Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1868-11-27
4Hiseellamu.
Thanksgiving.


The very word sends a thrill to the heart,
which but few Others in the language can
awaken. To New Englanders, indeed,
it may still be especially pregnant with
holy meaning; but now that the day of
feasting, praise, and rejoicing, has fit
tingly become national celebration,
there are none within our borders to
whom it is not beautifully significant.
A cold. gray stiffness sleeps above the land
Al Alh that was bIght tan and beautiful + gone
The Frost-King will uplift his icy hand.
! The busy farmers harvesting is done:
His great barns overflow with golden stores,
And ruddy boys shout, as they close the doors
Hurrahl hurrah! for winter, and for funP'
And the old homesteads swarm with faces fair
F9uT ssPeraSRs ie all told tGS G srsnSPS says
The happy feast of Thanksgiving and prayer.
1t is rare pleasure to sit apart in
temporary solitude little way, where
the autumnal sun pours down its boun-
tiful largess in soft-tempered warmth, and
think of this near-coming harvest cele-
bration, enjoying the while in anticipa-
ton, something of its triumphant joy
business.
The thirty-six hours following to-day's
sunset will be dedicated all over the land
to reunion, joy, thanksgiving and praise.
Tomorrow morning, thousands of mel
low-voiced church-bells will send vibrat-
ing peals of invitation through the air
from thousands of sacred affairs will rise
eloquent prayers and blessings, and mil
lions of hearts, careless and thoughtless
as they may be otherwise, will grow warm
and tender beneath the hallowed infu-
ences of the hour. Then will follow that
crowning glory of the day-the gather
ing round the festal board of reunited
families at home. They will all be there,
from the scanty-haired grandsire to the
scanty-haired, cooling baby-the great
grandchild; hand in hand, and heart to
heart, the representatives of four gener-
ations, united by the closest ties of blood
and loving reverence and Affection
What an exquisite picture it will be to
look upon-a picture glowing with the
warmest tints rich, perfect, yet simple
withal, and instinct with the truest elo-
quence of happiness. 1t is easy to hear
in imagination the hum of happy voices
than which no sound will touch SO
sharply the hardening hearts of the err
ing and forsaken-the tones of fervent
and grateful love, the jubilant ripple o
buoyant, mirthful laughter and to set
the faces alight with thankful content
the ewes softened with dreamy look o
speeehless peace, and the little unaffect
ed touches and caresses, which express s.
much, in moments when silence is inf
nitely more expressive than words. An
then the tables around which will 81
= these reunited families, gathered fror
It every part of the land, and mayhap froI
eyery quarter Of the globe. How the
5, will groan with the choicest luxuries
: the season-heavily laden with the pc
feet fruits of the plenteous harvest, pr
at pared with that finished skill known o
ly to the genius of domestic cookery
We can see the huge turkey rising IN Il
midst, like miniature mountain OF
~ worry nutriment, glowing with a RI
ie. brown hue, and sending forth steami
= : mist Of fragrance to titillate the nostr
- and excite the palate with eagerest
pectation. Then there are chicken-p
}! great, deep receptacles of tender
ac- bits. hidden beneath light, toothsol
t. crust; big mealy potatoes, with all tn
GU many-favored sister vegetables VIII
- spongy bread, and creamy butter, in tn
cts happy combination sweet enough TO m
. upon the tongue; cranberry sauce
whet the appetite with its crimson
s. tartness puddings, hot from the ov
that would tempt an epicure; mi
= pies, with their faky crusts bulg
above stores of wondrous spicy richn
and pumpkin pies, yellow as fine g
,rv and sweeter than honey pure, foa
Ma sweet cider, with that bouquet which
only come from the selected fruit
thrifty orchards; and after all the
ES. oily hickory nuts, butternuts, and cl
-, nuts. which the dear children have
industriously gathering since the ear
FROST and which serve to fill up the IL
N. ouent pauses in the cheerful atter-dn
- converse.
Little wonder will it be, If sue
EoR feast is not despoiled until the sun be
TO hide his face from the deep val
and the western hills are lit with c
son glory and if the ashen twill
coming early, as though seeking to
II9T L9T the many unmistakable hints of
ufact- coming winter, seems time for que
ard voiceless content-a moment OF
befo,e the closing festivities OF the
40 This sober twilight will set memol
co. work. and all its inner chambers Il