day have been swept away.

The Pilgrims brought many strange ideas with them to their new home, as
we all well know, and we find these reflected in their statute books in
the form of many "blue laws," some of which may yet be found in changed
garb in the form of constantly disregarded "dead letter" laws in our own
Public Statutes. Interesting as a general discussion of this subject is,
as showing the character and purposes of the founders of the Republic,
we can follow but one division of the Sunday law in its various forms
since it was first framed by our "Puritan ancestors, who intended that
the day should be not merely a day of rest from labor, but also a day
devoted to public and private worship and to religious meditation and
repose, undisturbed by secular cares or amusements," and among whom were
found some who thought death the only fit punishment for those who, as
they considered it, "prophaned" the Lord's day.

As early as 1636 it was enacted by the Court of the Plymouth Colony
that, "Whereas, complaint is made of great abuses in sundry places of
this Government of prophaning the Lord's day by travellers, both horse
and foot, by bearing of burdens, carrying of packs, etc., upon the
Lord's day to the great offence of the Godly welafected among us. It is,
therefore, enacted by the Court and the authoritie thereof that if any
person or persons shall be found transgressing in any of the precincts
of any township within this Government, he or they shall be forthwith
apprehended by the Constable of such a town and fined twenty shillings,
to the Collonie's use, or else shall sit in the stocks four hours,
except they can give a sufficient reason for theire soe doeing; but they
that 'soe transgresse' must be apprehended on the Lord's day and 'paye
theire fine or sitt in the stockes as aforesaide' on the second day
thereafter." It seems, however, that in spite of the pious sentiments of
the framers of the law it was not, or could not be enforced, for in 1662
it was further enacted that "This Court doth desire that the
transgression of the foregoing order may be carefully looked into and
p'r'vented if by any due course it may be."

But even now it seems that the energies of the law-makers were of no
avail in preventing prophanation of the Holy day by "foraignors and
others," so that twenty years later, in 1683, we find that "To prevent
prophanation of the Lord's day by foraignors or any others unessesary
travelling thr