The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1908-11-26

also attended by several of the "most
wise" Indians. We find 1t recorded
that "a day was appointed by publick
authority and set apart from all other
employments" to pray to God for His
favor upon an Inflated people. The
morning was a most beautiful one.
The skies were clear. The whole day
was spent in fasting and prayer. 1t
then rained with soft, sweet, mod
crate showers, mixed with seasonable
weather, as it was hard to say
whether our withered corn or droop-
ing affections were most qulckened
and revived. such was .ye bounty and
goodness OF Cod" II was amid these
rains that Captain Myles S3andish
went northward to secure provisions
! OF the Friendly Indians Upon his
return he brought a large aIAount of
provisions. He also reported that the
ship supposed to have been lost had
been sighted. This gave great joy
to the colonists. Relative to the
same We quote:
Having these many signs OF Gods
favor and accepuon, another solemn
day was set apart and appointed,
wherein we returned glory and
honour and praise with thankfulness
to our good God who had dealt so
graciously with u.s."
Each year the Plymouth colony
held Thanksgiving. Passing on, we
notice the arrival OF John Winthrop
and his associates, very religious
people. They. too, held a day of
"pub!ick worship and Thanksgiving"
We find that on February %. 1880,
the first Thanksgiving is proclaimed
In Boston. The winter had been
very cold and a hard one. Many
deaths had taken place. the record
of which is unknown to history. Rev.
Cotton Mather is probably the best
authority of the times. He relates
OF one man, who had invited his
friends to dinner, and the only food
upon the spacious table was CLAIMS.
In asking the blessing at the family
table, he thanked God "who had
given them to suck the abundance of
the seas and OF the treasures hid IN
the sands" All that spring. when
the tides were right, they would rise
before daylight. pray until 1t was
light enough to fish, and hunt the
shores for CLAIMS One of the most
charitable men of the times appears
to have been Governor Winthrop,
who was known to have given to a
distressed neighbor "the last handful
of meal" when a ship with supplies
1 was SIGHTED in the harbor.
Another interesting Thanksgiving
] service was held in Old Scituate on
i'Decembcr %, 1886 The authority
for this mention is the church record,
as follows:
In. ye Westinghouse, beginning
some halle. hour before nine & con-
Etinuing until after twelve aclocke,
We day being very cold, beginning W.T.
a short prayer, then a psalme sang,
then more large in prayer, after that
ant other Psalme e. then the Word
l taught, after that prayer-and then a
psaime. Then making merry to the
Ecreatures, the poorer sort being in
vited of the richer" This meeting
Is worthy of emulation. On the 18th
of the following October services
we're conducted In the same manner
/ In the year 1912 Governlr William
Shirley proclaimed two services. In
1746. svhen the French feet had
threatened the colony. "a fast day OF
thanksgiving" was held In "ye old
South :. Westinghouse" Boston
I;Tnonias Prince stood up in "publiclz
prayer when, in the language of the
| poet the storm
"Ca1ne with mighty power,
= Shaking the windows and walls,
Apd tolling the bell in the tower
AS it tolls at funerals"
L Soon the ''Sons of Liberty" were