hamlet. from every
lowly dwelling, throughout the colony, ievout
men, women and children repaired to their hum
BILE places of worship, there to render thanks TO
God for his great mercies. To the rustic Meet
ing House" at Nankeag, now Salem, went up
band of worShpers, the flower of the colony of
Massachusetts, Bay. Among them were those
whose names have since been shrined in song
and story, and whose memories, after the lapse
of two and half centuries, are still green in all
our hearts.
And sweeter than maria e.fesss
1t was rhat band to Sec
Walking togsther TO the church.
goodbye conpsnys"
There We're Governor John Winthrop and
Lieutenant Governor Thomas Dudley, both good
men to see: around them were grouped the
eighteen members of the Council, with their
wives and children. There, in the prime of
early manhood, sat Simon Bradstreet, after
wards Governor of the Colony-a man who, by
a long life Of piety wisdom and unseiish devo-
tion to the public good, was to gain and merit
the title of the Nestor of New England. And
there, too, beamed the rapt face of his young
wife, Anne, the first poetess of the New World.
And jubilats Domino her every look did show,
And gloria was wit upon the brightness Of her brow.
And there, too, seated by her husbands John
Alden) side, might have been seen the beautiful
Priscilla, whom, years before, sturdy Captain
Miles standish had loved and wooed in vain.
The much beloved Parson Higginson was in
his grave, but those two ''godly ministers" Shell
ton and Bright, occupied tho rustic pulpit, and
"were exercised for some three hours or more,
the one in preaching, the other in prayer. The
prayer-embracing every petition which pious
hearts could fttingly offer to Gods throne
touched upon a vast variety of topics. in which
all creeds and all climes, ali ages and all nation
alities-Jew and Gentile-found place. and the
sermon, a most learned profound and edifying
production, exactly two hours long began with
Abraham and Melchisedek, and ensded with the
scarlet beast of the Apocalypse.
No costly organ poured forth its notes,
hired voices led the singing; but the whole con-
gregation joined in glad psalm of thauksgiv-
ing What if the good old deacon who carried
the tuning-fork, as usual, pitched the hymns
too highf What if some sang through their
uosesi What though maLy sang sadly ont of
tune and still more wofully ont of time! Borne
the very wings of devotion, the sacred song
rose heavcnward and all made melody in their
hearts, if not with their voices, unto the Lord.
The God whose signal mercies the Pilgrim
Fathers of 1851 met to celebrate, has since dealt
with us very bountifnlly as a people. From
that feeblest of beginnings We have become
great, aud rich, and powerful, and stand to-day
foremost among the nations of the earth. The
seed sown in persecution and exile has borne
rich fruit the metal tried in wars hottest cru
chile has come out pure gold. Our Government,
founded in the hearts of the people, has with
stood the attacks of foes without and traitors
within. The God of the fathers has been with
the children, and has richly fulfilled his prom
Use: The seed of the righteous shall be mighty
upon the earth; his generation shall be blessed
Bat chiefrst of all the blessings that have come
down to us, a priceless heritage from the Pill
grims of Plymouth and Massachusetts Bay, are
those of civil and religious liberty-that priest
craft and kingcraft have no dominion over u.s.
that we are free to worship God as conscience
dictates. We owe to them.
Then, all honor 10 the Pilgrim Fathers and the
day they instituted. Let it be kept in the spir-
il of the old traditions. Let it be day for all
things lovely and honorable, aud of good report
"a day for the forming of new friendships, As
well as for the eementing of oid-a day for limo
cent mirth and festivity. Aud as upon this day
gather around our bountifnlly spread tables
relatives, friends and even the stranger that
is within our gates-let us not forget the poor,
whom we have always with He who has
beautifully blessed US in basket and in store