The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1890-12-23
PAST AND PRESENT.
Pilgrims of Plymouth Rock ana ri"
grIn1s Of Today.
Rev. Or. Cummings Address Sefore
the congregational Club

Forefathers' Day was fifty commemorated
by the Congregational Club at the Preble
House last evening. Members were present
with ladies, and the result was the largest
and best gathering in the history of that ex-
cellent organization, thus, more firmly than
ever, establishing the popularity of ladies
night" Around the tables were seated IT'S
ladies and gentlemen, completely filling the
large dining room and overlooking into the
smaller one. The menu was of that excel
lence always afforded by the Preble House.
Rev. L. P. Warren asked the blessing. and
during the serving Of the courses sociability
had supreme reign. AT quarter of nine,
President Z. 2. Wilson called the gathering
to order. and expressed his qualification at
seeing so many representatives of the fore
fathers and forenotherS present. He hoped
the time would soon come when every meet
ing would be ladies' night. He had heard
the opinion that prayer meeting would be
more appropriate for Forefathers' Day, but
people having that idea seemed to forget
that thesvery day Of their departure the Pill
grims had feast at Leyden and another at
che port of sailing.
After the Pilgrims came to this country
they didn't feast much until after the harvest
when they had a feast lasting three days,
and they inaugurated the Thanksgiving feast
| so 1t would not do to say they did not be-
lieve in feastlng. He rejoiced to see such a
| goodly number present.
The annual meeting of the club was then
held, and the following officers elected
Rev. Edwin P. Wilson, president; Richard
Abbott, first vice president; l. T. Dana. M,
D., second vice president; Horace 81. Rick
Or, secretary; Joseph f. Chute, treasurer
George +. French, George Libby, Esq, and
G. A. Woodbury., nominating committee
Lyman M. Cousens, auditor.
President Wilson then, In few pleasant
words, introduced Rev. A. E. Dunning, edi-
tor Of the "Congregationalist," who spoke
brilliantly of "The Pilgrim in Modern Life. u
Or. DunnIng's Address.
Dr. Dunning said in looking up the rec.
ords he found the first Club celebration OF
Forefathers' day was in 1863. Their bill OF
fare was CLAIMS, Goldfish, etc., and contrasted
with the banquet which had been ser yed.
He said go years is not long time, but
1t is long time measured by single lives
| New England Is not large field measured
territorially, but measured by its In
iuence Is the most powerful and richest
1 country in the " orld. Never has there Q
grander thing happened in history than thai
Of 270 years ago Sunday. History has given
no crown of Immortality more noble or more
to be desired to any human beings ttan il
has given to those 101 souls who distinctly
lived In American life. 1t Is well that we
| should remember our Pilgrim Fathers. We
| should be poor indeed If we did not; they
| are the corner stone Of our faith In men.
| Every victory we have achieved for temper
| ance, freedom, and for everything we love as
| citizens has been achieved by having on our
If the Congregational Clubs had done no
other service than to revive the memory of
those noble men, 1t would have been sufi-
Gent warrant for their establishment. Fifty
country this year reminding the whole land
of its best record in the past is a great SER
vice to render to free nation.
He told an amusing story of young man
| 10 love who on returning from Europe was
asked by the girl If he still loved her, and re-
| piled, Eyes, just as well as those Ivy clad
| ruins"-and yet she did not like it,
1t Is possible for man to be so enamOred
of the bones OF the past that he has no relish
l for the things of the present; digging up the
names of our forefathers to scare away the
| spirit. That Is not the way to remember
| them. Grand men they were, but they
would be utterly out of place at this time.
Contrast their literary condition with ours.
The Language of the court was foreign one,
Shakespeare had just died, Milton had not
begun his glorious work and our King James
version had not been received into the
homes of our fathers. Today the English
language dominates the world 10 all depart
ments of life. There is broad gulf between
them and us.
While the persons of long ago have not
place with us, their spirit has brought about
the prosperity Of today.
Two things characterized the Pilgrims, the
hrst being profound sense of the supremacy
Of truth; they despised men who submitted
their consciences to other peoples dictation |;
and the second was profound sense of the
! dignity of men.
| observed, but 1t must be remembered that
the Pilgrim has lifted Christmas out of its
half heather festivities and given to 1t a
tenderness it never knew until Christmas
conquered the Pilgrim mold New England.
Inc greatest value of the Pilgrim as our
ancestor lies largely in the suggestiveness.
he would not give the impression that the
Pilgrlms were greater men than live today;
his belief was contrary to that. He did not
believe that the men who planted themselves
on Plymouth Rock 270 years ago did any no.
bier thing than have the men who have plant
ed the banner of Christ up and down the
whole range of the Rockies. In closing he
said that II our freedom should ever be chal-
lenged by an alien church, like many of the
fathers Of old, the pilgrims of our day would
rise with grand insistence to give their lives,
If need be. to hold our freedom and truth
and to maintain the supremacy of righteous
ness in the land. Frequent amusing stories
punctured the remarks most happily.
The following original hymn composed for
the occasion by Mrs. Clinton A. Woodbury.
was then sung
THE PILGRIM PATH.