THE FIRST THANKSGIVING DAY* MARGARET JUNKIN PRESTON Margaret J. Preston (1825- ) is one of the leading poets of the South. She has written many poems and sketches, of which "The First Thanksgiving Day'' is especially pleasing. 1 "AND now," said the Governor, gazing abroad on the piled-up store Of the sheaves that dotted the clearings and covered the meadows o'er, ""Tis meet that we render praises because of this yield of grain; ""Tis meet that the Lord of the harvest be thanked for His sun and rain. 2 "And, therefore, I, William Bradford (by the grace of God today, And the franchise of this good people), Governor of Plymouth, say, Through virtue of vested power-ye shall gather with one ac cord, And hold, in the month of November, thanksgiving unto the Lord. 3 "He hath granted us peace and plenty, and the quiet we've sought so long; He hath thwarted the wily savage, and kept him from wrack and wrong; And unto our feast the Sachem shall be bidden, that he may know We worship his own Great Spirit who maketh the harvests grow. Published by permission of Houghton, Mifflin Company. 4 "So shoulder your matchlocks, masters: there is hunting of all degrees; And, fishermen, take your tackle, and scour for spoils the seas; And, maidens and dames of Plymouth, your delicate crafts employ To honor our First Thanksgiving, and make it a feast of joy! 5 "We fail of the fruits and dainties-we fail of the old home cheer; Ah, these are the lightest losses, mayhap, that befall us here; But see, in our open clearings, how golden the melons lie; Enrich them with sweets and spices, and give us the pumpkinpie!" 6 So, bravely the preparations went on for the autumn feast; The deer and the bear were slaughtered; wild game from the greatest to least Was heaped in the colony cabins; brown home-brew served for wine, And the plum and the grape of the forest, for orange and peach and pine. 7 At length came the day appointed: the snow had begun to fall, But the clang from the meeting-house belfry rang merrily over all, And summoned the folk of Plymouth, who hastened with glad accord, To listen to Elder Brewster as he fervently thanked the Lord. 8 In his seat sate Governor Bradford; men, matrons, and maidens fair; Miles Standish and all his soldiers, with corselet and sword, were there; And sobbing and tears and gladness had each in its turn the sway, For the grave of the sweet Rose Standish o'ershadowed Thanksgiving Day. 9 And when Massasoit, the Sachem, sate down with his hundred braves, And ate of the varied riches of gardens and woods and waves, And looked on the granaried harvest-with a blow on his brawny chest, He muttered, "The good Great Spirit loves His white children best!" HELPS TO STUDY Historical: The Pilgrims landed at Plymouth, December 21, 1620. During the long, hard winter fifty-one of the one hundred Pilgrims died, among them being Rose Standish, wife of Captain Miles Standish. As soon as spring came the colonists planted their fields. By the end of summer twenty-six acres had been cleared and a plentiful harvest was gathered in. When provisions and fuel had been laid in for the winter, Governor Bradford appointed a day of thanksgiving. Venison, wild fowl, and fish were easy to obtain. We are told "there was great store of wild turkeys of which they took many.' For three days a great feast was spread and Massasoit, the Indian Sachem, or chief, and many of his people enjoyed it with the colonists. Notes and Questions When did the events related in this story take place? Who was the governor of Plymouth at this time? How did he say he had become What proclamation did he make? What reason did he give for this How did he expect the feast to be provided? What meat did the Pilgrims have at their first Thanksgiving dinner? What fruits did they have for the feast? What did the colonists do "with glad accord" before they sat down to their feast? Read the lines which tell what Massasoit said when he ate of the feast. mut'-ter to speak indistinctly or with a low voice. WORDS AND PHRASES: "virtue of vested power" "we fail of the old home cheer" "granaried harvest" "sway' ""Tis meet'' "thwarted" "braves" "matchlocks" THE BLIND MEN AND THE ELEPHANT JOHN G. SAXE John Godfrey Saxe (1816-1887), an American poet, was born in Vermont. He is best known by his humorous poems. 1 IT was six men of Indostan To learning much inclined, (Though all of them were blind), That each by observation. Might satisfy his mind. 2 The First approached the Elephant, And happening to fall Against his broad and sturdy side, 3 The Second, feeling of the tusk, 4 The Third approached the animal, The squirming trunk within his hands, Thus boldly up and spake: "I see," quoth he, "the Elephant Is very like a snake!" 5 The Fourth reached out his eager hand, . And felt about the knee. "What most this wondrous beast is like Is mighty plain," quoth he; ""T is clear enough the Elephant Is very like a tree!" 6 The Fifth, who chanced to touch the ear, Said: "E'en the blindest man Can tell what this resembles most; Deny the fact who can, This marvel of an Elephant |