The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-11-26
Rest for the Tired, Sermons
for the Religious, Amuse-
ments for the Giddy,
But Turkey and Such for People
of all Glasses and Shades
Of Opinion.

OF UplnlOn.
Tomorrow being the cheerful festival of
Thanksgiving. as usual we shall issue no
paper from this Office. We think our
readers will agree with us that this is an
occasion, If ever, when the hustle of bus-
ness ought to stop, when the cheerful
hum Of labor in factory and workshop
ought to cease. when the ring of the anvil
and the buzzng of the spindle should be
hushed, and citizens all be afforded oppor-
tunity to meet around the social board and
for one day enjoy the pleasant converse OF
their families at the generous Thanksgiving
dinners.
THE ORIGIN OF THANKSGIVING.
The pious custom which had its origin in
New England of setting apart day of pub,
lie thanksgiving in acknowledgement OF
the spiritual and temporal blessings vouch-
safed by heaven to man has, perhaps,
shifted to some extent from the rock of
perfect faith on which it had its origin, and
yet the good old custom remains to stir the
souls not only OF the dwellers on that stern
and rock bound coast where the Pilgrim
Fathers knelt two hundred years ago, but to
move the hearts to-day as we'll of all their
children and their children's children
throughout the land where their descend
ants dwell. And what poetic sweetness
in the custom founded by those ascetic and
iron men Of bowing in the temples In ac-
acknowledgement Of the perfect religious free
dom that is this Nations greatest boon to
man; of the glad abundance of the ripened
and garnered harvests; Of the peace and poll
ticalfreedom in country as broad and half
as extended as the continent, and which
boasts of never slave to-day! How cheer
full to unite with and graft upon this emo
tion of involuntary piety the custom of So
ciability and innocent and pleasant recrea
ton that comes to lis from tie English
Christmas Eve and yule log when all the
branches Of the family tree are gathered
about the social board! When children
and grandchildren come home for the pa
ternal blessing and the benediction at the
glad Thanksgiving feast! ....-..
: As stated above. the appointment
by the public authorities of day
of public Thanksgiving had its origin
in New England some 200 years ago. For a
long time it was strictly New England
custom, and to great extent took the
place there of the social Christmas festivi-
ties which the Southern States had imported
from the mother country and made the
great Southern holiday OF the year. AS
New Englanders spreadto other States the
THANKSGIVING extended beyond the bounds
of the East, and at length even to the South
ern Stites, but Thanksgiving Day, usually
in November. was set al such time as suited
the caprice of the different Governors, and
never until very recently on the same day
of the month in all. About the year 1849
General Taylor, as President, issued his
proclamation appointing day of National
Thanksgiving. and was assailed with a
storm Of ridicule by many Of the
partisan papers, North and South,
and especially by the New York Herald,
which declared the thing puritanica
nd in every way absurd. President Tay-
lor's example has, however, been followed
since by the successive Presidents, and now
is recognized to be quite as fitting when
proclaimed by the Chief Magistrate of the
Nation as by the Governors of States
Since Congress made it, more yer, legal
holiday, the several Governors usually
name the same day as the President, and
Thanksgiving is observed in all the States
on the same date. And ,till the aroma, or,
as a wine drinker would saw, the bouquet
of the delightful Thanksgiving time is
never tasted in all its exquisite delicacc as
in New England, which gave it birth, when
her sons, scattered as widely as the leaves
of last autumn's forest, come back beneath
the roof trees that have sheltered the in
fancy of SO many who have gone forth to
fight so bravely and to conquer in the
world.
BALLS, PARTIEs AND ENTERTAINMENTS.
The first grand ball given by the Har-
monia Mennerchor will take place Thanks
giving night at Turner Hall. ~.
There will be grand bal masque Thanks
giving night at Eshers Palace Theater on
Vine street. The opening of the ball takes
place Immediately after the performance.
The Findlay Club, composed of promi-
nent business men, will enjoy Thanksgiving
Eve by ball at TurnS Hall. 1t will be a
recherche affair.
A dress party will be given Thanksgiving
light in the town hall at Winton Place.
The Winds"rs give hop and social at
Eighth and freeman streets tonight, in
anticipation of Thanksgiving Day.
An elegant marty viii he given at the
residence ( Mrs Holinshade, College Hill,
this evening, by the young gentlemen Of
the Hill. at.
The C. o. E. Club have made great pre-
paratipns for their party at Dexter Hall
tonight fheevrof Thanksgiving Day. s.
0nscfths tt6rss Of the day will be the