Reverend Jacob Abbott, D.D., of Hallowell, Me, author.
Sprague's Journal of Maine History
Vol. 7, No. 1
1919
Published by John Francis Sprague, Dover, Maine
page 51-52

..."But this a rambling digression from an intended mention of two oldish books.  One is
"New England And Her Institutions, By One Of Her Sons."  It is well known that the author
was Jacob Abbot.  It was published by R.B. Seeley and W. Burnside, Fleet Street, London, in
1835.

Reverend Jacob Abbott, D.D., was born in Hallowell, Me., Nov. 14th, 1803.  He was a
graduate of Bowdoin and for a time was a professor at Amherst.  In 1839, he became a
permanent resident of Farmington, Maine.  His death occurred Oct. 3, 1879.  He was an
author of note, a prolific writer of juvenile books as well as some works on American
history and biography.  In all he wrote more than 200 volumes.

This book evidently was written mainly for the purpose of giving English readers as view of
country life in New England. 

It vividly describes scenes, places and customs in the newly settled country which must
have been exceedingly entertaining to people in the old world.  Much of it relates to
observations made while traveling by carriage along the highways, and one can readily
recognize trips that he made in the state of Maine:

At intervals of a few miles, the log louse of some enterprising settler would attract the
eye, as we rode along, feasting upon the novelty of the scenes before us, till we came
suddenly to the borders of a beautiful pond; which was literally encircled with mountains,
from whose distant and rocky summit we looked down upon the beautiful valley.

No one will expect to find in regions so distant, and in society so new, the artificial
courtesies and ceremonies which regulate intercourse in fashionable circles.  In the
dwelling of the farmer you will generally find plain, frank, manly sense, with a good
degree of intelligence respecting the general state of the world, and the political
conditions of his own country.

The topics treated upon in the book are the farmer; ecclesiastical organizations; the
church and religious revivals, slavery, holidays, college life, district schools, etc.

In his chapter on holidays he names only three, Thanksgiving, Independence Day and Fast
Day, making no mention whatever of Christmas, showing that, even as late as 1835, the
Puritan's ancient dislike of that holiday still survived in New England...."


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