Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1920-12-24

In many communities the Tercen-
tenary on Tuesday last of the landing
of the Pilgrims on our shores was COM
memorated with all the pomp that cir
cumstances would permit, but not even
in Plymouth itself were surpassed the
sincerity of feeling and deep interpre-
tation of the significance of the cele-
bration manifest in Middlebury's own
public recognition of the event. The
Historical Society hand in hand with
the Labaree Society of the Congrega-
tional church exerted every effort to
make local appreciation of the mean
ing of Forefathers' Day harmonic not
only with the spirit in which the series
of annual concentrations was found
ed nearly a century ago but also with
the full recognition of their one oppor-
tunity to participate in a Tercenten-
airy. They succeeded beyond all doubt
and impressed upon the minds of those
200 men and women present fuller
understanding of the Pilgrim fathers
and mothers and their personality
that has become symbolic of New
England.
The program began at 5 o'clock in
the auditorium Of the Congregational
church. First there was an organ pre-
lude by Professor L. J, Hathaway of
Middlebury College The Reading of
Scripture the Eighth Chapter of Deu-
teronomy, followed The Ode of Mrs.
Hemans descriptive of the coming OF
the Pilgrims was sung by the choir and
congregation. Rev. E. B. Ho ms ros-
tor of St. Stephens Episcopal church,
offered the PRAYER preceding the sing
ing Of the TIE Deum by the choir.
Rev. Howard A. Bridgman, D. D.,
editor of "The Congregationalist", OF
Boston, Mass. was the orator of the
evening. He had chosen for his topic
"The Glory of New England. In
truly mastery manner he outlined the
development of the Pilgrim spirit into
the spirit of New England that has
formed the leaven in the rise of this
country to greatness. The sturdy an
cestors of the Forefathers who 300
years ago landed from the Mayflower
had before long dispersed and aided
greatly in the settlement of the rest
OF the colonies without the boundaries
of New England in the early years and
later helped to win the West in the ex-
pansion beyond the Appa' achians. He
stressed the fact that religion had first
started the Pilgrims in their search for
free land. Religion had entered
greatly too, into the lives OF their i'm
mediate descendants he said. just as.
ii should be considered of first impor
tance in the present century. The
movement of the Pilbrims was also
characterized by the speaker as a
movement of youth, the continuation
of which depended upon the youth of
today.
The national hymn America" i'm
followed the Grafton. Presi-
dent John M. Thomas pronounced the
benedcton and the organ postlude by
Professor Hathaway closed the public
At six O'Clock the public exercises
were over and the audience filed down
stairs to the basement. The 1870 tick
cts put on sale had not sufficed for the
overflow OF admittance seekers. Rub
bing elbows with the Register reporter
IN the anteroom waiting for a probable
cancellation by more fortunate ones
of their reservations were senator
elect, a superintendent of schools and
a professor or two. We all got in
nevertheless, through the kindness of
the committee.
The Labaree Society cooked their