Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1892-11-24
IN THE OLDEN TIME.
THANKSGIVING FESTIVITIES IN THE
SEVENTEENTH CENTURY.

The following letter was found among
1he papers in an old country house and
copied by the writer:
From Alice Barton to Mistress Olive Kerrison.
Thursday. 2lst day of November, MDCXC.
SWEETEST OLIvE-It is the close of the
first day in this New Boston. and | take
this opportunity of telling you how have
Jared. The voyage was an exceedingly
pleasant one had my heart not been made
heavy with the loss of old friends and the
dread had of this New World for had
many apprehensions of evil My Uncle
met me at the port and conveyed me home,
where i met my Aunt Faith. | have be-
fore told you their story, how my uncle
was disinherited because he welded one of
the seditious sect of Luckers, and how
Aunt Faith was disowned because she
married out that body, so the twain came
to America. | am much affected by her
calm sweetness, and there is such appar.
ent love betwiXt my uncle and herself that
/ would fain be loved as she is. But |
would not have you; Olive, let others
know that | have such unmaidenly
thoughts. My aunt sent me ut once to
rest, saying:
''Thee must be up betimes dear, for the
morrow is the Thanksgiving"
"What is this Thanksgiving, Aunt
Faith?" asked.
1--WE return thanks for gracious preser-
walton, for our mercies have been great,
dearest" In the morning there seemed a
strange air of hustle in the large kitchen
whittier Aunt Faith led me, what with
cooking strange dishes such as had never
before seen. While we were yet breaking
our fast, my uncle's kinsfolk and thine,
Master and Mistress Tafton, with their
son Roger, came for the day. had much
curiosity to see Roger, because of his let
ters to thee. He is indeed well favored,
and hath a comely countenance, although
his dress is not such as / have been wont
to see, being coarser. Yet the brown
doublet and small clothes woven and made
by the hands of Mistress Tafton were
well fitting, and the buckles on his shoes
were of chaste appearance. Mistress Taf-
ton wore a camlet gown, fashioned some
what like my own, having three ruffles
upon the sleeves. | noted that her shoes
were more pointed than mine and the heels
exceedingly high. Indeed in looking at
the women in the church | noted that they
were scarce five months behind the fashion
of London.
We walked to the new North church-all
but Aunt Faith, who had the care G the
dinner upon her-where we heard Dr. Cot
ton Mather preach. Methought the ser
mon long and wearisome, but my uncle
and Roger were well pleased, because he
advocated federation for all Quakers and
Anabaptists. A maiden, however, knows
naught of such deep thoughts, and longed
for our dear liturgy.
Roger and | walked together, and he
showed me much of the town on the
homeward way. | was inwardly much
nmnseU hprnnga hp sanpnal tn think ba
town was of size with London. He
showed to me the new court house, also
the house of Master Cotton, whom he says
all men hold in reverence. We passed the
new grammar school, which seemeth
small to me after those in London But
there are many fine mansions, with over
hanging stories and with great banks
Roger says to protect from Indians. We
also passed the new feather store, said to
be the finest in Boston.
Meanwhile Roger discoursed much upon
the new college at Hartford. at which he
is Il student, seeming to think it even SUI
perior to English colleges. He did, how
ever, regret that they could not purchase
more modern authors; consequently the
style of American writers was inferior.
He told me, moreover Il sad story of
Mistress Dustan, who was to dine at our
house that day, and whose face looked full
of care. All her family had been slain by
Indians, even to her young babe, and she
dragged from a sickbed, forced to walk
with them till they had gone over 100
miles, her nurse being with her One
night when all We're asleep, she, with her
nurse and an English boy, did kill all
eleven Indians, and SO escaped back to Bos
ton. Because of her bravery the assembly
gave her fifty pounds, besides gifts from
friends.
Aunt Faith had prepared fine spread
for the dinner, which is even as our
Christmas. There were many dishes such
as had never seen. Turkey, most deli
cate in flavor, pumpkin pie, beans, and
bread made of a strange grain called
Indian corn. OF it Roger told me that
the black bird brought the first grain and
the crow the first bean, wherefore both
were held sacred by the savages. There
were also plum pudding and various other
English dishes. There was much laughter
and talk at the table, at which l was
greatly surprised
Thence we went to the withdrawing
room, where we all sat about the great
fireplace roasting chestnuts and apples,
while all talked. They related many hunt
ing stories and marvellous cures by the use of
utlbSs luoSc Will tcll YOU hereafter. linen
| read to them from The News Letter and
London Gazette that had brought and
they asked me many questions about Lon
don-more than maiden could answer.
So took the virginals and sang English
songs until the dusk fell, when there came
silence upon all, and | saw that Mistress
Tafton was weeping because of home mem
ories. Roger helped mewith the songs,
and his voice was uncommon full. But at
last Master Tafton rose, saying the cattle
needed to be cared for, and they departed,
Mistress Tafton sitting on the pillion with
her husband, and Roger looking noble and
holding his seat as knight would do. So
endeth the first day, and it seemeth to me
that the New World hath many pleasures.
z. S-The day following l open my let
ter, though the carrier will be here shortly,
to tell thee of the strange fortune that hath
befallen me. This morning l was with
Aunt Faith in the storeroom helping her
to sort simples, when one of the maids told
me that Roger Tafton awaited me in the
withdrawing room, had donned my green
taffetas gown, and felt that was not I'M
npp,alv Ac aptaraI II ntrar IN ,,,,, lo,.l,