Every year, as the aroma of pumpkin pie and roasting turkey fills my kitchen, I find myself humming that familiar tune—“Over the river and through the wood, to grandmother’s house we go!” (Full song below.) In my mind’s eye, snow sparkles on the fields, sleigh bells jingle, and I feel that joyful shiver beneath the lap robe as the horse picks up speed.

The song’s lyrics, written by Lydia Maria Child, first appeared as a poem in 1844, when Susan B. Anthony and her brother Daniel were young adults. Child, one of New England’s most admired authors and a bold abolitionist, captured the warmth of family gatherings in a way that must have felt familiar in that community. Though the Anthonys had left Adams, Massachusetts, years earlier, the poem’s images still echo the sort of wintry visits they might once have made to their grandparents’ home there. I can almost picture young Susan—perhaps with a baby Daniel in tow—bundled against the cold and wiggling with anticipation as the sleigh or wagon glided toward that welcoming doorway.

For more about the Anthony family’s story, take a look at this background piece.

Visits to “the Old Hive”

In Susan and Daniel’s childhood, Grandfather and Grandmother Anthony lived only half a mile away, close enough for a brisk walk in summer but a sleigh ride in winter. Susan called the homestead “the Old Hive,” which suggests to me that the family often gathered there.

By 1826, Hannah and Humphrey had seven grown children and a growing brood of grandchildren. They likely spread a table overflowing with laughter, chatter, and plenty of family stories on ordinary visiting days—occasions that might have looked very much like the “Thanksgiving” scenes we picture now. Like us, visiting relatives probably brought their share of the meal—maybe warm rolls wrapped in cloth, a tart cranberry relish, or a pumpkin pie cooled by the cold November air.

A nod to the facts

Before I mislead you into linking the Anthonys’ sleigh ride to a holiday ritual, I must mention that Hannah and Humphrey probably did not celebrate Thanksgiving as a formal holiday. That’s because they were strict Quakers. Their faith discouraged singing and marking holidays in the way we do now. Nonetheless, the Old Hive seems to have been a place of industry, hospitality, and family affection. We do know from Susan’s diaries that she and Daniel, in their mature years, did mark birthdays and other holidays with gifts. It’s historically accurate to imagine their simple meals, shared in a spirit of gratitude that didn’t depend on a particular date on the calendar.

It’s also worth remembering that Thanksgiving wasn’t declared a national holiday until 1863. Even so, many New England families were already observing days of gratitude and feasting long before that date.

So this Thanksgiving, when my own kitchen fills with delicious scents and family laughter, I’ll be humming that childhood song again. Gathering around our own table, we’ll pause before the meal to give thanks—practicing the attitude of gratitude that never goes out of season.

To keep the Thanksgiving spirit going, here’s a short reflection from last year on gratitude in crisis.

For references to “The Old Hive” and its inhabitants, I’ve consulted newsletters provided by Virginia Duval, Adams Historical Society. Please enjoy these excerpts from a book about the Anthony family genealogy, featured in the Adams Historical Society newsletter in December 1991 and January 1992.

Read Excerpts

 

A song that stirs the senses

Did you know that Lydia Maria Child’s original lyrics contained twelve stanzas?  Singing (or reciting) all twelve would certainly keep eager children from the other refrain that’s so familiar during travels: “Are we almost there?”

Here’s the whole poem:

Over the river and through the wood,
to Grandfather’s house we go;
the horse knows the way to carry the sleigh
through the white and drifted snow.

Over the river and through the wood,
to Grandfather’s house away!
We would not stop for doll or top,
for ’tis Thanksgiving Day.

Over the river and through the wood—
oh, how the wind does blow!
It stings the toes and bites the nose,
as over the ground we go.

Over the river and through the wood,
with a clear blue winter sky.
The dogs do bark and the children hark,
as we go jingling by.

Over the river and through the wood,
to have a first-rate play.
Hear the bells ring, “Ting-a-ling ding!”
Hurray for Thanksgiving Day!

Over the river and through the wood—
no matter for winds that blow;
or if we get the sleigh upset
into a bank of snow.

Over the river and through the wood,
to see little John and Ann.
We will kiss them all, and play snowball
and stay as long as we can.

Over the river and through the wood,
trot fast my dapple gray!
Spring over the ground like a hunting-hound!
For ’tis Thanksgiving Day.

Over the river and through the wood
and straight through the barnyard gate.
We seem to go extremely slow—
it is so hard to wait!

Over the river and through the wood—
Old Jowler hears our bells;
he shakes his paw with a loud bow-wow,
and thus the news he tells.

Over the river and through the wood—
when Grandmother sees us come,
she will say, “Oh, dear, the children are here,
bring pie for everyone.”

Over the river and through the wood—
now Grandmother’s cap I spy!
Hurrah for the fun! Is the pudding done?
Hurrah for the pumpkin pie!

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Read on for a special celebration announcement, and the opportunity to read my books for free!

Please pin and share!

Celebrating 200 posts!

If I’d known when I started this blog in 2014 that it would still be going strong eleven years later, I would have been thrilled.

Actually, I’ve been writing about the Anthony family much longer—since 1993!

Thank you for sharing this journey with me. Writing about this very special and dynamic family is one of the joys of my life.

Free Books for the Holidays

Enjoy some holiday reads (including my novella The Heart of Christmas, featuring Annie and Daniel’s first Christmas together) and discover other amazing authors through this promo.

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The post Over the River and Through the Wood: Thanksgiving with Susan B. Anthony’s Family appeared first on Jeanne Gehret Author.