Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1901-12-27
FOREFAFHERS' DAY.
5sTH ANNUAL OBSERVANCE BY Nib
DLEBURY HISTORICAL SOCIETY.

DLEBURY HISTORICAL SOCIETY.
President Chas. $. Murkland Delivers
Address-Banquet in the Evening-Af-
ter-Dinner Speeches by Prominent Men
Elaborate Musical Program.
With typical New England Deem
Der day for its observance the 2S1st an
niversary of the landing of the Pilgrims
was celebrated by the Middlebury His
torical Society, Friday afternoon and
evening, Dec. 20, the public exercises
occurring in the Congregational church,
1t being the 5Sth observance of Fore
fathers Day by this society.
The society, in the nearly three-score
years of its existence has taken upon
itself the task once year of making
Forefathers' Day one of the most pleas
ing social events of the dying year and
in the celebration of the past week the
society done itself proud in presenting
one of the best programs of its many
years of existence.
At this time, the opening of the Goth
century. brief history of the observ-
ance of Forefathers' Day in Middlebury
is in order. The first public observance
of the day to be held in this town oc-
Cured on Dee. 10, 1912, being held in
the Cong egational church in this viii
lage. notice having been given the inhab-
itants throughout the county by the
following notice which appeared in the
county papers;
NOTICE.
"The two hundred and twenty.second ami
versary of the landing OF our turefathers on
the shores OF New England will occur on
Thursday, The 22d inst. on the evening of
that day an address will be delivered by Pro
fessor Stoddald, on the character and princt'
pies of the Puritans. services will com
u ence at halfpast six O'Clock in the Congre'
gatioual Church. Appropriate music Is eX-
i,ectcd The public generally are invited TO
attend.
Mlddlebury, Dec. 10, ls42."
This is about all the history that we
have concerning the first meeting in this
town TO celebrate this occasion. The
meeting was held on the date called for
in the foregoing notice and "the follow
ing hymns were sung IN this place, on
the % ult.. during the exercises in COM
memoration of the landing of the Pill
grim Fathers; being the 222d annvers-
ary," being the only account of the
event left US by the historian. The S4th
Psalm. Mrs. Heman's poem, "The Pill
grim Fathers, and hymn composed by
some resident of the town for the occa-
sion constituted the program, which,
thanks to the Sheldon Art Museum, has
been preserved.
On the following December 22d a more
formal celebration was held and quite
extended mention of the meeting was
made in the local papers concerning the
same. Printed programs were used and
the order of exercises consisted of an in
vocation, reading of the Scripture, a
song sung by a juvenile choir, prayer
and poem of Mrs. Hemans was read,
after which Rev. Otto IS. Hoyt of Hines
burg addressed those assembled. An
anthem and the benediction closed the
days celebration, thus laying the found
alton oi the Middlebury Historical Soci-
ETY., which has perpetuated the observ-
ance of Forefathers' Day in this town
each succeeding year.
The program of the festivities of Fri
days celebration is as follows:
/. Voluntary and solo, 1.-THE Gates of Para
disc" by W. ii. sheldon. II
,. Invocation and reading OF scripture. L L
3. ode, THE breaking waves cashed hgh.".
(. Prayer. by Rev. Thomas Simms.
). Solo, Eye hath not SEEM" by Mrs. Cush.
ing Hill.
6. Address, by President Charles 5. Murlt
land, d. ID.
:. Hymn.
;. Benedicton.
The day being fair with a touch of
winter in the atmosphere the good peO-
pie of Middlebury were stimulated to be
present at the initial celebration of the
10Th century in larger numbers than for
some years heretofore. Many members
of the bar, being in town to attend the
present term of court were present, thus
swelling the attendance.
The exercises of the day began at five
o'clock In the afternoon, the program
being as given above. President Brain.
erd, of Middlebury College introduced
the speaker, President Charles S. Murk-
land. of the New Hampshire College OF
aus, W III
took for the title of his address: 1.-THE
Lords Free People"
In opening his address President Murk
land said: SIT is easy to write volume;
about the Puritan and the Pilgrim. TC
do them Justice in short address is i'm
possible.
''The material is so abundant and Sc
varied, that even with volume in con
temptation, one must begin with the pro
cess of selection and exclusion.
The difficulty is altogether In deciding
what not to say.
And yet, if there were less materia
there would be less necessity for tn,
occasional address.
mo finger-post for a single beater
path is needed. But in maze the keen
est vision is uncertain. And the story o.
the Puritan is intricate and involved
His life is rooted deep in his native soil
For three centuries the history of Eng
land is his history; but not the whole
of his history. He gives force and poin
to the most vital movements In the civil
zaton of those three centuries every