A Living History Thanksgiving

A LIVING HISTORY THANKSGIVING

(THE ANATOMIE OF ABUSES)

Samantha, Nellie, and Julia surveyed the Thanksgiving dinner spread before them.

“I am impressed with Jane,” said Julia, “Usually she wants nothing to do with Thanksgiving because it celebrates Puritans, and, having known Puritans, she wants nothing to do with them.”

            “The Pilgrims weren’t Puritans,” said Nellie, “They called themselves Separatists.”

            “Be that as it may,” Julia went on, “she has prepared a dinner consisting of what the Pilgrims probably ate at the First Thanksgiving – venison, duck, fish, and cornmeal mush.”

“She didn’t even say anything when I said I was going to wear the Traditional Pilgrim Girl costume.” Said Samantha.

 “She asked me to put on my favorite frock and hat,” Julia remarked, “and even suggested that I put a little rouge on my cheeks and lips.”

“Hmm,” Nellie frowned, “The dear girl is up to something.”

Suddenly Jane burst into the dining room, garbed in their historically accurate Pilgrim Girl costume.  Loudly, she began to harangue them.

           “From whence spring all these evils in man?  For, as from the root all things do grow, so from the cursed root of pestiferous Pride do all evils sprout.  The pride of the heart, the pride of the mouth . . . 

            
                “And the pride of apparel, which offendeth God more than the other two!”
 

She stepped up to Julia, grabbed her face, and continued with renewed vehemence.

“Women use to color their faces with certain oils and unguents, whereby they think their beauty is greatly decored, but who see not that their souls are thereby deformed. Do they think thus to adulterate the Lord, his workmanship?  To change thy natural face which God hath made, for a painted face, which thou hast made thy self?”

She spun Julia around and seized hold of her long, red tresses.

“Women are not simply content with their own hair but dying it of what color they list.  So now have they made it an ornament of Pride, and destruction to themselves for ever, except they repent!”

Turning the poor girl once more to face her, Jane snatched the hat from Julia’s head.

“Then on tops of these heads is more vanity, as a French hood, hat, cap, and such like, whereof some be of velvet, some of taffeta, some of this fashion, some of that, according to the variable fantasies of their serpentine minds!”  And she threw that hat to the floor.

Next, she confronted the phonograph, and picked up a recording of the latest popular dance tune.  She made as though to smash it, her tone increasingly shrill.

“Music stireth up filthy lust, womanisheth the mind, and bringeth in uncleanness. It maketh them inclined to all kind of whoredom and mischief.”

“Dancing is a preparative to wantonness & an introit to all kind of lewdness.  Yet notwithstanding, both men, women & children, are so skillful in this science, as they may be thought nothing inferior to a prostitute ribald, nor yet to an effeminate varlet, thinking it an ornament to be expert in this science of heathen devilry!”

            
             She went to the heavily-laden table.   

“Nowadays, if the table be not covered from the one end to the other as thick as one dish can stand by another, it is thought there unworthy the name of a dinner. Yea, so many dishes that the devouringest glutton can scarce eat of every one a little. And all kind of wines are not wanting. Oh, what vanity, excess, riot, and superfluity is here?

“Wherof, if they repent not it shall be easier for that Land of Sodom and Gomorrah at the day of judgement then for them!”

Jane stopped as suddenly as she had begun.  The other girls stood a moment in stunned silence.  Finally, Julia spoke, “Are you quite finished?”

Jane smiled.  “I quote Phillip Stubbes, his pamphlet, The Anatomie of Abuses, published in 1583, two years before I was born.  It is a veritable handbook of Puritanism, which, as you may recall, was a religious movement embraced by several Reformed Protestant sects, regardless of what they called themselves, be it Church of England Puritans, Separatists, Calvinists, Anabaptists, et cetera.  But enough of this; let us sit and eat.”

They sat, and Jane opened a bottle of Chateau Belle Poupee, 1897, and filled their glasses.

“I am thankful,” she said, “that Puritanism is not embraced in this house.  Likewise, I am thankful that, along with what the Pilgrims had at the First Thanksgiving, we have something they did not have, this fine Bordeaux!”

A Fair-Haired Flirt

Julia came into the library in the company of a girl that Liesel Elizabeth had never met.

“Liesel,” said Julia, “This is my distant cousin and pen-pal, Melissa, who has come all the way from Fridley, Minnesota, to visit this afternoon.  Melissa, this is Liesel Elizabeth.”

“I’m pleased to meet you, Melissa, Julia has often spoken of you.”

“It’s nice to meet you, too, Liesel Elizabeth.  I hope everything Julia has said about me has been positive.”

“Why, yes, of course.  Julia has made it known what a sweet, charming, and pleasant person you are.”

“You flatter me,” said Melissa, “and flattery will get you anywhere!” And she giggled just a tiny bit. “Julia, you never told me that you share a house with such a charming and attractive girl as Liesel Elizabeth.”

“You make me blush, Melissa,” said Liesel, “But there are so many girls living here that Julia can’t be expected to give a complete run-down on all of them.  But come, let’s have some tea!”

“That’s a wonderful idea!” exclaimed Melissa, “I certainly do love a tea party.”

 

So they fixed a pot and got out some cookies, and set the table.

“This tea is delicious!” said Melissa, “and the cookies are divine!  Did you make them yourself, Liesel Elizabeth?”

“No, actually, they were baked by Clarice, our youngest girl.”

“Well,” said Melissa, “I only thought you had made them because they are so sweet.”

Liesel Elizabeth and Julia both thought she was laying it on a little thick, and exchanged sly glances with each other.

 

“Tell Liesel all about what you do in Minnesota, dear,” Julia said to Melissa.  She promptly and eagerly responded by telling the girls all about her life in that sleepy little village just north of Minneapolis, the school she went to and all her friends there, picnics in the park by one lake, and outings in a sailboat on another.

“I’m best friends with a girl who has the biggest house in town, and I talk her into having dances and garden parties as often as possible.” Melissa bragged.

“From what you tell me,” said Julia, “there would be no social life at all in Fridley if it weren’t for your efforts.”

“One does what one can,” sighed Melissa, “But I see a phonograph over there.  Have you any dance music?  It wouldn’t be a real party without some dancing!”

 

“Certainly!” said Julia, getting up and going to the phonograph, “Here is the latest recording we’ve bought, ‘Waltz Me Around Again, Willie’.”

She put it on the machine and wound it up.

 

Melissa rose suddenly, pushed the table out of the way, and pulled Liesel Elizabeth to her feet.  As the music started, Melissa deftly began stepping and twirling with Liesel Elizabeth, and even sang along on the chorus in a pleasant, sweet voice.

“Waltz me around again, Willy,

Around, around, around!

The music is dreamy,

It’s peaches and creamy,

Oh, don’t let my feet touch the ground!

I feel I’m adrift on an ocean of joy,

I just want to holler out loud, ‘Ship ahoy!’

So waltz me around again, Willie,

Around, around, around!”

WALTZ ME AROUND AGAIN WILLIE! 

 

When the song ended, Melissa hugged Liesel.

“Thank you, you dance divinely!”

 

She turned to Julia and said, “Your turn!”  Liesel started the record over again, and Melissa and Julia waltzed and sang and laughed.

The girls laughed and hugged and thanked and congratulated each other for everything.

“Well,” sighed Melissa, “It has been a wonderful afternoon, but I must be on my way.  I have to catch the train back to New York, and then go back to Fridley.  I’d like to stay longer, but the Sunday School Picnic is Saturday, and I must go to that; I have a new summer frock to wear!”

“Good-bye, Melissa,” said Liesel, “It has been such fun meeting you, and I hope you will be able to visit again soon!”

“Good-bye!” said Melissa, “I’ll remember you in my prayers and dreams!”

 

When she had gone, the girls heaved a huge sigh.

“She’s a lot of fun,” said Liesel Elizabeth, “but hard to keep up with!  When she visits again I’ll need advance warning so I can get in shape!”

Julia had a sudden realization.  “Do you remember, last Christmas Eve, when Kelly read my fortune with playing cards?  In my future she saw a flirtatious, fair-haired girl who likes to party!”

Liesel Elizabeth was not surprised, “The cards are never wrong!”

Valentine's Day Chocolates

 Savannah was sitting in the day room, re-reading Claudinee a l’Ecole for the umpteenth time, when Liesel Elizabeth came in carrying a big, heart-shaped box of chocolates.

“Happy Valentine’s Day, dear,” she declared, “I’ve brought you your favorite chocolates!”

“Oh, Liesel, how sweet of you!” said Savannah, “And, would you believe it?  I have something very similar for you!”  

 She got up and turned to the chair behind her.

 Here you are, dear,” Savannah held out a box of fancy chocolates to Liesel Elizabeth.  “I got you your favorite chocolates!”

“We are certainly attuned to one another,” said Liesel Elizabeth, “as true sweethearts should be.”

Savannah ran to the kitchen and fetched a pitcher of milk and two glasses.  When she returned, they sat together and each opened her box and chose their favorite pieces.

“We should be careful not to spoil our appetites for dinner,” said Liesel Elizabeth, wisely.

“And we should offer to share these with the other girls as well,” said Savannah, generously, “but in the meantime, I am going to enjoy sweets with my sweetheart!

Christmas Eve Fortune Telling

It was Christmas Eve, and, having made a pot of hot chocolate, Kelly sat with Julia and Nellie, reading their fortunes with playing cards.

“It’s called cartomancy,” explained Kelly, “And Christmas Eve is the perfect night to tell fortunes.  This particular spread tells your past, present, and future.  The top three cards, Julia, are your past.  First, we have the Nine of Clubs, this represents all your positive achievements.”

“I’ve certainly done a lot by helping to run this household.”

“Next, the Nine of Hearts.  This is about everything you having wished for coming to pass.”

“I’d say, at this point, all my wishes have come true; I can hardly think of anything else I’d like to have or need.”

“The last card in your past is the Four of Spades, this represents financial worries.”

“Well, those are all in the past, that’s for sure!”

“The second row is your present.  We have the Five of Clubs; that’s new friendships.”

“That would be you, Kelly!”

“See?  The cards never lie!  Next is the King of Diamonds, this is an influential man.”

“Could that be Uncle Gard?”

“Probably; what other influential men do you know?  Lastly, the Jack of Hearts, a good-natured young person.”

“Why, I’m surrounded in this house by good-natured young people.”

“The third row is your future.  The seven of Clubs stands for prosperity and success, which is always nice to see in one’s future.  But it can also mean you should be careful of trouble from a person of the opposite sex.”

“Trouble from a boy?  That goes without saying!”

“Next we have the Queen of Hearts.  That’s a flirtatious, fair-haired girl who likes to party.”

They looked over at Nellie.

“Not me,” said Nellie, “I’m not in your future, I’m right here and now!” 

“It may be someone Julia doesn’t know yet,” said Kelly, “Perhaps there will be yet another girl joining this household.  And the last card in your future is the King of Hearts.  That’s good advice from a fair-haired man.”

“That has got to be Admiral Bemis.  Maybe I’ll be asking him for advice about that troublesome boy!  Thank you so much, Kelly, I’ve got a very positive future ahead of me!”

“You’re welcome, Julia.  Merry Christmas!”

DUELING PILGRIM GIRLS

DUELING PILGRIM GIRLS

Mia Bella strode into the parlor, pleased as could be.  She had taken it upon herself to be this year’s Thanksgiving Pilgrim Girl, and was eager to surprise the girls at dinner.

Just then, Katherine Alyse came in, wearing a different costume.

“What’s this?” asked Mia Bella, “Why are you all got up like that?”

“I decided that I would be the Thanksgiving Pilgrim Girl this year, especially since it was my research that showed that real Pilgrim Girls would have dressed like this, rather than the way you are dressed.”

“But,” protested Mia Bella, “this costume is Traditional!  And if ever there was a holiday filled with traditional imagery, Thanksgiving is it!  This is as good a Pilgrim Puritan Girl costume as any!”

“I beg to differ, my dear,” replied Katherine Alyse, “Historical accuracy is very important when dealing with major events in American History.  Oh, and we should be having venison and oysters for Thanksgiving Dinner, instead of turkey and pumpkin pie.  Besides, as has been pointed out, the Pilgrims weren’t Puritans, they were Separatists.”

 “I don’t care!”  Mia Bella was getting perturbed.  “I went to a lot of trouble with this costume, and I think I look really cute in it!  I am going to be the Thanksgiving Pilgrim Girl at dinner this year!”

“No!  I am!”

“No!  I am!”

“No!  I am!”

Thankfully, at that moment, Julia came in.

“What’s all the fuss about, girls?”

They told her.

“Oh, don’t be ridiculous!  There is plenty of room at the dinner table for two Pilgrim Girls, traditional and historically accurate.  Oh, and the Separatists were too Puritans, they just wanted to be separate from the Church of England, which they considered too corrupt for their ultra-Puritan sensibilities.”

“Well, if that’s the case,” said Mia Bella, “I’ll be happy to share today’s feast with Pilgrim Girl Katherine Alyse.  And I’m thankful that she does such good historical research.”

“And I’m thankful that Mia Bella is proud of our traditional heritage,” said Katherine Alyse, “and will eat my fill with her by my side.”

“I’m glad we got that worked out before we sat down,” said Julia, “Now just make sure Jane doesn’t see either of you; you know how she feels about Puritans.”

Too late!” cried Mia Bella, for there was Jane barging into the parlor.

“’Od’s my life!” exclaimed Jane, “As if one Puritan lass wasn’t enough!”

“I’m not a Puritan,” said Katherine Alyse, archly, “I’m a Separatist.”

“Puritans!  Separatists!  They were all a just bunch of mean-spirited religious fanatics!  Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to prepare some venison and oysters for dinner.”

MAGIC AT PINEY POINT

MAGIC AT PINEY POINT

            It was August, and Bailey went up to Piney Point with Kelly Ann, her cousin and new best friend.  On a particularly fine day they packed a picnic lunch of bread and cheese and a bottle of Eltinge’s Finest Lemonade.  Then they set off through the woods, looking for a suitable spot to rest and eat.

            They followed a little-used trail that ran up a steep mountain slope. 

            “I’ve never been on this trail before,” said Bailey, “I didn’t even know there was a way up the mountain here.”

            “Then this will be not only a picnic,” responded Kelly, “but an adventure of exploration!”

            So up they went.

            After some time, and many twists and turns, the path opened up into a high meadow.  And there they saw before them a circle of standing stones, some almost as tall as they were!

            “What is this?” exclaimed Bailey.

            Kelly knew about such things. “Clearly it is a sacred stone circle, used for esoteric pagan ceremonies, and occult magical rituals.”

            “But who put it up?  The local Indians didn’t make places like this.”

            “Obviously,” explained Kelly, “it is convincing evidence that Eastern North America was visited and partly settled by ancient seafaring Celts.”

            “Obviously,” agreed Bailey.

            They counted eight stones aligned roughly on the cardinal points, and a single, taller monolith at the center, with a flat stone in front of it.

            “For sacred offerings,” declared Kelly, “or sacrifices!”

            “Could we have our picnic here,” wondered Bailey, “or would that be sacrilegious somehow?”

            “We should definitely see if we can work magic here!” Kelly was excited at the prospect.  “We can worry about lunch later.  Now let’s see, the first thing is to make sure no malevolent spirits recognize us while we’re working the magic.  Hmm, we don’t have any ceremonial robes with us.”  She thought a moment.  “I have it!  We’ll just take our clothes off and work the magic in our underthings!  No bad spirits will recognize us like that!”

            They had their sailor suits off in a jiffy, and began dancing around the circle, making up sacred chants and magic words as they saw fit.

            “Lalalalala!  Ha!  Hee!  Ho! Sis Boom Bah!”

            “Oonyellimon! Buburubu!  Gosh All Hemlock!  And out goes you!”

            The girls danced until they were dizzy.

            “Now,” said Kelly, “for the magic to work, we must make an offering.”  They dug into the picnic basket and poured a cup of lemonade, and cut slices of bread and cheese.  They stood by the central stone and Kelly spoke the words.

            “Blessed be, O Mother Demeter, who gives to us bread from the earth!  Blessed be, O Father Dionysus, who gives to us fruit from the tree! . . . Hmm, who is responsible for cheese?”

            “What about that Egyptian goddess, who has a cow’s head?”

            “Hathor?  Yes!  Blessed be, O Mother Hathor, who gives to us milk from thy sacred udder!”

            Then they both shouted, “Blessed be!”

            With the offering placed neatly on the flat stone, they sat down and had their own sacred meal.  They had to share a cup since the second one was holding the lemonade offering.

            And then, without even finishing their lunch, they both lay back and were asleep at once!

            It was more than an hour later that they both awoke, suddenly, at the same instant, and sat up.

            “Oh!” gasped Bailey, “We must have fallen asleep.”

            “Or been overcome by some kind of spell.”  Kelly liked that idea.

            “I had the most beautiful dream!” mused Bailey, “I was . . . It was . . . I can’t remember a thing, but it was so beautiful!  I feel wonderful!”

            “I must have had the same dream,” said Kelly, “since I have the same wonderful feeling!  This must be the magic we made!”

            “Look!” cried Bailey, pointing at the flat stone they had left the offering on.  It was bare, not a crumb was to be seen.  The cup that had held the lemonade was empty, and turned upside down!

            “Our offering was accepted!”  Kelly was delighted.  “We have worked more powerful magic than I thought!”

At Home

At Home with Jane, March, 1594

 

deLacey Hall.  The hearth in the Great Hall .

 

 The screens end of the Great Hall, with the Grand Gallery beyond.

 

 It's right this way.

The Grand Gallery.

 We have some nice furniture.

Poppets Revel Old Hall, the original manor house; too small for a great lord's household these days, and hopelessly old fashioned.

Which is why deLacey Hall was built.