The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1858-12-15
THANKSGIVING Sermon.

The words of the wise man deserve
especial regard, for this is an occasion
when it is good to be merry and wise
There are three hundred and odd days
in the year besides this, when a mar
may be melancholy without setting a
naught the Governors proclamation
but once in the year there is reason ir
feeling comfortable. The wise man is
assuredly right in prescribing his med
icines for unhappy mortals, sick Of sin
and sea coal, the pinch in the money
market, and the palpitation in the price
of breadstuffs. Ho, every one tha,
thirsteth for relief from the cares thai
cash is heir to come We to Doctor Sol.
omon, and take little of his balm ol
Gilead in the shape of merry heart
1t is not to be "taken fasting" nor will
1t make any person quake with fear, tho
when taken it may be well shaken-not
under the cork stopper of a wry face.
but through the liberal tunnel of broad
grin. A merry heart doeth good like
medicine and who does not wish to
do good to himself with such pleasant
kind of doctors stuff? Verify, the
faculty in old times were wiser in their
generation than many of the modern
n. DIS. .. ...- -.... "
There are three things under the sun,
yea, four, which, on Thanksgiving
day, are to be eschewed of men: The
small soul of parsiinony and the grum-
bling bowels Of covetousness, the broken
spirit of thankless repining, aud the dry
bones Of cold uncharitabeness. There
is mono of the right medicine in these
drugs, which deserves to be all pound
ed in the same mortar and worked up
into blue pill of more infnitesimal lit
tleness than any quantity yet prescribed
in homeopathic formula. But to-day
we are bidden to be thankful aud
whether we think of the bidding or not,
it is to be hoped we can all find cause
to offer thanks. .
To be thankful this day is duty both
enjoined upon US by the Executive au-
thority and urged by our own feelings
of what is fit and becoming. Thank
fulness implies content-content indi-
Gates good humor-good humor is
checrtulness--and whose has cheer
funess heart, has perforce merry one
1t is therefore as clear as preaching,
that King Solomon and the Governor
are both Of one mind as to the proper
way of keeping Thanksgiving, and
where is the son of man in this Com
monwealth who will undertake to con-
trovert their joint authority? If there
be any such dry bone Of a doub,eg
amongus, let him suck the wooden spoon
OF perversity, gnaw the drum stick of
his own dogmatism and sit down in
! ell sLo.,+:..I----I.A,-. a---,---., ~, ,,,A
more sensible and rebellious stomach
barks for dinner. Let him dine upon a
ai-'a Of doubts, ~,.d go 10 bed in the
Cruel Of grumbling and groaning. But
we hope there is none such.
So let us all be reasonably thankful
and not unreasonably may We also be of
a merry heart. Let those who are in
health be thankful for their good case ::
and those who are out of health be
thankful that they are no worse. Let
those who are rich be thankful for their
wealth and those who are poor find
cause for thankfulness in having so lit,
tie to do with the root of evil. Let old
folks be thankful for their wisdom in
knowing that young folks are fools, and
let young ones be even with them in
thankfulncss and good opinion, bv
thinking the compliment back again
Let the lean folks be thankful for their
spare ribs, and let fat folks be thankful
that they can laugh at the lean ones, and
grow fatter and fatter every day. Let
him who is in debt be thankful that he
is not in limbo for 1t and let him who
us out Of debt do the same, and call at
our house and let us know what sort
feeling it is. Let those who are in Of
flee put up all the thanks they can ina
glne that merit is at last rewarded and
let those who are out of office utter
thanks also that the country does not.
insist upon their eating sour grapes
Let married folks be thankful for bless
ings both little and great let old bach
eiors and old maids be thankful for the
privilege of kissing other folks babies,
and much good may it do them.
The words of the wise man are as
plums in pudding; they are to be
swallowed with the gravity of discern.
ment, and laid to the heart in the sweet
sauce of quiet reflection. Let no man
look upon Turkey to-day, and say,
this also is vanity 7 What is the
life of man without creature comforts,
and the stomach of the son of man with
no aid from the tin kitchen? Go thy
way then according to good sense, |
good cheer, good oppe.iee, the cover I
nor's proclamation, and every other
good thing under the sun render
thanks for all the good things Of this
life, and good cooking among the rest
eat, drink and be merry; make not
lean laudation of the bounties of Pro-
yidence, but let a lively gusto follow
long grace. Feast thank fully and feast
hopingly feast in good will 10 all man
kind, Orahamites included; feast in the
full aud joyous Eersuasion that while
the earth remaineth seedtimc and har-
vest, dinner time, pudding time and
supper time are not likely to go out of
fashion; feast with exalting confidence
in the continuance of cooks, kitchens
and the orthodox expounders of Scrip
ture and the Constitution in our anci.
ent, blessed and fatsided Commonwealth
feast III short like good christian.
proving all things. relishing all things.
and enjoying all things. Leta good |
stomach for dinner 60 hand in hand |
with good mind for sound doctrine.
This day must thou be thankful. let thy |
thanks be accompanied BY steadfast re-
lance upon the care of Providence, and
let not thy wits run away upon sleeps