The Waxahachie daily light. [volume] (Waxahachie, Tex.) 1894-current, 1907-11-27
THANKSGIVING DAY.


{ lsr4atian 'sHy back in the fall Of
fssI he hardly knew that succeed
Z Ing governors Of New England would
I follow his golden example. Still less
could he have dreamed that the cav
alist south would take 10 the idea
Of a Puritan with such spirit, and en-
thusgasm az 10 make 1t not mere To-
cal holiday bat a permanent nation
{ al institution for all time TO come.
/ But such was the case. And there
I ~ only one explanation OF this ready
! adoption In the anti-podal south OF
a New England idea. The severe re-
I hgion Of New England rather frosn-
ed upon feast days. but even the re-
straints of too rigid creed could
not prevent the New England colon
! isis from celebrating their first
! plentions harvest with that universal
! type OF plenty, a table loaded with
! good things to eat.
/ Suppose Governor Bradford had
! written in his proclamation, a day
of fasting and prayer, why We
would have no Thanksgiving today
1 But fasting" was happily omitted.
/ and the people. human for all their
straight-laced fashions, sat down to
such dinners as only those could
properly enjoy who had passed
through genuine hunger and travail.
! We would have no national
| Thanksgiving il fasting" had been
/ a part of the program OF the day for
| the luxurious south would never
have adopted It as their own. But
since the New Englanders made the
! day the occasion for an annual feast
the southerners unanimously Joined
in its celebration.
Even in the earliest history of the
south. it's pleasure loving people
/ adopted their own fashion of cele-
brating Christmas In New England
! the people spent the 25tb of Decem-
Der in listening to gloomy sermons,
but in the south the day was cele-
| brated after the sermon was over,
with Teasing and merriment. But
there were no scruples against hay
ing two feast days, even though only
a brief month interviewed. The more
the better.
Thanksgiving is truly American
institution, as is true Of no other hol-
iday in our calendar that combines
the religious with the carnal. what
more fitting, then. than that dis
tinctly American fowl should be the
bird of honor on every Thankskglv-
ing board?
Turkeys were plentiful in New
. England when the first Thanksgiving
was celebrated-the grew wild
Their "gobble, gobble,' made music
in the ears OF the Pilgrim fathers
ana the wonder of 1t is that today II
lis known who discovered the irish
potato and tobacco, but no monu-
ment-literal or metaphorical-ls
raised to the man who discovered the
| turkey.
substitute the goose for the turkey,
but even they. with all their pig
headed obstinacy, finally succumbed
10 the charms of the loved American
bird of peace. The turkey flourished
in the south as well as in the north
and east. and was equally toothsome
TO all. regardless of difference in
temperament and religion.
Next to the turkey pumpkin pie
is closely associated with the
THANKSGIVING dinner. somehow,
southerners have never taken over
kindly 10 the pumpkin pie, but are
rather In the attitude when they an
nuaIlv incorporate 81 in their Thanks
giving menu of making concession
tp the feelings and taste of the hardy
race who originated the day. Pump
kin pie IN the south rs purely mat
ter or sentiment or has been. For
The past few years D. would seem
b .fhar 20 has somewhat grown In favor.
\ppropo- Of pie. New England
and northern housewives have al
WAYS enjoyed foremost distinction
: lu that line ot culinary art Pastry
baking requires peculiar kuark
that seems tp geo With the crisp
uapp, climate of Ih, ,o'dc, sections
satuh,ru,rs. .r would appear arr 'i.
.taebed to cakes sud excel u Chat
Iu, ui rookinr
Returning to Ibe pumpsiH. noI'a
.rH.ss ar. perfectly sincere n ihrI
.usiae fof be- Tbe 'H.ua .' hiEhN
off pampAln p.e fha. fbsl efitr po"m.
: about Be- rhiuk pf if..t pnsm uH pio'
u.s Hst,H tl .Ha I1asI,g siusetH
| uhHfs
| .Wbs. maisIsns fhr un.