Smyrna times., 1877-12-05
Why Should We Give Thanks ?

The following appeared in the New Yor
1ftCu"c on Thanksgiving Day:
There Is no common sense in settin
apart day with a special meaning an
then stripping it of that meaning. Yet no,
many of us woke this morning with an
definite idea about Thanksgiving, bevon
that of half holiday from shop or office
and turkey and pumpkin pies? Yet
really, we have so many chances to st0l
work, and so many dinners to eat in tn
course Of the year, that if there be an,
nobler thought or finer outlook bclonrinI
to the day, it would be good policy i'm us t,
lind 1t out. Noble thoughts and high out
! looks over l,fr are never too common !,
the market-place. The press and the mi
PIT, OF course, try to srt the matter in IT,
| proper hight before us there will be a uooe
dea! said and written to-day about tb,
| peace within our borders and the enormous
yield OF the Summers crops. with which
we are enabled to feed the world. Yet
candl'Ily, We doubt whether any hparer io,
indeed prencher) will he moved out of hi.
hahltual temper Of ingyatitude or indifIrr
ence ty these sudden appeals. Mems souI,
cannot tie brought up with their bodies tc
Slve thanks ly bell-tap, or by almanac
Why should surly fellow who gruniblcx
against grecnhackS, the Government. and
Iod all the year round. believe himself in
Arcadia on the last Thursday in Novem
her? lie doesn't ito it. He keeps 0ujct
Tor the chIldren's sake perhaps, sits decor.
ouSly through the sermon, and rlanccs
past the thanksgiving article to the next
column. He could put in counter pleas
enough II he chose: he could match our
peace hy records OF furious Turk and fiery
Russ slaughtered by the thousands durino
The Year; and starving myriads i'm India
could answer talk of unprecedented crops
"y history of the strikes, etc, etc. The
man who would compel him to give thanks
to God hy dwelling on his personal Llrs
sings, and Ignoring the pain, the misery.
!hr downright evil in the world, he rightly
Judges 10 be fool. and selfish fool.
II "" would find a basis for gratitude if
must hr hy going below these darker phases
oi HE, not hy passing hlndly over them.
lhlS man IS happy who can thank God
to-day Tor giving him a plentiful dinner
ana pleasant home; his hungry nciglIhor
Is happier that hcilrveS in a God who is
more TO hlm than food or raimrnt. This
man sees all the dear ones Of his home
t"out hlm to-day, an unhrolicn band, and.
Scrur" IN "ood fortune, is apt to be- Il little
careless IN recognizing the Power that has
kept them there; but his brother who has
taken IN this last year the wife of his vouth.
or me NIUE chlld that was so dear to him
ana lald them down in that horrible wet
gap IN the clay which never unrlosrs for
us, call we ever so loudly. believes in ,
u ? n'nPi'SN Hood which holds him and his
iead as notes in the sunshine. and some.
"
together again. He knows i'm whom he
has believed. He has something more 10
give thanks for than food. clothes or
health. In the same way. the man does
wei who recognizes an Almighty Power in
e lr'hlh@ crops prosperity and peace; Lut
IN" man who prrceives eternal SEQUENCES
'f order and law working always for rood
ih"Pf disaster and death, is the wiser of
The two
Now OF course this habitual steady foot.
nE on absolute good, this longsiphtrdness
: not gong to spring out of solitary year |
y. Thanksgiving. 1t i a good deal matter
u temperament; the ragged Nca,olitan |
hanks God and rcjoicps because the sun
hines and the sky is blue; his covenantinp
'ouSln would like to make certain inDrove. |
n"nts IN heaven. 1t is more a matter of |
which hint we give to mothers
o work out at leisure.
There are a good many of our reader,
'ho have passed middle age, on whom
Nmperamcnt and the education of n lono
ne OF pains and pleasures have almost FIN
ned their work. The time Of the wear in
'hlch Thanksgiving is held has for them
ceper significance than for young peoule
axe the old earth itself, they have zone
hrouEh the season Of spending and have
cached that Of exhauStion; the mother
as given her bodily strength to her chill.
rem, the father has worked and toiled for
htm; they are gray, sapless, weary: MS
hey look around the table today. in these
Dung, ardent lives about them. thew detect
ne vigor of their own youth. the noble
thoughts. the character which cost them
ard experience. They gave them-ravo
hem freely. For themselves remain the
hills OF Winter and of death.
Only that? The Earth also has civan
Ne juices of its life freely at Gods bidding .
nd lies down to regain strength under II,
hlte shroud. Beyond Winter and death
l're remains for it a new and rejoicing
pring. '1i0''s