Year: 1876

'-No iGs inE oLDtN r..


Any body born out of New England can
not have the true flavor of New England
in his mouth, and it is to the happy saints.
born in New England. that address nv.
sell this morning. not forbidding others
to catch the drops that fall from the COB
let. When the children came home to


Thanksgiving. the scene was memorable
in my fathers house in old Litchfied. In
those times the community was well of.
because 1t was poor, thriving, industrious
and always about to be rich. Wages
ranged at fifty cents day. Hear that, We
bricklayers The domestic loom still
clicked: hear it now. The shoemakers
came round once a month and did up the
making and mendng. The tailoring was
done at home. The best suit was as
clearly marked off from the rest of the
clothes as Sunday was from the rest of
the week. Every child had some of the
household work to do. Before / was ten
years old | learned to sew, to knit, to


wash dishes and prepare them to wash.
l earned whippings, made fires, went to
school and didn't study, and was q boy
that nobody could get along with or with
out. The house / lived in was large and


roomy, especially for the elements. Woe
to those who had to burn red oak wood.
splitting out sap at both ends, while the
children cried, end the older persons were


cross. Nothing could live in Litchfield


that wasn't strong; so all the members


of my fathers household were healthy.


The fare was healthy. We had meat and


bread, the historic gingerbread and plain


cake. and we had pies Let ne evil man


speak against pies; he is an enemy to the


history OF his country who speaks against
pies. In those days dinnerless day to
me was like suit of clothes composed of
hat and shoes-there was beginning and
an end, but no middle. As growing
boy, the lack of meal occasioned more
sorrow than any little grace that had be-
gun to grow In me could make up for.
When the snow made path for the sleds
the farmers collected and drew wood.
Then there was jubelee. The oven was
full OF good things, and, tell it not in Gath,
there were barrels of home brew, and
cider and rum. Never but once did
know of my father taking spirituous liquor.
lie came home sick one day, and l saw
him get some rum from the china closet.
Thanksgiving was the one crowning fes-
tival OF New England. We looked for
ward to it half year, and looked back to
it the other half. The harvests were all
in, and surely it was right to offer up
bounteous first fruits. The geese were
put in training weeks and weeks before.


Inc turkeys were appointed. House,
wives consulted each other. The chill
dren were caught and put to service.
Did we not chop mince meat till we al
most wished there were no more mince
pies? DO | not remember that Sunday
when the Governors proclamation was un-
folded and read and we listened, smelling
afar off, the dinnerP AT last it came
the looked-for day. The morning was
like Sunday. Ne skating, no shoutings.


The house-keepers were the only ones
permitted to work. Everybody else was
expected to 60 to church. No sooner had
meeting let out than anything was allow
ed. The hour that elapsed before dinner,
how did we live through ftp At last the
table was spread. the long blessing was
said, and every conscientious child tried
to taste something of everything on the
table. The effort to hold out against sur
render could not be sustained. and the
children fell off one by one, and the illu-
sion of the year was ended say that
nobody can taste the flavor of the true
but those who practise in
some way the ECONOMY of New England.
Before | was fifteen years of age | do
not think | possessed twenty-five cents.
Whatever had of knife or sled earned.
After working all the year, Thanksgiving
Joys could be appreciated am told
that the original stock of New England is
out. | do believe in the New
England of the past. but believe that to-
day she is healthier, stronger, and richer,
and more blessing than ever before.
Now | am going to boast, and those who
do not like it can leave, or stav and take
it at their peril. New England in the old
en- time was staid and sober, because the
conditions were limited. Not one in ten
then ever went out OF New England who
wereIborn in it. Living secluded, intense
was developed. As dynam-
lcal forces. there never was anything bet
than the doctrines of New England. You
saying so ; you can only do it by bringing
better men than those New England pro-
duced. Religion, patriotism, public spirit.
teness here and there, but as whole,
'h0iS 10 S"P"oiity VI Sicat scli-SdcTlucc.
As to patriotism, when the flag was hum
bled. from whose loins sprang the first
heroes Applause. The men who kept
close to the enemy were from the bleed
ing ranks of New England. thongh in
saying this do not forget the great West
and the Middle States.


The Yankee does calculate. Most peo-
pie would not live six months If they had
no better places to live in than the Yam
KEGS had before they subdued their uncon-
genial home. They do sometimes pinch
a sxpence, but it is because pnching the
granite got them in the notion of it. They
had irigid winters and a shallow soil, bat
hey had God with them. and the Yankee
The doctrine Of State rights
first originated in New England.


How does New England compare to-
day in business and thrift with other parts
of the land' Never was she better off
than to-day. There may be heresy In
New England. but there Ia No .h.ra.v