The morning call., 1890-06-29
How Cur FOrefathers Annually
Celebrated the Attainment
of American Liberty.
EARLY NEW ENGLAND CUSTOMS
A Spinning Bee-Wedding Festivi-
ties-RemarkabIe Texts for Ser
mons Commemoratins the Event.
How the Bride of President John
Adams Rebuked Her Father.
Races in the Old Dominion.
Written for THE SUNDAY CALL.

NSEAEXT Friday, July 4th, will be the
4Ss% one hundred and fourteenth ami
ASEI7 versary of the adoption of that Dec
laration of Independence which dissolved
all connection between this country and
Great Britain and made the former free
and independent nation. When there
spread throughout the thirteen colonies
which then comprised our country the great
news that ON the fourth day of July, 1776,
the Continental Congress, sitting at Phila-
delphia, had adopted such declaration, it
was everywhere received with every posi-
BILE demonstration of delight. News trav-
eled very slowly in those days, so that the
people of many places did not observe their
first Fourth of July until long after that
day had passed. but they celebrated it none
the less enthusiastically on that account,
with an elaborateness, universally and
heartiness to which our more modern OBJ
servance of the day has long been a
stranger.
For several years past there has been
great deal of talk, at each approaching re-
currence of our national birthday" of
reviving the old-fashioned celebrations of
the occasion and thereby cultivating a
spirit of patriotism among the people. In
view of this, all that pertains to old-time
observances of the GLORIOUS Fourth" in
the days of our grandfathers and great
grandfathers acquires a special interest.
So many of the most important events of
the Revolutionary War and of the casual
occurrences which gave rise to it trans
pired in New England that for many
years after John Adams wrote his famous
letter prophesying the manner in which
do day xyOnld ha caiabra ted
the fulfillment of that prophecy was per-
haps more marked upon New England soil
than in any other part of our country.
Among the people Of that section, the
Fourth OF July, or Independence day."
as it was generally called, took the
place of other holidays, which stern Pur-
itanism severely fr0wned upon, and large
degree of the general Notification of Christ
mas and New Years, not being wholly alb
sorbed by the great New England holiday
of Thanksgiving was
MINGLED WITH THE PATRIOTIC FERVoR
Aroused by Independence day, and found
vent in various social festivities both of
public and private character OF the last
named occasion Indeed, many projected
wedding parties and other social gatherings
and events were postponed till lndepen-
dence day, which being general holiday,
would cause them to be better attended,
and to thus pass off with greater eclat.
Fifty years ago there was not town in the
New England States, nor indeed from
Maine to the extreme western limit of our
country, in which the Fourth of July was
not celebrated with civic and military pa
rades, with brass bands playing our ma
tional airs, with patriotic orations and with
public readings of the Declaration of indie
pendence. Throughout New England the
last-named ceremony was frequently per-
formed in the churches by the ministers,
who often conducted religious services for
their flock and preached to them patriotic
sermon.
1t is related of the Rev. Mr.. Milton, a
very popular but eccentric Clergyman who
ministered to the Congregational Church
of Newburyport, within whose walls
lie the remains of the famous evangelist
preacher George Whitefeld, that when he
stood up to make the long prayer" at one
of the Independence day services he SIM
ply said, 20 Lord, deliver US from sham
patriots, amen" Perhaps in these days of
Congressional blatherskites and political
demagogues there is even more urgent need
OF such Fourth Of July petition than there
was at the time it was uttered
The accounts of some of the social festiv-
tiles of Independence day in New England
century ago are very amusing reading
now. have in my possession the diary of
the Rev. Samuel Deane, an ancestor of mine.
who, more than n century ago,was for many
of the First Parish of Portland, Me. This
diary, which has been handed down in my
family from generation to generation, and
which shall always preserve as the most
precious OF helrloOmS, covers q period of
twenty years from 1760, and comprises sew
eral bulky manuscript volumes. AS a mir
ror of the life and manners of that period it
is quite as entertaining and valuable as is
the famous diary of Mr.. Pepys in its relation
to the time OF Chare Ii. have been re-
peatedly urged to give this diary TO the pub
lie in its entirety, and it is not impossible
ent | shall content myself with q few ex-
tracts from 1t pertaining to Independence
day in old-time New England. and some
other facts derived from it in connection
Herewith.
NOVEL CELEBRATION.
On July 4, 177S, my reverend ancestor
writes as follows:
To-day, being Independence day, there as
sembled al my house more than Que hundred of
tile fair sex, married and single ladies, most OF
whom were skilled In the art OF spinning. An
emulous Industry was never more apparent than
III This beautiful assembly. The majority OF fair
hands gave motion 10 not less than sixty wheels.
Many were occupied In preparing materials be-
sides those who attended TO the entertainment OF
the rest, provision for which was mostly pre-
senled by the guests themselves or sent In by
other generous promoters OF The exhibition, as
were also the materials for the wors.
Near the close of the day my good wife was
pItStuteu ny COUlDdUy Will 700 SeVe0-
knotted skeins OF excellent cotton and linen
yarn, the work OF the day, excepting about a
dozen skeins brought in ready spun Some had
spun six and many not less than five skelns
apiece. To conclude and crown the day nu-
nierOus band of the best singers attended this
evening aud performed an agreeable variety of
excellent pieces in psalmody.
If the families of city ministers at the
present day were obliged to wait for yarn
till the ladies of their congregation spent
the Fourth of July in spinning it for them
In the manner described above, they would
probably wait a long time.
As already limited, marriages were fire.
quently solemnized on Independence day.
In Mr. Deane's diary L read that on July 4,
1910, soon after his ordination to the minis
try, he performed his first marriage cere-
mony, the names of the contracting parties
being John Physick and Mary Prescott.
He goes on to state that he was TO preach
the wedding sermon" on the following
Sabbath, taking as his text one selected by
the bride. This custom of having n dis
course called the wedding Sermon" ap-
proprate to marriage, preached on the
Sabbath succeeding it by the minister who
had solemnlzed it, from text of Scripture
selected by the bride, was universal
custom at that time throughout New En-
gland, and continued so for many years.
TEXT FOR WEDDING SERMON.
When Abby Smith, daughter of Parson
Smith. married Squire john Adams, whom
her father disliked and would not invite