Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1877-12-01

|
| 1onai creatures. Go out on summer day, when
| the AR and grass is populous with life; you will
not hear one sound of Distress unless, pcrcha
some wicked boy has robbed birds nest, or a
| hunter has broken a birds wing, or pasture has
| been robbed of lamb, and there goes up beat-
| ing from the flock The whole earth is filed with
| animal delight. The bee huns H. the frog croak .
u, the squirrel chaters it, the bnd sings il, the
| lamb skips n-jov is seen every hand. De-
| scend still lower in the scale of anima life. The
| worm crawling upon the earth the ant racing up
| and down the hillside, are happy. la every drop
| OF water the microscope reveals a million of
| creatures swimming in a hailalujah Of giadness.
| TOD sweetcns the clover top for the oxens taste
| lie pouis out crystalline waters in cups of rock
for the hind TO drink, on his down the crags |;
| lie ponrs nectar into the cup Of the honey suckle
| Tor the hnmming bird, and spreads banquet of
flowers over the country for the honey bee-a ban
qnet richer than Belshszzars, aud no handwriting
on the wall lie gives the grasshoppcr the choice of
pasture and the birds their choice of grain fields
In the Arctic climes, God 80 lsvishly clothes the
animals that they afford to walk ont in storm
lest weather, wearing finest sable and ermine nd
chincailla and no sooner is one set of furs worn
| ont than God gives them another. He taught the
| spider to weave its gossamer bridge and make its
house; lie notifies the ants to gather their harvest,
for winter is coming He tells the squirrels to fill
| their cellars with nuts for the winter evenings
He tells the birds to emigratc before cold weather
| arrives Over all, He has supreme care, and 60
where you will, and you will find them prasing
| Him.
Take step higher, and notice the adaptation Of
the world to the comfort and happiness of man.
| The palace of the world was made, but there was
no king to live in it. There needed a connecting
| line between the spiritual and the material. and
man created The wonderful capacities Of
man were considered, and his adaptation 10 the
world in which he lives. But it j. IN reason and
understanding that man exces. The OK surpa-ses
him 10 strength, the antelope IN speed, the hound
in keenness of scent, the eagle In reaching
sight. the rabbit in quckDess Of hearing, the hon
ev bee 10 delicacy OF tongue, the spider in fueness
Of touch. Mans power is in his IN md. At hi. de-
the forests hat have stood for ages step aside
md city arises the thunder cloud that slept laz-
| lily above the mountain is made to come down and
carry messages from land to land. lie forced the
water aud the fire to join hands, sending thou
lands Of shnttles flying and rail trains rafting
across the continent, and steamships coughing
and painting across the deep. Mans moral nature
was next considered He possesses a soul destined
to range in Unlimited spheres of activity long az
ter the thunders of the last day shall he done toll
my the departure Of dead world. For the soul
fountain is provided in which il may wash, lad
der by which it may ascend, song Of endless
triumph 1t NAV sing, a crown OF unfsdng light it
NAV wear. How reasonable that a man thus en-
dowed, should give thanks to the Lord.
We should celebrate the me rcies of the past
year. Thank God, pestilcnce has been kept a~av /;
we are at peace among ourselves and with foreign
powers. 1t has been year of plenty. The NOV
poles never bent under sweeter or better supply
| of hay. The grausries are full, the storehouses
| are crowded, the canals blocked with freight
pressing into market; the all night long rum
BILE along the track, bringing the western harvests
east. True. the eastern apple crop cut OF
but that is a reason for Thanksgi living for we
| were fast becoming cider drunksrds. and God is
| sued prohibory law, three years ago, aud sent
an army of caterpiliars to enforce il. Relig ous
liberty Is continued, and with unclasped B BILE
| we stand on the same platform. Our national
strength has been tested, not only by the Centen-
| NAL, Offering a temptation 10 VAN glory, but by
The uncertainties and anxietles attending the
Presidential election. There is always powell
IN temptation TO forget God i'll our political
squabhles, State and National. lie was with our
fathers in the early struggles for national life and
has watched over and guarded our nation. But
what have we done to merit His continual bless.
ing We have violated our treaties with the red
man. and oppressed and intImidsted our brothers
at the South. See that gang of ruffians bulldozng
their fellows They say they have been wronged
| and taking vengence into their own bands, they
apply the midnight torch, destroy the property
of their fellows, and battle their hands in blood.
Whose hands have lighted green fsggots around
a living man and strung NJ 4 dozen twenty
citizens on the same gallows, and fired houses,
| and scot company OF trembling women flying
for their lives at midnight Men who call them
selves gentiemen of standing and position, from
whom their country and the world have right 10
expect better things. Shall these things pass by
| without rebuke /; Where is the spirit of our
fathers Do we Inherit their names only
| Or is there moral strength aud energy enough to
drag TO the light and justice every violation of the
law, whether he be high or low During politi-
cal squsbbles our nation has presented to the
world an alarming spectacle. What floods OF
| scurrility and blackguardism drench the land
How are the fsirest characters backened, the
purest regulations furnished And people love to
have 1t so. Yes, the professed people of God
drink into the spirit greed,ly, and seem to fancy
they have dispensation from high heaven ahro-
eating for the time being all the requirements OF the
| dicsogue. The remedy for these evils is our own
| hands. Let there be true, hearty repentance and
the evil will soon disappear, not only from pohtl-
cal harangues but from the party journals of the
day. The public press is a mirror OF public opin.
ion. Whenever those who read demand tru h and
| candor in the papers, and reject ialsthood aud
scurrility, they will be served according to their
desire.
In conclusion, our domestic and Individual mer
| cies and blessings were considered. 1t is true
that the dark winged messenger has visited few
of our homes, and taken away some loved one who
was with us last year But through the dark
mantle of sorrow, shines the star of Bethlehem,
| and we lean upon the strong staff of the merces
of our God. To the christian, the year past has
been a chariot of grace, bearing HIM to the day
eternal, when he shall throw IF his mantle of
sorrow and take up the fadeless crown, join in
the endless SOM, and clasp forever the loved ones
gone before Are you tired and weary waiting
for the loved ones who do not come, and listening
for footsteps yon shall never hear; And do you
say, "Otheis may he thankful this glad Thanks
giving day, but have nothing to be thankful
fori" Mistaken soul God has gwen you many,
many blessings VIII ch call for gratitude. He mas
given thee health strength, reason food, clothing,
| Fl iends aud home. lie has given you the Bible
| and fifty two golden Sabbaths, gospel privileges
innumerable, and the char lot OF time to bear you
| toward the home of our sainled dead With
some of you the past wear has been the year of
your salvation. A year ago it all dark, but
now it is all luminous as you look into the future.
This VIII be the happiest Thanksgiving day you
| evey knew. All these various classes may truly
adopt the language of the text The earth Is full
of the goodness of the Lord"
AT ST. Marks CHURCH,
There was a goody attendance. Full service
was conducted by the Rector, Rev. Mr.. Upjohn,
but no sermon was preached. The singing was
very fine
AT THE HIGH SCHOOL HOUSE,
the students INDUCED, in the evening, in their an
nual sociable, which was attended by some fifty
Young ladies ard gentlemen. The members of
4 the last graduating class were invited guests.
A very pleasant time was enjoyed; innocent
amusements were indulged in, reire shments were
served and the festivities closed with the feeling
on the part of the students that this had been OF
the most pleasant and profitable seasons in VIII Ich
tney had part icipated for long while.