The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1889-12-03
PURITAN DAY.
Our National Day of Thanks and
Intere. ting Facts Connected
With it.

For our great American holiday Thanks
giving We are indebted TO The Puritan
pilgrims of New EogiaDd, though the idea
Of setting apart a day of general thanks.
giving was far from being original with
them.
Those familiar with the history of this
long suffering people are aware that the
prosecutions which they endured in Eng
land under Mary, Elizabeth and James
caused a number of them TO emigrate In
1902 to Holland, where they established
themselves in the city of Lsyden and
where they were joined by their remaining
brethren in 1908. The appointment of a
thanksgiving day for some special blessing
had long been a custom among the Dutch
as well as among other nations of Europe,
and the gene,s al gratitude TO heaven for
some great war victory. proclamation OF
peace or for deliverance from pestllence or
famine, often { ,und expres-io In this way.
When. after satisfying themselves that
their principles could never take root in
Holland, and that their number instead Of
increasing was gradually diminishing
there, the Puritans had sbsndoned that
country. had landed upon Plymouth Rock,
and had found home in q new world,
they retained the old Ouch custom OF a
general Thanksgiving for special blessings.
An unusually bountiful harvest was al.
ways deemed fitting occasion for the
governor of the colonies of Plymouth and
II asssch usetts Bay. and as tie earth be-
gan to reward more abundantly the labor
which the colonists bestowed upon it: har-
vests became So uniformer'y plentiful that
an annual Thanksgiving dsy followed as a
natural sequence.
This observance has always been both a
religious and a social one. The early
Puritsns attended meeting" as they
called their church service, twice on every
Thanksgiving Day, and this pious system
has been continued in many parts of rural
Nes England down to the present time,
though the most pious jewellers in the
cities and larger towns DOW deem attend
ance upon one service a sufficient oppor-
tHnity for
OFFERING THEIR THANKS.
What quaint appearance rural New
England meeting house" presented at
thanksgiving service seventy-fve years ago.
The pulpit lowered high and was sur
mounted by huge sounding board which
seemed liable to fall and crush the minis
ter at any moment. Upon an elevated
seat in front of the sacred desk sat the
ruling elder facing the congregation
Upon another seat, less elevated than his,
sat the deacons, while the plain seals In
the body of the house we're occupied by
the fathers and mothers of families with
their childr. and hired help.
The pastor opened the service with a
prayer of at least fifteen minutes length,
and followed it with the reading and ex-
position of a chapter of holy writ Then
the ruling elder gave out a psalm In which
all the congregation Joined, and when it
had been sung the minister preached for
one hour, measuring the time by means of
an hour-glass. Prior to the contribution
which followed, one of the deacons would
rise and say, Brethren Of the congrega-
ton, now there is time remaining for
thanksgiving and contribution to the Lord,
wherefore, as the Lord hath prospered
you, freely offer" Collection plates or
baskets were not passed from seat to seat,
but box of wood was placed upon stand
or table near the pulpit. When the dea-
con had resumed his seat, the whole con-
gresation arose and proceeded to the con-
tribution box. First came the magis-
trates and "chief gentlemen" then the
elders, then the deacons and after them
the entire assembly. They deposited their |
offerings one by one and then passed to
their seats again. These contributions |
consisted not only of money, bat of notes |
of hand and any article which could be |
sold or otherwise pro6tably appropriated |
to the benefit of the church, thus making |
up a strange, miscellaneous collection of |
goods and chattels of various descriptions. |
1t was the custom in the old
PURITAN CHURCHES
to endeavor to reconcile upon Thanksgiy-
ing Day any disputes which might haye
occurred among the members, whether
arising from the affairs of the church itself
or from private transactions In the for
mer case, when there was a decision upon
any question of doctrine, church policy or
it was often customary to call
in as arbitrator some wise and good man
usually clergyman or elder-from an
other church. The Rev. Mr.. Buckley, of
Colchester, Conn, a distinguished Puritan
ancestor of mine, was famous in his day as
a casuist and sage counselor. A church in
his neighborhood had fallen into unhappy
divisions and contentious which they were
unable to adjust among themselves. There
was appointed committee whose mem.
bers laid the case before Mr. Buckley and
desired him to communicate his judgment
in writing, that it might be read to the as
'embled congregation at the close of the
morning service on Thanksgiving Day.
Now, it happened that on the outskirts
Of the town Mr.. Buckley owned a farm,
which he had entrusted to the care of q
! hired man. In dispatching q letter to
MS farmer, at the same time with his {
etter of advice TO the church upon the
question submitted to him, the papers ]
we're inadvertently mixed and the docu- {
nent intended for the good elders and j
leacons was sent to the hired man, while
he letter intended for him was handed S
o the pastor at the termination of the
morning service on Thanksgiving Day.
imagine the amazement of the good man j