Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1884-11-13
THE FIRST THANKSGIVING.


HAOSF thhe nay vas CefenraGcu Dy Imc
Pilgrim Fathers.
The autumn of the year of 1921 had ar
rived in the history Of the Pilgrim colony,
at Plymouth, Mass. The spring before had
been the time of their first sowing. Au-
tumn brought the first harvest. The
peas were considered to be ga failure"
says Barry, towing to drought and late
sowing" The barley was "indifferently
good" but the corn ''yielded well"
Those long, yellow ranks Of corn that the
autumn sun shone upon, were sight
satisfactory as column. Of Pilgrim
troops, laden with spoils, and brave
Miles Standish at their head.
So pleased were the pilgrims with the
harvest that they determined to celebrate
it. -Four huntsmen went after fowl; and
who that knows the delicacies Of New
England game along its autumn shores
will wonder that time Of feasting fol-
lowed the fowlers' return2 "After q
special manner the merry Pilgrims re-
joiced. They invited King Massasoit
and ninety men to be their guests, stuff
ing them for three days. Among the
Thanksgiving goodies were wild turkeys,
,.eer from the forest, fowl from the blue
shore waters and the creeks that flowed
in from the shining sea. That was the
cradle in which the young Thanksgiving
fetival was rocked, baby, grown now
tobe a giant. and taking possession Of
the whole land once year
At the time Of the institution Of this
festival, Plymouth was small place. It
had seven homes. Beside there were
four other buildings for various uses. In
our day it is hard to go back to those
olden times, so different are the many
features characterizing home and public
life. Let ustry though to imagine our
selves in one of the old Massachusetts
villages. and we can look around for our
selves. And at the very outset, we stumble
upon one Of its inhabitants on his way to
Injecting" We brush him so hard that
he promptly clasps his hands on
his gun, carried under his arm, and al
most telescopes" rs with asharp, pierc-
ing look that saws: 4" Are you Indian or
not5" On his head is a steenIe-crowned
hat and the velvet can beneath shows
that he is that qualified parsonage. an
elder" A ruff is about his neck. He
wears short, close coat or jerl1in, and
outside Of this is a cloak. short like the
ierkin. He wears small clothes and hi
legs are seen TO be Of good Thanksgiv-
ing size. II he were young man. with
weakness for the pomp and vanity Of
this world, his boots would probably be
big and pretensious, boots rolled over at
the top. People in those davs were re-
quired to show that they could afford an
expensive dress, and prove it, too, in
court if necessary. Higginson SAYS that
one Jonas Fairbanks twas prosecuted
for wearing great boots, but the evidence
was not sufficient to convict him.
and he was happily acquitted II Is a
chilly morning that has come with
Thanksgiving, and we will leave the
elder and seek admission to that house
before u.s. from whose chimney the
smoke is curling. We want to feel the
heat of the big. open fire, and what
ire-placel That log which last went on
to the burning heap was at least four
feet long, We venture to think that at
night you might thrust in your head at
one corner Of the fireplace and, looking
up, catch sight Of some star overhead.
How the sparks from the fire iealously
fly toward that glittering gem in the
heavens, vainlv striving to reach it, and
going out when only six feet from the
chimney's top. As we leave the hospita-
BILE fire and turn into the street again we
look back to notice that this is a log
house: that its roof is very steep. and
that its shaggy coat of thatch needs darn
ing
But the people are on their way to
hear the Thanksgiving sermon in the
meeting house The men stalk along,
their guns resting on their shoulder, con
voying, it may be, some matron, who is
giving her lace neckerchief and silk
hood an airing for the first time. There
is tie log meeting house, and
around this zion is sturdy
fence. The spot is decorated
with grim old cannon. The people
arc dropping into the sanctuary, and as
they take their seats. it would seem as if
sieves of various sizes had been operated.
and the old men had been sifted into
rows by themselves, the young women
BY themselves. and so on. And the boys
what shall be done with the wrigglinc,
restless boys, who for more than two
centuries have not stirred in their graves,
but were uneasy enough then2 There is
an official who has them safe under his
eye, on the pulpit stairs perhaps. His
wand, ever yigilant. can easily reach
them. There is no organ in the emeeting-
house, for as late as 1875 the pc he in
one town declared the organ to be '.an
instrument Of the devil for the entrap-
ring Of mems souls" But yoa will find
that the sweetest and most impressive Of
ell musical instruments, the human
voice, and you will hear psalm
sung out of the Bay Psalm Book
You will also hear reve7cnt, con