Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1899-12-29
FOREFATHERS' DAY.
THE 279TH ANNIVERSARY CELE-
DRAFTED IN MlODlEBURY.

supper, Musical Program ana snort
Speeches by Prominent Men.
The observance of the 279th anniver-
sary of Forefathers' Day brought out
good audience at the Congregational
church on Thursday evening of last
week. The exercises of the evening were
opened by voluntary and anthem,
Mrs. G. d. Miner presiding at the organ.
Rev. II. Il. Davies of Vergennes gave the
invocation and read from the Scriptures.
after which the audience joined in sing
ing the ode by Mrs. IIemans, "The
breaking waves dashed high MIR.
Davies offered up prayer and the choir
sang the anthem "a Dream of Paradise"
DR.. Ezra Braiuerd. who presided at the
meeting, then in few words told of the
objects of the gathering and ended by in
PRODUCING Rev. Henry Elliott Mott, d.
D., of Buffalo, n. Y who had been Sc
lected to give the address of the evening
That the selection was a happy one was
made manifest by the many and hearty
expressions of the pleasure given, which
were voiced at the close The speaker
coupled clear-cut thought with a most
effective delivery and the address was in
ali ways one of the best heard in long
while at Forefathers' gathering. He
said in part:
Sixty years ago n French traveller said that
to form II single type representing the Amer
lean character, ii would be nece sary TO take
at least three fourths of the Yankee and mix
1t with hardly one-fOurth of the Nirginian.
Only this proportion? 1t is geographically
grotesque The most concrete and sgnih-
cant answer lies in the event which sum
mons us this evening.
No stranger voyage was ever undertaken
than that which came TO an end 279 years ago
today. he greatest fortunes have often
tioated on the manes in The smallest craft
Poetry and art have excited genius in at
tempting to depict this scene, but the plain
recital of facts is the most eloquent The
speaker here described the journey of the
Maynower Pilgrims.
The effect of this trip is the largest con.
tjnu Dus empire th- sun ever shone on, the
youngest born among the nations and the
weaithiest. This seeming anomaly is ex.
planned by the presence Of the Pertain con
science, which is the most formidable force
in history The Puritan is specialized
form of the Protestant lie is a member # Il
race posse 5sing the genius of colonization
and the sense of imperia command; one who
holds the essential doctrines of the reformed
faith, and who has been moulded into stern
stuff in the fires of persecution. ii lacks
certain graces OF development-is over
rigid toward pleasure, somewhat wanting in
a sense of beauty, too impatient of differing
opinion. But two elements of power are
present with him-he will knoW far as he
may, and he will do as far as he knows. He
is not taken with the idea that II makes no
difference what man believes so long as he
is sincere. 1t seems to him to make all the
difference between success and failure. Hav-
ing belief he acts on 1t.
"FOr when he saw a thing was trua
He went to work and put it through,
Ia in rhyme the Puritan character. His course
shows clearly the leading Of Providence.
Charles Kingsley writes one OF his most elo
quent passages on the providential manner
In which tribes east and west converged to
overthrow the Roman empire. Shall we see
God at work in the destruction OF an empire
and not in Its founding?
In l49! this continent thrown open to the
nations. In 1917, the Protestant Reformation.
First the soil, then the seed. One century of
preparation OF both, and then In lG2D the
planting. Where adventure and influence
and wealth had tried the colonization of this
land and failed, moral habits founded on re
ligious principle triumphed. They brought
wife and child, and wherever they touched
soil they already had a home. Tremendous
problems have been theirs TO solve. At the
time the Mayfower crosses the ocean q
Dutch slave ship brings a cargo of twenty
blacks to set up the system of domestic
bdNeTy OH tutst SuOTeS. IUlS question nde
been settled. But others are upon the hOri
1on MormOnism occupies national atten
don, but the greater question is whether We
are standing on the decalogue. Rights Of
property are creating profound issue. The
Puritan will solve them, as he has solved al
other questions under divine guidance and
with divine will. They have been tried by
the vision OF Ideals caught sight of In the sky
They sleep within sound OF Atlantlcs surge
but their spirit is abroad everywhither
Being dead, they yet speak.
After the singing of the doXology ant
bcnediction, the greater part of the audi
ence repaired to the vestry of the church
where a committee of ladies had prepared
fine supper. The walls of the vestrl
were decorated by numerous family pOr
traits, loaned by Middlebury people
The room was filled by handsomely ar
ranged and decorated tables, over whicl
ladies of the commitree presided and oil
which waited some of Middlebury's pret
tiest young women. After the numerou
good things provided for the supper hat
been disposed of, Doctor Brainerd, a
toastmaster, began the after-supper por
ton of the programme by announcing
song from Doctor Sheldon. "Katherine'
Curls" was his selection, to which Jus
for single word" was added by unan
nous insistence. The President the
called upon Rev. Mr.. Davies of Vel
gennes as one who could speak of tn
Puritans from the outside, as he was G
Celtic blood and unprejudiced.
Mr.. Davies in responding said am prou
of the Purtans first, for two reasons, becau'
had my education In a college founded an
supported by Puritan New England peopl
namely, Marietta, Ohio, whose influence WI
so great upon me that my classmates in Il
seminary could not agree as to which of Il
New England states came from. l was
much of a Puritan, they said, that must be
Yankee from down east. The only difficul
with that theory was that had come in n
childhood from a point still farther ca
across the briny deep. from the lit
princpality OF Wales.
The other reason why am proud OF t
Puritan paOple is that l obtained q wife frS