Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1903-11-26


Holidays are the Jewels in the circle OF
the year-precious for the respite which
they give in the round of grinding care,
for the joyous fellowship Of mirth, for the
softening and humanizing influences
which cause even the hard and bitter to
exhibit suspicious symptoms of almost
loveable traits, and for the associations
and memories connected with the re-
curing feasts. In early life they have the
setting OF happy youth, but their radiance
flashes less brightly with the flight OF
years till, dimmed by the breath of sor
row, they glow with the light OF unfor-
gotten griefs in the chastened soul.
The present festival, which our fathers
on the bleak New England coast estab-
lished as a day Of Thanksgiving for the
bounteous harvest that should preserve
them from starvation and for their de-
liverance from the savage beasts and
beings of the unbroken wilderness, has
for us, beset by no such dangers, become
a day of family reunions. Widely sepa-
rated brethren gather beneath the pater-
nal roof and around the old familiar board
as in childhood days, and this renewing
Of the ties OF youth is counted not the
least among the mercies Of the year.
The earliest Thanksgiving in America
was kept by the Pilgrims in 1921 and was
repeated often during that and the en-
suing century. Congress recommended
days Of Thanksgiving annually during the
revolution and in 1884 for the return Of
peace-as did Pres. Madison in 1915.
Washington appointed such day in 1883
after the adoption OF the constitution, and
in 1895 for the general benefits and well
fare OF the nation.
In 1889 the Episcopal church formally
recognized I'm its Prayer book the civil
governments authority to appoint such a
feast, and in 1883 the Roman Catholic
church also decided to honor a festival,
which had long been universally OBJ
served-though nowhere with such zest
as in the New England states.
Since 1917, Thanksgiving has been OBJ
served annually in New York, and since
1863 the presidents have always issued
proclamations appointing the last Thurs
day in November as the particular day.
In the earlier days the people were not
so much given as now to forgetting the
assembling of themselves together in
their accustomed places OF worship" for
the rendering OF thanks to the Giver of all
good gifts. "Great as the preparations
were for the dinner" says Harriet Beecher
Stowe in .'Oldtown Folks everything
was so contrived that not a soul in the
house should be kept from the morning
service Of Thanksgiving in the church
and from listening to the Thanksgiving
sermon, in which the minister was ex-
pected to express his views freely con-
corning the politics Of the country and
the state OF society generally, in somewhat
more secular vein OF thought than was
deemed exactly appropriate to the Lords
day."
After the revolution the observance OF
extended to the Middle
states, then to the West and more slowly
to the South, until now it has become a
great national holiday, closely connected
with the intimate family life Of the people.
1t is pleasant to think how all over this
broad land brethren are meeting today to
keep the feast at the old homestead, where
in days of yore they manRuvred annually
to get possession of the wishbone.