The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1895-11-23

intermission between them, there were
erected in the immediate vicinity Of the
meeting house. for the accommodation
of distant worshipers, small buildings
called sabbath. day houses" These
structures were usually built and held in
partnership by two families and con-
sisted Of two rooms some ten or twelve
feet square, with chimney between
them, having fireplace in each ap-
artment.
On Thanksgiving morning a bountiful
supply Of good cheer was slowed away
in the wagon or sleigh that was to con-
vey household to meeting" Arriving
in the vicinity of the sacred edifice. the
Sabbath day house" was first visited
and the provisions dep osited there. A
fire was then lighted and soon all were
thoroughly thawed out and wellwarmed
after their long, cold ride. At 9 o'clock,
the hour for worship, they were ready
to sally forth and SILVER in the cold
during the three-hour morning SER
vice, for the meeting houses" or
churcheaof those days were wholly I'M
warmed by any artificial heat of any
kind. AS a consequence the minister
preached in his over-coat and mittens,
and when the services drew near an end
on cold day. everybody was anxious to
escape from the chilling atmosphere of
the church and seek warmth in their
adjacent homes.o or Sabbath day houses
as soon as possible.
For the following quaint account Of
an old colonial Thanksgiving church
service and dinner. am indebted to a
letter written in the year TIA, by an an
cestor Of mine,th Rev.LawrenceConant
of the old South parish in Danvers,
Mass, and still preserved as most pre-
cious heirloom in my family: "Ye Gov
ernor was in ye house, and her maJesty's
commissioners of ye customs, and they
sat together III high seat by ye pulpit
stairs. Ye Governor appears very de-
vout and attentive, although he favors
Episcopacy and tolerates ye Quakers
and Baptists. He was dressed in black
velvet coat. bordered with gold lace,
and buff breeches with gold buckles at
ye knees, and white silk stockings.
There was disturbance in ye galleries,
where it was filed with divers negroes,
mulattoes and Indians, and a negro
called Pomp Shorter, belonging to Mr..
Gardner, was called forth and put in ye
broad isle, where he was reproved with
great carefulness and solemnity. He
was then put in ye deacon's seat between
two deacons, in view of ye whole congre-
CATION; but ye sexton was ordered by
Mr.. Prescott to take him out, because
of his levity and strange contortion of
countenance giving grave scandal to ye
grave deacons), and put him in ye lobby
under ye stairs; some children and
mulatto woman were reprimanded for
laughing at Pomp Shorter. When We
services at ye meeting house we're ended,
ye council and other dignitaries we're
entertained at ye house of Mr.. Epes, on
ye hill near by. and we had bountiful
Thanksgiving dinner, with bears meat
and venison, the last of which was fine
buck shot in ye woods near by. Ye bear
was killed in Lynn woods near Reading.
After ye blessing was craved by Mr..
Garrish of Wrentham, word came that
We buck was shot on ye Lords Day, by
Pequot, an Indian, who came to Mr..
>Epes with lye in his mouth, like In
dians Of old. Ye council thereupon re-
fused to eat ye venison, but it was after
wards agreed that Pequot should re-
ceive forty stripes, save one, for lying
and profaning ye Lords Day. restore
Mr.. Epes ye cost of ye deer; and consid-
ering this just and righteous sentence
on ye sinful heather, and that blessing
had been craved on ye meat, ye council
all partook Of it but Mr.. Shepard, whose
conscience was tender on ye point of
venison."
ALLEGHENY. PENN.