The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1886-11-27
THANKSGIVING OF OLD.
How the Day was Observed in New England.
BY HARRIET BEECHER STOWE.

child? Then let them go back with me
and recall the image of it as we kept it in
OldtowD. People have often supposed
because the Puritans founded society
where there were no professed public
amusements that therefore there was no
fun going on in that ancient land of Israel
and that there were no cakes and ale, be-
cause they we're virtuous; they we're never
more mistaken in their lives; there was
abundance of sober, well-considered mer-
riment, and the hinges of life we're well
oiled with that sort of secret humor
which to this day gives the raciDess to
real Yankee wit. Besides this, we must
remember that life itself is the greatest
possible amusement to people who really
believe that they can do much with it,
who have that intense sense of what can
be brought to pass by human efforts that
was characteristic of the New England
colonies. To such it is not exactly prop
or to say that life is an amusement; but
it certainly is an engrossing interest that
takes the place of all these amusements.
Looking over the world on broad scale,
do We not find that public entertainments
have very largely been the sops thrown
out by the engroesing upper classes to
keep the lower classes from inquiring too
particularly into their rights, and to
make them satisfied with stone when. it
was not convenient to give them bread.
Wherever there is a class that is to be
made content to be plundered of its
rights, there is an abundance of f6dling
and dancing, and amusements, public
and private, are in great requisition. 1t
may also be set down, think, as gen
eral axiom, that people feel the need of
amusemepts less and less precisely in
proportion as they have solid reasons for
being happy.
Our good Puritan fathers intended to
form state of society of such equality of
conditions, and to make the means of Sc
curing the goods Of life free to all, that
everybody should find employment for
his faculties in prosperous seeking of
his fortunes. Hence, while they forbade
theatere, operas and dances, they made a
state of unparalleled peace and prosperity,
where one could go to sleep at all hours
of day or night with the house-door wide
open, without bolt or bar, yet without
apprehension of any to modest or make
afraid.
The Fourth of July took high rank ef-
ter the Declaration of Independence, but
the king and high priest of all festivals
was the autumn Thanksgiving.
When the apples were all gathered and
the cider was all made and the yellow
pumpkins were rolled in from many q
hill in pillows OF gold, and the corn was
husked, and the labors of the season we're
done, and the warm, late days of Indian
summer came in dreamy and calm and
still, there came over the community a
sort of genial repose of spirit, a sense of
something accomplished and of new
golden mask made in advance on the CAL
endar of life.
In those days there were none of the
|
housekeeping which have since arisen;
no ground and prepared spices and sweet
herbs; everything came into our hands
in the rough and in bulk, and the reduc-
ing Of it into a state for use was deemed
one of the appropriate labors of Guild
hood. Even the salt we used in cooking
was rock. salt, which we were required to
wash and dry and pound and sift before
it became fit for use.
Great as the preparations were for din
ner, everything was SO contrived that not
soul in the house should be kept from
the morning service of Thanksgiving in
the church and from listening to the
Thanksgiving sermon, in which the min
lister was expected to express his views
freely concerning the politics of the
country and the state of things in society
in general.
But it is to be confessed that, when the
good man got carried away by the en-
thusiasm of his subject to extend those
exercises beyond certain length, snx-
ious glances, exchanged between good
wives, sometimes indicated weakness of
the flesh, having tender reference to
the turkeys and chickens and chicken
pies, which might possibly be over doing
in the ovens at home. But your old brick
oven was true Puritan institution, a
truly well-bred oven, and it would have
| 4 n a
God-fearing house matron, away at the
temple Of the Lord, should come home
and find her pie-crust either burned or
undone.
Although all serviie labor and vain rec
reation on this day we're by law forbid
den, according to the terms of the proc
lamatlon, it was not held to be a violation
of the precept that all the nice old aunt
les should bring their knittlng-w and
sit gently trotting their needles around
the fire; nor that Uncle Bill should start
full-fiedged romp among the girls and
children, while the dinner was being set
on the long table in the adjoining kitch-
en-.
But who shall do justice to the dinner,
and describe the turkey, and chickens
and chicken-pies, with all that endless
variety of vegetables which the Ameri-
can soil and climate have contributed to
I the faloIa and which sUithouE rapRrd tO