Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1893-11-30
NEW ENGLAND'S DAY.
WHERE THANKSGIVING TRADITIONS
ARE STILL OBSERVED.

III Nenssy Of . HAPPY Day FerDssaassd
In Us Spirit Of Old Ceisaiaa rt.ss-
Hsns Ce.iaes sd Esassi.s Csissrsts
sAs veseiy.i-The Bin Of Ks,s-
Thanksgiving day. What memories are
eoniured mp by the simple naming Of this
day Of fs<tivftyt Is Is an offspring OF early
New England. and IL Ii still New England 8
own day of rejoicing, instituted under con-
disions which we. Ia our days OF sell seek
ing and Of pienteoas ease, Rarely attempt
TO pause and contemplate
The history Of Thanksgiving day reaches
back to the earlier colonial days. when
little band Of strong hearted, earnest men
and women who had ventured across the
seas In search Of freedom Of life and liberty
Of conscience were knowing the suffering
which Is 10 generally a part Of pioneer life.
Their heart. we're filed with a new hope
and thrilling with . deep joy, and their
hands were stsadfastiy set to the pillow Of
COURAGEOUS advancement
Though they were suffering from the rg-
ors Of a new cline. with insufficient means
Of protection from It's severity. even though
they were suffering from severe prfvations,
aged
They were largely cut off from communi-
cation with all tho civilized world, they
had the deep. Wide, resEie=sly puisatinR
sea hemming them in on one side, and the
wide. pitileSs wilderness encarnplssed them
on the other, and they were surrounded by
sayages OF whom they stood in uneeasin2
dread and fear Added TO all these was
the appalling fact that their provisions had
run low aud their expected sniEs Of relief
had failed to appear.
Yet, with starvation staring them In the
face. their courage was undaunted. They
had taken their lives in their hands and
had come forth with stern heroic resoiu-
ton. They were going to establish new
homes In new land. and IN those homes
there should be freedom. They were de-
terrnined to succeed. and their prayers fog
sticcor were the prayers Of faith, not OF de
spair,
One happy day the word came TO the de-
voted company that the relief ships were
In the offing Their faith had not failed
them nor led them astray. Relief had
come From the fulluess Of their grateful,
devoted hearts they gave such thanks a.
OVERLOOKING, trusting hearts can give.
Those Puritan ancestors OF ours had a
goodly fashion Of acknowledging with un-
limited grace of heart the good gifts that
came To them. They were ready and Will
ing To suffer and die, il need were. for con-
sciences sake, and when any OF the sue
tesses or good things for which they lonBed
snd toiled came to them they gave thanks
with the hum BILE devotion Of gratitude Of
those who received il as a gift and not al a
Fight.
The festival which WAS so long ago inau-
eurated still survives. Each year the presi-
dent of the L nited States sets apart day
for Thanksgiving. In New England some
what of the earlier spirit is attached TO its
celebration and no other feast day takes ita
place there 1t is the day of the family
home gathering. Men and women leave
their professional, social and worldly cares
and interests and go back to their homes
and friends and the days of their childhood.
Children visit the scenes and are Initiated
into the youthful recollections, pastimes
and associations OF their ancestors. Even
the bill of fare is traditional The united
families everywhere sit down, each beneath
It's own home rooftree, to tables loaded
down with the same viands.
The turkey is sacred to the day, and the
accompanying vegetables, fruits, pies and
buildings are also traditional. 1t is not es-
Genital to have soup, but if one does, oyster
soup is the kind to be served. The turkey
Is matter of course, chicken pie is usual;
vegetables of all the ordinary kinds form a
part OF the regular menu; cranberry sauce
il as generally used almost as the turkey
itself, and minee and pumpkin pies also
are ON every bill OF fare. To these are fire.
quently added plum pudding, rice pudding
or the old fashioned cracker pudding, and
many if not most people add not only ap-
pies and chestnuts and hickory nuts, but
raisins, grapes and other nuts, not always
nor altogether of home growth.
Thanksgiving day is one OF especial en-
j0ymeut, looked forward to with keen
anticipation, enjoyed with pleasant partici-
patton and enjoyed in retrospection. But
with these pleasant home uniting qualities
and remeu. brances the memories of the first
appointed and observed Thanksgiving
should be blended and held most sacred in
all our thoughts, for such memories
should incite in us the desire and endeavor
to make our lives worthy of the noble,
earnest, consecrated lives of our New Eng
land ancestors. the real fathers of our
country, who baptized with their loyalty
to truth, their devotion to principle. their
heroiSm, their tleathless hope and no less
deathless faith the new country to which
they came and which they have left to us,
heritage of such value as no pen can por-
tray.
May the sacred influence Of their lives
still reach down to bless us anew into
niger freedom and truer liberty. May we
grow into truer ways of heartiness, unself-
ishness, simplicity, sincerity and kindness,
which shall make us worthy descendants
of those heroic forefathers of ours who have
bequeathed to us the freest country in the
world New York Observer.