Thanksgiving Day.–We all went to church and Dr Daggett’s text was : “He hath not dealt so with any nation.” Aunt Glorianna and her children were here and Uncle Field and all their family and Dr Carr and all his family. There were about sixteen of us in all and we children had a table in the corner all by ourselves. We had roast turkey and everything else we could think of. After dinner we went into the parlor and Aunt Glorianna played on the piano and sang, “Flow gently, sweet Afton, among thy green braes,” and “Poor Bessie was a sailor’s wife.” These are Grandfather’s favourites. Dr Carr sang “I’m sitting on the stile, Mary, where we sat side by side.” He is a beautiful singer. It seemed just like Sunday, for Grandmother never likes to have us work or play on Thanksgiving Day, but we had a very good time, indeed, and were sorry when they all went home.
(Before the civil war, Thanksgiving was not a national holiday. Beginning in 1817, New York’s governor declared a thanksgiving holiday each year. In 1856, it was November 20th.)