Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1891-11-26
THANKSGIVING.
1 NatiIo American Bird Glaces
lhe Fsstal Board,
Ind Hssllhy ImsrIesn Ippstiiss Do BIN
Jus!les,


We may live without loys-whst Ia passion bat
paniasr
ga, .bs's ia the man thu: can i've without din.
ing"
Nothing TO be thankful for? Nothisg
except mere mstser Of form induces you
70 sit down with your friends TO the festive
board today: Then The voabIs f. prob ably
With yourself snd there Is little chance that
you'll receive much sympathy.
The number Of those 10 this State Of Maine
10 very small indeed who have not much
more TO be thankful for than had the PHI
grim Fathers ~ho iaaugursted the custom
When for the first ting In American history
which they did so much to make noble,
they decided that IL was fitting
TO acknowledge the bouniiss vcuch
ssfsd them BY setting spsrs 3 day fer
thanksgiving, what had they to be thank
ful for? About them was the wilderness
vhsrs the savages and wild beats outnun
bsred tbs N nulitudes to o1e; the homes
and dear relations Of the old world we're
separated from them by Thousands Of miles
Of vin,ry sea; the soil where they were
was slmost sterile. They we're too matter
oi-fact to Indulge in any dreams Of the
graud spectacle New England would pre-
sentin 1891. Yet tbs c3ld and harsh realities
oil sbou; them did not in the least, hcvsvsr,
deter them from establishing the custom
Of observing 8 day Of thsn ksgiving. This
custom so characteristic Of tina people Of
New England is now q nstionsl ons, an
may II ever be FEAST issrEAD OF FAsT.
The good oil forefsthers had, so we are
told. been INDUCING in fast dsys. On the
occasion when 1t was decided that smother
day Of fasting should be had IL came sbou,
that one Of the stsrn but level head ID old
Pufiisps spoke out in meeting" to the
effect thu. i. was about time they had .
little diversion from solemn fasting and
contemplation Of their sorrows to feasting
and regard for their Joys. This change
was made with the result that the latter
clslom has survived the former.
The person with the most poverty stricken
generosity prefers ths bright eide for him
self snd his friends to contemplate.
Thanksgiving /, not only an American
holiday bu, the turkey tha; grsces the
board is a native born American. Two hua.
bred and forty years ago today the turkey
was apotheosized IS the national bird to be
Slaughtered on every Thanksgiving day.
II Ben amin Frsnklin's iaes Of the national
bird to go upon the emblems Of this repub-
lie had been adopted then should we have
seen the turkey elevated to tbs. position
instead Of the eagle. There 10 little doubt,
however. that the former i, dearer
to the hearts Of the Americans
from the position which he nov occupies
I. 10 scarcely possible, however. tha:th
naughty cobbler Of today feels any grail
tuds toward Gov. Bradford for selecting
bis ancestors to grace that Thanksgiving
board Of 1921.
Bnstling Housewives Of 1891.
Nearly every nation OF this earth cele-
bfates or has celebrated Thanksgiving fes-
rivals. Many Thanksgiving offering has
been cast on the altar Of Isis by the Egyp
tian husbaudmen after the lngAtherirg Of
the hsrveas and many a procession
GRO ned with wheat leaves have walked
to her temples on thst day in reeogni;io n Of
boundfui harvests.
The Roman Cerealia in honor Of Ceres
and before that the Greek Tbysalis 10
ing festivals.
The Hebrews were not sat sdsd with one
Thanksgiving day bu. INDUCED in seven
known As the Feast Of the Tabernacle.
Ths harvest home Of old Ensland is an
other Illustration of the disposition on the
part Of mankind to express their glsdness
At the rich returns OF the land they titled.
Blu, ct all these the fss:sl features of
course included feast Of some kidd and
n many respects the art or science of cook
cry reignsd triumphant. Iii, fair to pre-
sumo that house girls were more plentiful
in the days when the goddess Ceres presided
over the festivities Of the ancient Il ,msns
than at present but certsioly the average
Roman consort hsd more TO c,ntend
with lie preparing the feast for the
man Of the house." his friends ard the
Jones and Smiths that hsd been invited to
be present on that fsstal occssiou than does
the average American housewife Of today,
Say what we may OF the delicious viands
that only can come from the environments
Of the oldfsshicned brick even. we must
acknowledge thst both sisnce and expert
euce have furnished the wives ana their
servants tidy with ca!inary apparatus, the
wonder. Of which not the most darios
ybiI would have venture to foretell. nor
even the witches Of Salem dared cont NJ
plaie.
Notwithstanding, that QUE yourselves
know their vast resources for getting up a
feast with wonderful csterity. yesterday
they cane TO the full real zs,iou that some
thing must be d,ue. How they hustled.
The stree. was, as one might say. full Of
them. The money Of their husbands went
into circulation with So ilicIens rapiiity to
satisfy the most sociaiis.ie individual and
the provision dealers fairly besmed
How msdly the drivers o; the grocery
teams drove srouod the corners OF the
streets, Almost every minute they would
jump from their seats and disappear in .
kitchen from which ssvory odors came forth
to vtes the specifies Of the psssers BY .
Vanished for moment they resppesr only
to assault smother fragrant kitchen With
huge baskets which promise 90 much for
the morrow. Indeed how could se spare
the American housswi OF 1891!
Future Thanksgivings'
No people needs the enjoymsn: and whs;
should be tie entire rsisxstian from busi
ness Of the holiday, s, much IS does the
American. The terrible tension of the
every day work must oc,asionaliy be re
laIed.
Some one has suggested thSt when Bel
lsmy's ideas come toto Vega that there
shall be furnished at the public kitchen 3
patent mss,icstor which shsil enable
the bu.ioe.s man Opportunity 70 dispose
Of ii, Thanh ssivicg tiuret with The kite
track CELEBRITY; ,h.t he shs!l have a. his
elbow pipe by ,u:ti e the faucet Of which
his plate thail be supplied with TIE Up be