A modern history of Windham county, Connecticut : a Windham county treasure book, Volume II, Part 15

Author: Lincoln, Allen B
Publication date: 1920
Publisher: Chicago : S. J. Clarke publ. co.
Number of Pages: 960

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roundings. A sort of indefinable feeling bordering on homesickness comes over one, with the consciousness of unheard music.

There is the soft tinkle of a cow-bell, the bleating of a calf, the comfortable chutter of chickens roosting; and all the familiar, homely sounds of a farm. Picture then in your mind such a scene. In the difficult light, a large barn may be discerned in the background. Numerous oil lights are burning brightly in a large empty room. Figures can be seen through the wide, open doorway busily moving about. They are hurriedly cleaning and clearing.

Suddenly two bright motor lights send their rays ahead and flash into the yard. The car stops. Gradually you become conscious of increasing groups of people gathering on the premises. Persons descending from the successive cars peer about interestedly. The driver of one, a girl of about nineteen, questions one of a group.

"Has the dance begun ?"

"No, marm," he proves to be a native. "The music ain't come yit. Purty nigh nine o'clock tew. They don't us'ally come till abaout nine tho'. How many be ye in yure car? D'yer father come along?"

"Yes, Bill, he has just gone down toward the barn. There are. five of us."

"Brought quite a craowd didn't ye?"

"Yes, my guests have never seen a country dance before."

"'s that so, naow! How do they dance ?"

The girl evaded by, "Here comes a team now, Bill. Perhaps this is Mr. Williams;" and "Bill" went to greet the "fiddler" while the girl wandered toward the barn with her companions.

Gradually the party grew until about a hundred people were moving about the yard in the dark with their eyes on the lighted barn or watching for further arrivals. Many had come in "buggies" or on foot. It was evidently not cus- tomary for them to assemble in the barn until the dancing began. A few of the native girls sauntered in and sat sedately on benches around the walls. A group of very young girls, ranging perhaps from the age of ten to that of sixteen, gathered near the door-way and talked loudly about "'n he said-'n I said-'n then" for the benefit of a similar group of boys who were hanging around outside, seeming unconscious of the nearby girls, but with eyes side- glancing and ears wide open. Young mothers brought their children in-some of the babes already fast asleep-and deposited them on stairs leading to the hay loft or on unoccupied benches.

An old man with whiskers covering his face entered and was greeted pleas- antly but quietly by those assembled. He climbed laboriously onto a small plat- form at the farther end of the room and sat down. He had with him an ac- cordion which had evidently seen many years of service. This he placed on the floor at his side. Thus established he settled back in his chair and com- placently waited. At this juncture another much bewhiskered gentleman en- tered, carrying a "fiddle." The same cordial but unenthusiastic greeting met him. He was closely followed by an awkward country youth. They both mounted the platform. Without more ado, the first man picked up his accordion and proceeded to make sounds issue therefrom. The fiddler fiddled tentatively stopping then to twang or bow a string-"tuning up;" while the youth, known as the prompter, stood on one foot, extended the other sidewards, placed his hand on his hip, shifted his wad of gum, raised his left eyebrow to an amazing

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height, and assuming an extremely blase and bored attitude, called out, "Gents take yer partners for a plain quadrille!"

A few eager youthis hurried in from the yard, claimed partners and ad- vantageous positions for the "Quadrille." Older and tired-looking farmers followed them seeking partners and places more diffidently. Then there was a lull, during which all looked about listlessly. It was evident that the dance could not go on without one or two more couples to complete the "sets." One of the first youths to enter, left his partner unceremoniously and dashed out to drag in the more reluctant swains. After much alternate encouragement and bullying, partners enough to make up four or five "sets" were obtained and the dance started.

With the first scraping of the violin and wheeze of the accordion, there was a great shuffling of feet, and partner greeted partner. Then, by instruc- tions from the prompter, each turned and bowed to the "corner." A "grand right and left" preceded the most complicated of dances. By listening care- fully, one could make out the instructions hurled by the prompter at the dancers. The quickly shifting, whirling crowd of country folk took their dancing very solemnly and saw no cause for laughter in the nasal instructions yelled at them in sing-song rhythm :-

"Balance the lady at your left- Swing the old man's daughter ! Leave her alone and swing your own- The old man swings his daughter !"

The farmers, young and old, clogged solemnly in front of their partners, some of them hurling themselves about in a most dangerous and intricate fashion. This dance came to an end with a vigorous and dizzy whirl on the part of all concerned; then partners nonchalantly left each other without so much as a "thank you."

"Old Zip Coon," "The French Four," "The Jim-Jam" and like dances followed. With the same difficulty as experienced at first, the right number of couples was secured for each dance. The city visitors were lured in to try the "Old Zip Coon" and they were pushed and dragged through the compli- cated steps, tittering nervously and making awkward mistakes. Most of these dances were beyond the comprehension of the college students-for such they were-and at first they could only flounder through; but after time such as would persist at the weekly dances would become quite adept !

As each dance reached its height, partners clutched each other and raced down the room and back, to the time of the prompter's shout :-

"Down the center, now you go Come right back, and don't be slow!"

"I can't stand it another minute, Jane! Get me out of here!" muttered one of the hitherto uninitiated, as he mopped his feverish brow between whirls. It was altogether too vigorous for the citybred swain.

"Courage !" she puffed; "we're most through. I've tried this before!" The dance did come to an end soon and they departed for the open, worn out and content merely to watch the following dances. But even to watch made them dizzy, and they soon departed.

But not so with the sturdy farmers. They romped stolidly through the Vol. II-8

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passing hours, with their untiring wives, sweethearts, daughters, or grand- mothers. Gradually a spirit of real hilarity developed as the midnight hour approached, genuine relaxation from the day's hard work had come; they were waking up! Most of those attending were of "the younger set," as the city newspapers say in their "Society" columns; or of "the younger married set" their children remaining at home in some relative's or neighbor's care, or their babes in arms, as already stated, brought along and deposited for the evening at convenient points of rest, once in a while one would make a cry for a time to the amusement of the company, except a few persons of unsympathetic na- ture who would show annoyance and remark with ill-concealed sotto voce, "shi'l'd think they'd know enough to leave them brats to hum;" but for the most part everybody was good natured about it.

Then there was often a liberal sprinkling of the elders, and you might have noted one gray old widower of sixty or more who made himself agreeable to the young ladies and would shake his heels in every dance, or whirl his partner or "opposite" with a vigor that would often lift her from her feet. But it was all in rollicking fun, often provoking screams of laughter, especially when some of the attending city folk would get lost in the mazes of the prompter's calls, and flounder vainly for position before the particular "figure" was ended.

About two in the morning the dance came to an end in one final breath- depriving jig; and with very few words the farmers and their "ladies" gathered their discarded coats and the sleeping babes, respectively, and wandered out into the night to enter their various vehicles and drive home.

One by one they disappeared into the blackness, their smoky oil lanterns flickering oddly. Soon the yard was completely deserted. The owner of the barn and farm extinguished the lights in the barn slowly. One little lantern sufficed him as he went from the barn to the numerous chicken coops nearby, to see that all was well for the night. With a "dull thud" of the closing door his lantern disappeared.

The new moon had long since vanished. Pitchy blackness filled the night,. save for the merest crack of gray in the distant east.

CHAPTER XXXVII THE MEANING OF AMERICA

MANNER AND SPIRIT OF APPROACH-THE NEW CITIZEN'S PLEDGE : ENGLISH VERSION -ITALIAN VERSION-POLISH VERSION-SLAVISH VERSION-GERMAN VERSION

THE MANNER AND SPIRIT OF APPROACH TO THE FOREIGNER ALL IMPORTANT

There are many who have felt that the manner and spirit of "approach to the foreigner" is the key-note of successful Americanization. In an address a few years ago at Yale University before a body of students who were planning to enter social service in far eastern countries, as religious missionaries or in promoting commercial enterprises, Bishop Brent spoke to the young men sub- stantially as follows :

"If you are going among these people of other lands, whether to China or India or Japan, to Manchuria or to Turkey or to the Balkan states, with an idea that they are from the human standpoint any different in their ideals and aspirations from ourselves, you will make a mistake and be misunderstood, and you will be very apt to fail in your mission, whether it be religious or com- mercial. If you will go among them as a friend and brother, with a real desire to be of service, with an appreciation of the fact that the words which stand for father, mother, friend, food, comfort, intelligence, progress, confidence, love, or the words which stand for the opposites of these noblest things in human life, mean just the same in any and every language and in any and every human heart, however crudely developed, and that often times what you may call ignorance is more on your part than on theirs, and that many times you have as much to learn, in spite of your education, as they have, you will get along a great deal better and be far more apt to win a success worth while, than if you go among these different peoples with preconceived notions of your own superiority. You do stand for ideals which are held among men to be of high service to civilization, but be sure that you interpret and practice them in the true spirit of the Master whose message you bear."

At another time speaking in similar vein but from the other standpoint, that wonderful Russian woman who came to this country as a little girl, Mary Antin, fleeing from those fearful social conditions of which we have come to know more since the great war, and speaking at New Haven high school one evening after several years experience in this country,-which resulted in de- veloping her own remarkable personality to a high standard of interpretation and leadership as to the meaning of American liberty and opportunity, and now become the wife of a Columbia College professor, Amadaus W. Grabau, -. in her New Haven address she voiced an earnest protest against the treatment of immigrants, at Ellis Island and often in their earlier days in the new coun- try, and she declared : "Sometimes it seems as if you strip the immigrant of everything he possesses, including his ideals and thrust him into the midst of

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your American civilization bewildered and unbefriended; and then you wonder why he does not more quickly become 'Americanized,' " or if some times he developes an anti-American feeling.

It was in an attempt to meet the appeals of Biship Brent and Mary Antin that "The New Citizen's Pledge" was evolved in work among Italians in the City of New Haven, during the years 1910-15, especially in connection with the Davenport Mission of Center Church on Greene Street, and among several clubs of Italian boys and young men on Wooster Street.

The Pledge appeared to have an excellent influence. It was adopted in several of the public schools in New Haven and especially in the Strong School at Fair Haven, under the direction of Principal Graves and in the Zunder School, under the direction of Principal Rachel Webster. It was used in these and other public schools as an educational document, the pupils in eighth grade taught to memorize it; and sometimes it would be recited in concert on gradu- ation day by members of the outgoing class. The entire school would thus be- come familiar with it as a concise statement of the every-day meaning, as well as the ideal aspiration, of American citizenship. The use of "The Pledge" as a working document for "Americanization" was extended to several other places as in the public schools of Newtown, Conn., and in several schools in Hartford County; also in some of the evening schools of Hartford. Through the influence of the Daughters of the American Revolution of Willimantic and with the cordial cooperation of Principal James L. Harroun, it has been used in the civic work of the Natchaug school. It has also been used by Di- rector Elmendorf of the Willimantic Young Men's Christian Association.

It has been commended as a practical civic document, and as a concise expression of American ideals, by ex-President Taft, Profs. Henry W. Farnam and William B. Bailey, of Yale University; Rev. Oscar E. Maurer, D. D., Superintendent of Schools F. H. Beede, Frederick J. Kingsbury, and Rudolph Steinert, of New Haven; Sec. Charles G. Morris, of the Connecticut Civil Serv- ice Reform Association; Rev. Charles A. Dinsmore, D. D., and Editor Arthur Reed Kimball, of Waterbury; Revs. Rockwell Harmon Potter, C. C. Kenney and Sherrod Soule, of Hartford; Dr. Edward H. Hume, of "Yale-in-China"; Rev. William S. Beard, Rabbi Wise, the late Rev. Dr. James M. Whiton and Rev. Reuben L. Breed, of New York City; Editor Arthur M. Brisbane, of the New York Journal-American, etc.

It has been published in several Connecticut newspapers. Copies have been placed in some of the public schools of New Haven; in all the schools of New- town, Conn .; and in many public places, young men's clubs, etc., in other cities. At a civic celebration in Hollidaysburg, Pa., copies were published in the local newspapers and the cards were placed in public places, through the efforts of Mr. Charles Vowinckel, a patriotic citizen.

The first step taken by the author of the Pledge in work among Italians was to place American ideals before these people in their own language, in the belief that they could thus be more quickly won to an understanding of the new country; and the results amply justified that belief. The Italian version was prepared by Dr. Nicola Mariana, one of the most distinguished leaders of his race in this country and in hearty sympathy with the work.

Then a German translation was sought, in the belief that it would lead to a closer understanding of America by the thousands of citizens of German ex- traction in "the Elm City." The German translation was provided by the

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Rev. Otto Koenig, pastor of the Lutheran Church in New Haven, with the cooperation of Prof. Albert Gubelmann of the Yale faculty.

The Polish translation was secured through the kindly offices of Miss Mae Piechak, the very capable and intelligent office assistant of the Jordan Brothers garage of Willimantic, and who is intensely interested in plans for the advance- ment of her own people in America.

The Slavish translation is an outgrowth of the Ashford Welfare Associa- tion, and due to the presence of so large a contingent of Czecho-Slovaks in this part of Connecticut, especially in Windham and Tolland counties. This trans- lation was made by the Rev. Gaspir Panik, pastor of the St. Cyril and Methodius Parish of Bridgeport. .

The Pledge was prepared originally for use in a club of Italian boys ("Gari- baldi Castle, Knights of King Arthur" of New Haven, Conn., known as "the first all-Italian Castle in America"), by Mr. Allen B. Lincoln, Merlin of the Castle.

It appears to be adapted to the newcomers of all nationalities, and by its appeal first to native loyalty, arouses an effective patriotic connection between the kindred ideals of the native land and the new country-a most desirable con- nection to establish, as the struggle for civil liberty has been continuous for centuries, and is now finding its best opportunities in America.

Mr. Lincoln suggests that with use of the pledge there should always be particular pains to explain the practical, every-day meaning of the ideals, the teacher regarding the several paragraphs as lessons to be inculcated, "line upon line," and "precept upon precept"; so that the pledge may become familiar in the minds of the newer citizens, in a way that its practical meaning shall become gradually clearer to them, as they move forward in American citizenship.

The method of using the version in any language other than English is to compare the two versions, paragraph by paragraph and word by word, so as to establish the American meaning through the medium of native thought. It is worth while, also, to emphasize the structure of the pledge, as calculated to effect the transition from native ideals to the kindred American ideals.

Take the first clause, "For the honor of my Fatherland"-it is wonderful what response the teacher gets by appeal to native pride. Trace the immigrant's or his child's thought back to his old home in the native country, and lead him thence to the atmosphere of free America, and he will understand you. Many a mischievous lad, and even one of criminal tendencies, has been awakened by telling him, "People who see you do wrong things may blame it on Italy. Look out for that-show them that the sons of Italy know what good citizen- ship means."

The following paragraphs, if carefully studied, will be found to offer a progressive interpretation of American ideals. Editor Arthur Brisbane, in a characteristic Journal-American editorial ten years ago, criticized the sentence "special privilege is unfair, un-American," as in itself untrue for, he declared, "special privilege is the most American thing we have on our program today." The irony of that indictment may be readily appreciated amid the reactions of these post-war days.

It is interesting to know that the importance of the foundation paragraph "I will obey the law," etc., was insisted upon and in part developed by a Jewish friend of the author, Mr. Rudolph Steinert of New Haven; and the author finds pleasure in interpreting the fact as a significant sequence of the

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teaching of Moses! The paragraph "I will cherish my Home" was in part suggested by a former principal of Windham High School (Willimantic), Frank- lin H. Beede. The paragraph "As a Citizen I will think first of the Public Good" was framed in conference with Mr. Arthur B. Morrill, a former prin- cipal of the State Normal Training School at Willimantic, and who once, as a candidate for warden of Willimantic Borough, led a vigorous campaign for improved standards and methods of municipal government, and missed of elec- tion by only a narrow margin! Mr. Morrill was a strong influence for sound civic ideals during his residence in Willimantic. He is now principal of the State Normal Training School at New Haven.

The sentence beginning "I will reverence the God of my Fathers" was a subject of interesting dicussion with a well-known New Haven clergyman. He insisted that it should read "I will reverence Almighty God." But in reply it was maintained that few immigrants or indeed any other inquiring citizens would know what "Almighty God" meant, while "the God of my Fathers" would mean something very definite to every single immigrant in the earlier days back in the native country, or within his own family circle. The Italian boys were asked if they did not know some aged grandparent or other aged relative or neighbor or friend who seemed to them to be of specially noble character and influence; and in most cases the boys would readily answer, yes. "What is it that makes such a character noble and of fine influence?" the teacher would ask. And invariably came the answer "the church," or "their religion." "Well," the teacher would say, "that's what we mean by 'the God of my Fathers.' You can see what it means to have God in your lives"; and on that concrete basis, effective ideals of God could grow stronger as the lad grew older.

Another incident of special interest and significance in the final paragraph arose one day in New Haven police court. There was a host of unfortunates, drunks, petty thefts, and the usual daily grist in those days, and the court officials felt it necessary to proceed as rapidly as possible. The clerk of court administered the oath in each case something after this fashion, as rapidly as he could make sounds with his voice: "Ye sol'm'ly poms th' test'm'ny y'sh'l give th's c't sh'l be th' trut, th' wh'l'e trut, 'n not'n but th' trut, s'hep ye God."

After court was over a citizen approached the clerk with a smile and said, "What do you mean by 'S'hep ye God?' " The clerk was puzzled, "I mean when you administered that oath to the prisoner, you ended every time with 'S'hep ye God.' Do you think any of them knew what you were saying as to the solemnity of the oath ?" The clerk "caught on," smiled, and said he guessed the oath might well be pronounced in more impressive manner. How few of us realize that it is a daily truth of wonderful potential influence that "Every American court instills the prayer 'So help me God!' " and whenever this fact is fully appreciated by the court official who administers the oath, it becomes an effective and far-reaching influence for good.

The New Citizen's Pledge is a document which may be accepted by citizens new or old, of whatever race or creed or nationality, and can be made the prac- tical working basis of a sound American citizenship. Gilbert D. Lamb, a grad- uate of Natchaug High School and a well-known attorney of New York City, has spoken of the Pledge as "a solvent of American Liberty."

It is reproduced in the "Modern History" in the belief that by making it available for the future in the several different languages with which it has

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thus far been translated, it will help in these various tongues to develop a com- mon understanding of "the meaning of America."

THE NEW CITIZEN'S PLEDGE

For the honor of my Fatherland, I will be loyal to my new country-my own America !

"America is Opportunity"-"The Land of the Free, and the Home of the Brave."

Freedom does not mean my own selfish advantage. It means an equal chance ; fairness to all.

It is not brave to seek my own success at the expense or burden of my fellow-citizens. True bravery is always fair. Special privilege is unfair, un- American.

That I may be loyal to America, I will live according to American ideals.

I will obey the Law: America is a Republic, where Law is King; a govern- ment of the people, under the law, for the general welfare. Each citizen must be loyal, or popular government fails in him. Every lawbreaker is a traitor to his government, and a burden to his fellows.

I will cherish my Home: The loyal American, in every-day living, takes good care of his family; keeps his home clean and healthful; is true to his daily task; lives within his means; pays his bills promptly; has regard for his own character; and is a good neighbor.

As a Citizen, I will think first of the Public Good: I will deal honestly and fairly with my fellowmen, and I will not, knowingly, do aught to injure any- one. I will hold my right to vote as sacred, and will cast my ballot at eachı election for those men and measures I deem best for the city, state and nation.

I will reverence the God of my Fathers: Faith in God has ever been the inspiration of the patriot. From Columbus, the Discoverer, to the present day, our great American leaders have been men of faith. Every American court instills the prayer, "So help me God!" America stands for religious liberty, and thereby comes a broader, deeper faith; for inevitably, the Brother- hood of man, foundation thought of the Republic, leads to the Fatherhood of God.

ITALIAN VERSION LA PROMESSA DEL NUOVO CITTADINO Di. Nicola Mariani

Per l'onore della mia Patria, Io saro' leale al mio nuovo paese-l'America!

"America e' opportunita"-"La terra dell' uomo libero, e la sede del coraggioso."

Liberta' non significa il mio proprio vantaggio. Essa significa uguale opportunita' ed equita' per tutti.

Non e' dignitoso cercare il mio proprio successo a spese o a carico dei miei concittadini. La vera bonta' e' sempre equa. Il privilegio e' ingiusto, anti-Americano.

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A modern history of Windham county, Connecticut : a Windham county treasure book, Volume II, Part 15

Author: Lincoln, Allen B Publication date: 1920 Publisher: Chicago : S. J. Clarke publ. co. Number of Pages: 960

Author: Lincoln, Allen B
Publication date: 1920
Publisher: Chicago : S. J. Clarke publ. co.
Number of Pages: 960