HUGUENOT HOME LIFE IN AMERICA 413 



Doctriually tlie Huguenots and Puritans were the same, The Huguenot 



but iu practice they diti'ered uot a little. The Puritau 

 was a very strict keeper of the Sabbath, begiuuiug at 

 suiiset of Saturday a twenty-four horns' abstinence from 

 any avoidable work, as well as from any pleasure save 

 that which hiA devoutness found in religious services. 

 The Huguenot Sunday began and ended as now. Like 

 Calvin himself, the refugees did not think it necessary to 

 avoid all pleasant things on Sunday more than on other 

 days, and all who had friends living near the wayside 

 stopped in to visit them as they returned fi'om church ; 

 for the Sunday time that was not devoted to church serv- 

 ices and to an hour of catechizing at home was not con- 

 sidered as ill spent iu cheerful social intercourse. In 

 Calvinistic Switzerland, as in Eoman Catholic France, it 

 had been customary to indulge, after church houi-s, in any 

 form of innocent amusement. The Huguenots seem to 

 have drawn the line just short of this. But on week days 

 their national joyousness and light-heartedness was bound 

 to display itself in as many ways as circumstances would 

 permit. Tableaux and little comedies were frequent, 

 while dancing was the expected amusement in most 

 households at every evening gathering, and these took 

 place as often as possible. This made the pleasure of the 

 home life in marked contrast to much of the severer life 

 around them, and drew upon the Huguenots many re- 

 proaches. Children were instructed with a degree of 

 gentleness and consideration quite in contrast with the 

 sterner ways of the English or Dutch. Cheerfulness and 

 even gaiety was the rule. A gloomy Huguenot was an 

 anomaly to be pitied and apologized for. Such happy 

 dispositions as were common among the French produced 

 a very great impression, and their customs did much to 

 break down an unnatural restraint that could not exist 

 permanently without defeating the high ends aimed at by 

 zealous and godly people. 

 The French boarding and day schools for young ladies 



on Sunday 



