Family gatherings can be a beastly bore for the children in the group. They get tired and cross thereby making life miserable for the adults and spoiling everyone's good time. It's a wise mother who foresees this and plans entertainment for the entire group; youngsters and oldsters alike.



We all blessed Aunt Susan for her successful efforts along this line when she entertained the entire family last Thanksgiving.

Aside from the wonderful eats she planned a glorious good time for the crowd. Even the most boisterous lad was well behaved and had fun. Upon our arrival at her home she presented each male guest, man and boy, with a wide Puritan collar of white paper, and each maid and matron with a dainty white cap and kerchief made of soft tissue paper.

Even nine-year-old Bill with his freckles and missing front tooth looked very angelic in his Puritan attire. Then she pinned on each of us a slip of paper bearing our name for the day. We became Captain Standish, Governor Bradford, John Alden, Priscilla, Humility Cooper, Mistress Katherine Carver, little Peregrine White and the like.

Her dining room was transformed into "Plymouth" by branches of autumn foliage and the green of fir and pine trees. Corn shock tepees with heaps of golden corn and pumpkins served as a reminder that the red man was here on that first Thanksgiving Day.

In the midst of this woodsy scene was the Thanksgiving board. A small cabin of Lincoln logs furnished the center piece. Just in front of the cabin a table mirror reflected the miniature evergreen trees and tiny Indian tepees made of brown wrapping paper which bordered the mirror. Tallow candles in pewter holders graced the bare wooden table. Only a minimum of silver was at each place.

Hatchets for the men, guns for the young masters, cradles for the matrons and brooms for the girls, all cut from cardboard, served as place cards. While the turkey was being carved Uncle John, representing Elder Brewster, read the following, which Aunt Susan had typed out:

"Blessed will it be for us, blessed for this land, for this vast continent. Nay, from generation to generation will the blessings descend. Generations will look back to these scenes of agonizing trial, to this day of small things, and say 'Here was our beginning as a people. These were our forefathers. Through their trials we inherit our blessings. Their faith is our faith, their hope our hope, their God, our God!' "

Aunt Susan's dinner was her usual good feast of roast turkey with dressing, mashed potatoes, squash, cranberry sauce, apple salad, mince pie and coffee.

An excellent party does not happen in just a snap. It needs a proper planning and preparation. Aunt Susan did prepare herself with great excitement and perfectly which make her party to be so successful.