The Mt. Sterling advocate. (Mt. Sterling, Ky.) 1890-current, 1892-11-22
THANKSGIVING.
The old New England Thanksgiving
by HEzEKIAH BUTTERwoRTH,
of."The Youths componionn

CnlureH century, anu INC sCnoOl pro-
cession on Columbus Day led the way
into the larger field of development
and achievement. In that march the
Puritan schoolhouse--Puritan only in
name, for it was unsectarian from the
beginning,--rises to the front again ;
the principles of the fathers come
back, liberty, character, education.
A nation emphasizes that which it
most values, and its character is
known by the men it crowns. The
Columbus seculum has emphasized
education and crowned the school
master. A grander century lifts its
gates lin the prophetic thought of
Virgil, "the Destinies say to their
spindles, Thus 60 on forever"
Thanksgiving Day is the day of the
founders of the republic, and ought to
be observed this historic year as never
before since the days of the war. 1t
recalls our noblest and best traditions.
Columbus Day is s@culum,
Thanksgiving is the American feast
of tabernacles and the Saturnala. 1t
Is the day of the Lares, of the re-kind-
ling of sacred household fires. 1t is
the day of God.
A new thought has lately come into
the public mind in regard to Thanks
giving as harvest festival it is that
it is day to be associated with the
blessings of the fields Of corn. A
strong plea is made that Indian corn
or maize should be adopted as our
national flower. the reasons given
for this selection have been partly put
on record in Miss Edna Dean Proctor's
poem in the Century, entitled "Co-
lumbia's Emblem" Corn was the
most sacred emblem of the American
races. 1t was sacred in the golden
halls of Peru and Mexico. One, of the
greatest blessings that Columbus con-
ferred on Europe was the gift of In
dian corn. .... l
Five grains of corn" helped save
the starving Plymouth Colony, dealt
out in famine, according to tradition,
as a daily ration. The traditions OF
the cornfeld are universal, belonging
to the north, South and West. In He
brew literature "corn" is the emblem
of strength and Immortality. 1t still
has these suggestions. Indian corn
has been one of the greatest blessings
of God 10 the American race.
Already corn parties have become a
popular entertainment. In such
parties the rooms or halls are trimmed
with corn, and the tables decorated
with poetic productions of the corn
field. The food consists of all things
that may be made of corn, including
the historic succotash, Johnny-cak
corn dodgers, and rye
and Indian brown bread. Hulled
corn is a snowy and agreeable feature,
and poppee corn may enter into the
decorations. Soup may be served,
and corn-fed meats and fowl are iu
order. Decorations of husks are very
slightly, and at "corn fairs" husk mats
and dolls may be offered for sale. AT
two such parties that we have attend
ed Miss Proctor's poem on corn Goo
lumbia's Emblem'') has been read, and
at one an address was made on the
reasons why corn should be made the
national flower, which Invited q rich
ond poetic history. The history OF
corn would be the history of America.
as that of bridges would be that of the
Roman world.
The waving of the corn sheaves
after the manner of the Hebrew wave
offering would be an appropriate rec
ognition of what is good in the liter
AIRY. exercises of such an occasion.
The dinner of Thanksgiving Day in
colonial times had several dishes that
have generally disappeared, but that
might well be revived. The succo-
fash was one of these, and it began
the meal, the hasty pudding, and the
apple dumplings with potato crust,
and perhaps walnut or brown-bread
"coffee," ended the meal. Nuts were
served in the evening, and walnuts'
and chestnuts were the favorites, and
were cracked before the fire.
The native game and the luxurious
pandowdy were the choice things of
the old-time neal. The whole roast
pig was good, but the rabbit pie, the
roast cartridges aud quail. ere more
inviting. Tbs popular roast turkey
and the ''Welch RABBIT" (rarebit) fol-