The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, November 26, 1899, Page 27

sovernor Pradford of colonists might t he was sstablisning der the name destined to be 69,000,000 people P a AL i was very slow and is a much more important han lo any other part of our country. The sterm oM Purs- tans frowned upon Christmas and all church festivals and crowded Into ervance of thelr own Thanksgiving dny all the feasting and rejoicing which people of different religious views were accustomed to distribute over all the re- ligious holidays of the entire year. They relaxed something of their severity on that day ana within certain limits permit- ted thelr young people to make merry. One of the statutes of the colonles of Plymouth and Massachusetts Bay pro- hibited all games of chance except buck- garmmon und bowls—the latter a sort of modified tenpins—and all musical instru- memgs except the drum, jewsharp and trumpet. Playing at these permitted di- versiona and upon those exempted instru- ments was freely Indulged tn on Thanks- giving day and the young folks were also permitted to play at some of the old English fireside games. Thus Thanksgiy- ing amoug the early Puritaus was a day the ~ mot outy of remarkabie mirth but of re- markable liberty as well. In this connection Cotton Mather tells an amusing story of some young men— members of the Church of England—who, on the first Thanksgiving day after.thelr arrival In Plymouth from the mother country, engaged in their ordinary avo- cations until they were prevented from doing so by order of Governor Bradferd. When Christmas day came, to which, as already staled, the Puritans paid no at- tention whatever, calmly pursuing their usual employments, the same young men refused to work for the reason that it was against their consclence to labor on that religious festival, Governor Brad- ford told tuem that If such were the case he would excuse them tiil they were bet- ter informed. Soonm afterward he found them all at play In the street, whereupon he took possession of the implements of their games, saylng that it was agalnst his consclence that they should play THE SUNDAY CALL. swhile all othera were st work and that if they had any reverence for Christmas day they must pass it at home in religious excrcises. Attendance upon two Church services, morning and after- moon, was the most important part of the ceiebration of Thanks- #tving day among the early Puritans. Each of these services was three hours In length. They began with a fifteen- minute prayer by the pastor, followed by the reading and exposition of a chapter from the Bible, the singing of psalms and a sermon an hour and a half in length. The psalms sung were dictated, line by iine, to the congregation, who sang each line as it was given to them. The person performing this “lining out” was usually remunerated for it by being excused from paying that tax for the support of the Congregational church which In the New England colonies all persons, no matter of what religious belief, were required to pay. This congregational pealm singjng and lining out were continued by many of the Congregational churches of New Eng- land until nearly a quarter of a century ago. “‘Singing seats” and choirs to occupy them met with very great opposition when they were first introduced Into the “meet- () —_— Ing-houses,” as the Puritans called thelr churches. There has been handed down through many generations an amusing anecdote of one of my progenitors, the Rev. Dr. Job Strong, who for many years was pastor of the Congregational church at Ports- uth, N. H., where he began his pastor- He was very bitterly opposed to the innovation of a choir, but was at length overruled by the members of his “meeting,” and a choir was organized among the young people. It made Its first appearance in the “singing seats” at the morning service on Thanksgiving day In the year 1762. After its members had sung, to a new fangled, very florid tune, the psalm which had been given out, the Rev. Job leaned over the pulpit and, beckon- ing to the whole congregation with ex- tended arms, exclaimed earnestly: *“Now let the people of God sing.” He led off with a good old-fashioned psalm tune, in which the whole congregation joined with hearty good will. The “singing seats" were quickly vacated. Nothing more was ever heard of the cholr, and congrega- tional singing continued In the Ports- mouth church for more than a century afterward. Thanksgiving being a jovous festival, marriages were frequently celebrated on that day throughout New England for many years, thers being a superstition, handed down from early Puritan times, that couples married on Thanksgiving would be certain to enjoy happiness and good fortunme throughout their marriea life. As a child I have often heard my great-grandmother describe the costume of the bride and groom at the Thanksgiving day wedding of her oldest sister, which, in her girlhood, attended in Ply- RETURNY. oF 7r J VAR SAry rpgj SEA = GonSmaorors , 1y 63/ now more than 1% years ago. The long locks were strained upward over an immense cushion that sat like an incubus on her head, were plastered with pomatum and sprinkled over with a shower of white powder, the whole form- ing a tower over a foot in height. A single white rosebud lay upon the summit of this hirsute monument like a dove that had newly lighted upon a parian column. Over her neck and bosom was folded a lace kerchief, fastened in front by a bosem pin rather larger than a silver dollar and consisting of the bridegroom’s miniature set in virgin gold. Her airy form was laced up in & satin dress, its sleeves as tight to the arm as the natural skin, with a waist formed by a bodice worn outside of the flowing skirt, which was distended at the ankles by an ample hoop. Shoes of white kid with peaked toes and heels two or taree inches in height inclosed her feet and glittered with spangles as her littls pedal members peeped curiously out. The bridegroom’'s halr was sleeked back, plentifully bepowdered and twisted up Into a queue which projected like the handle of a skillet. A ekiliful barber haa devoted a whole afternoon to perfecting these tonsorial arrangements, and the victim of them had passed the night be. fore his wedding morning in an arm-chaty lest they should be disturbed. The bride- groom's coat was of sky-blue silk, lined with yellow. His long vest of white satin was embroidered with gold lace. His breeches, also of white satin, were of tne same material and were tied at the knees with pink ribbon. White silk stockings and pumps, with clocks and ties of the same hue, completed the habiliments of his nether limbs. Lace ruffies clustered around his wrists, and a portentous frill, bearing a large FES\\ & ) ABRA 1790 frrvco, Y N@ M08 75 fums e S s (N s Gl Noifif”‘“f/aff <> =2 /) miniature of his beloved, complated M8 truly genteel appca It 1s a remarkabl le known that in this country occurr: and one but N 1 ever fou the colony o Plymouth during Governor Bradford's term of office. It was between two men servants, who fought with swords. Both duellists were slightly wounded. The cause of their quarrel h corded, but from an old le one of my ancestors to a T, land and carefully treasured than two centuries, | not been re- for learn that “‘they were adjudged by the whole company te have their heads and feet tied together, more and so to lie for twenty-four hours, with= out meat or drink, which was begun to be inflicted, but within an hour—because of their great pains—at their own and thelr master's humble 1equest, upon promise of better carriage, they were relcased by ye Governor.” The first general Thanksgiving day ap- pointed for the cou at large cutside of New England was recommended in 1776 by the Continental Congress, which body subsequently recommended a similar ob- servance annually throughout the revolu- tlonary war. In 179 V gton pro- claimed a general Thanksgiving day for the adoption of the co ation, while the suppression of the whisky insurrection in Western Pennsylvania in 179 caused him to proclaim another in that year. The termination of the war of 181§ moved President Madison to proclaim one in 1815. No President ever appointed & Thanksgiving day for a war victory until Abraham Lincoln did so in 1362 In the following year he proclaimed the first na- tional Thanksgiving day for general bless- ings. and continued to do so annually throughout his term of office. His exama ple has been followed by every succeed- ing President. AMY F. STOCKTON.