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Show EXPONENT. WOMAN'S 5Q many ornaments and wore bright red stockd ings (knitted open work) and is said, very pretty slippers, displaying, it ankles and feet; they also indulged in dandng, which was not admissible among the Puritans. The Puritan maidens wore homespun, generally gray, with the white kerchief, cap and apron. The condition of the New York and New Netherlands people and the people of Massachusetts Bay and Plymouth was distinctively marked; the Dutch people who settled there came for commercial purposes, well equipped and with plenty of money to carry on trade; they were merchantmen, ship owners, etc., while the Pilgrims fled from their homes and possessions on account of religious persecution, because they would not consent to the domination of the Mother Church. Their property in many instances was confiscated and they were exiled a striking parallel to the people of the Church Saints. of Latter-da- y History tells lis in brief that Thanksgiving was annually kept throughout the colonies during the war of the Revolution, but we fail to find much of anything concerning its observance, it is left almost entirely to the imagination to conjecture. To one born and reared in New England, where Thanksgiving was annually kept, it seems strange to hunt up material, it is such a common occurrence that one would not be likely to consider how it originated, but only that it was a natural thing to be taken for granted without question. Iti 1784 Congress recommended a special day of public thanksgiving to be observed on account cf the return of peace peace having been permanently restored. After this general appointment of thanksgiving for peace in 1784, there was no national appointment until just before Congress adjourned in September, 1789. when it requested the President to recommend a day of public thanksgiving and prayer for the whole nation after the adoption of the Constitution; in acknowledgement of the signal favor of the Almighty in permitting them to establish a new government. The President, George Washington, appointed Thursday, November 26, 1790. It was generally observed and was the first national religious holiday in our history. The next public Thanksgiving day was appointed by the President, George Washington, in 1795 for the general benefit and welfare of the nation. The next appointment of a public thanksgiving was by President James Madison in 1815, which was also to celebrate the return of peace after the close of the war of 1812. During the civil war President Abraham Lincoln issued a national proclamation of the annual thanksgiving day in 1863 and in 1864. Since that time when Lincoln set the example, such a proclamation has been issued annually by the President of the United States and custom has fixed the time for the last Thursday in November. This proclamation of the President is always followed by proclamations of various governors, who alone have authority to declare a legal holiday in their respective states. It is safe to say that the Pilgiims of New England set this example of observing a drr &f thanksgiving and prayer, which was nd annually kept, and which czTtzzzizd tests the pattern since followed by the States. vrZirM Zl iwtrz to say the celebration of Thanks high-heele- V-zi't- giving in New England was like the Christmas in England which has its counterpart in Utah it would be just about correct. Thanksgiving there is tho great day of the closing year, and in my childhood even, we were not allowed to celebrate Christinas. It savored too much of Church of England; and the Puritans had discarded and disowned all the forms and ceremonies of that Church, even to the tall steeples on the meeting houses, and were called dissenters, independents and the like There is one point in which it differed widely from Christmas, which is in the giving of presents; and it was much more strictly and rigidly religious. Everything possible in the way of preparation in the house and home to save labor on that day was done beforehand, and people always attended meetings on Thanksgiving as much as on Sunday, only there was but one service and that was held in the forenoon, the choirs always preparing something extra for that day in the way of singing anthems of praise; and the sermons were fervent admonitions to the congregations to be thankful to God for His mercies and blessings vouchsafed to them. Usually many of the people went in the evening to places of public amusement. The houses, especially the living and dining rooms were elaborately decorated with evergreens, which abound in New England, and the late autumn flowers, mainly chrysanthemums, and the loaded dinner tables were proverbial. Thanksgiving dinner was never complete without roast turkey and often young pigs roasted whole, baked beans was another essential luxury, mince and pumpkin pies, fruit cake and plum pudding, not the English plum pudding, but plum pudding made of rice or Boston crackers, full of raisins and sticks of cinnamon, and innumerable varieties of vegetables, fruits and nuts were on the table. Outdoor gznies by the boys were also indulged in after dinner, and very often there was good skating as early as Thanksgiving time in that cold climate. Pc pie also went in the evening to places of public amusement or lectures, etc., but family parties were considered the most enjoyable, the married sons and daughters coming home with their little ones to join the family circle, where childhood hours and reminiscences of the past were recalled and the old e songs familiar in days were sung; often one remembering only a verse or a line, but all j ining in a sort of medley, accompanied by such instrumental music as the home contained, generally violins, flutes and melodians. The new babies were always expected at 'Thanksgiving time by the grandparents, and sometimes four generations would be present on these occasions of Thanksgiving reunions. The evening was spent socially abound the great open fireplaces, and if possible pine knots were always kindled on the hearth at Thanksgiving. Nuts, apples, candy, raisins and sweetmeats in abundance for the evening time, and in my day usually molasses candy or maple sugar and popcorn were the favorites. Nowadays in New England when the houses are heated with a furnace, many of them have one large fire place built or prepared for festive occasions where they can burn pine knots or great logs of wood, Visiting New England a few years ago I found that this custom of primitive times was still observed with great favor among by-gon- ! j j j ! the old Puritan families and is much more in vogue than keeping Christmas, though they are becoming more and more like the English in forms and ceremonies as the old prejudices die out, but up among the New England villages the hatred of the Ror an Catholics and their ways, their convents, their priests and their churches is very apparent still no doubt handed down by history. E. B. W. LADIES' MEETING' SEMI-MONTHL- Y . . Meet-in- g The minutes of the ward in the held 14th was that hall,. Nov. 29, 1902, President M. I. Home preSinging, and minutes of previous siding meeting read and accepted: President M. I. Home then addressed the sisters; said it was good to come together and enjoy the spirit of the Lord, we were living in the last days, she wondered if we were all striving to do right; it was sorrowful to know that some were not living as they should, the little things of life are what we feel most, we should be earnest in calling upon the Lord for His blessing it is our duty to train our children while they are young in the principles of kindness and obedience and always be true and not deceive them that they may grow up to be a blessing to the Church, that they may Urged always be ready to do their duty. all to appreciate the Gospel and its blessings and to try and improve in the coming Semi-monthl- y year. Sister Lydia D. Alder had been visiting the people in the North, giving lectures, etc, had visited the Relief Society in conferences and found the sisters doing good. The Gospel gives us strength to do many things. She felt Sister Home was a mother to the sisters; we should try and overlook When we meet the faults of one another. we should meet with love; what we do, do in love. Sister J. C. Howe felt glad to hear the sisters speak, we should always take pleasure in doing what we are called upon to do. she always took pleisnre in teaching the children; urged all to come to meeting. Sister Wright, of Nephi, appreciated the blessings of the Lord to her; he took pleasure in the Relief Society, if we always respond to all we are called upon to do we will be blessed Sister Webb felt we were living in a great day when many things were transpiring, said what a good spirit was felt by those who work in the Temple, we should remember the dead and seek the Lord with all our hearts. Sister Castleton rejoiced in the Gospel, thanked the Lord for His blessings to her and referred to hearing President George Q. Cannon speak on drinking tea and coffee, told how she had overcome the habit and not drank it since. President Home thanked the sisters for their kindness to her at her birthday testimonial in Barratt Hall. She felt to appreciate their goodness and kind feeling. Sister Hardy felt to cling to the rod of iron and be faithful until the end. Sister Neil felt Sister Home had been greatly blest in her life; alluded to the prophecies now being fulfilled. Meeting adjourned for four veeks after singing and prayer. Amelia Wadkop, Sec. |
