New-York tribune., 1879-11-27
TIE D1Y OF RECKONING.

TIE DAY or RECKONING.
Wbv is il that our AnglO-SaxOn idea OF re-
l;oion ia ALWAYS SO mixed up with eating and
drinlxincY The old story runs that when Crusoc
saw the stalks of rice and barley springing up
on his desert island he believed for the first
time in a God, and falling on his face wor-
sbipped Him. All other signs OF INFINITE
power and love went for nothing. The stars,
the earth, life and death, were matters 0i
course. but the paltry stuff that was to feed
him was a miracle. The Puritans had pretty
much the same idea when they founded Thanks
giving. God seemed to have directly con-
cerned Himself In that first harvest on this in
hospitable coast. We have gone on with the
same feeling ever since. We thank God
openly every day for our dinner. but
we never think of doing it when we
read good book or hear music that
lifts the level of our whole life Our
only National recognition of our Maker
is this day appointed in order to thank Him
for giving us plenty to eat. Good crops and
the subsequent flush of money seem to open
the most direct and easily travelled road
between our souls and the Lord and Giver OF
Life. Now Crusoe, who was keensighted.
practical fellow even in his religion, after
few years began to see that there might he
other causes for thanlfulness than a full
stomach He struck sort of balance-sheet
between himself and Providence. setting down
his causes for happiness and misery, and
went to work to find out who was the cause
of both.
Something of the same kind might be done
with good effect 10y our clergymen to-day
As for our substantial reasons for graft
tude they are plain to every eye this
November. A fool though he runs may read
the summons to thanksgiving In our signs of
solid prosperity-the cattle upon a thousand
hills the enormous crops that will suffice this
Winter to feed Europe, which otherwise would
be stricken with famine; our vast untitled ter
ritory and the emigrants crowding to it from
every quarter. BUSINESS Is reyiving, mills
are opening, the hordes of tramps are turning
into an army of we'll paid workingmen, foreign
markets are opened at last to our inexhaust-
ible food supply and for this reason the basis
of our future well-doing has been laid this
year on broader foundations than ever before
These. are all good things to sing peans
about Yet there are other matters which
nation in summing mp its yearly profit and loss
clothed. well fed and has full pocket. How
have we grown in decency and honestly What
do our equals think of u.s. or our servants or
our Master7 These are the real questions to
settle on this Thanksgiving morning. The man
with fine coat and full bank account may
be shabby fellow, and all the world know
it; and the man who found his barns full at
night was called to reck oning before morning.
and it was not of his crops he was asked to
give account. Looking squarely at the facts
we believe that we have reason to claim that
the Nation has grown morally as well as in
material strength during the past year. We
have learned lessons of economy which we are
not likely to forget IN the hard times we
soughed off many false notions of the value
of display and money. Women, for example,
do not lose cast even in village, in earning
their bread. Prejudice against color is dying
out to a marked degree, and one result of
this is the higher tone of justice observable in
the popular feeling toward the Indians There
is broader, more Christ-like charity appa-
rem. in most religious sects. AS for less cs-
sential matters. our manners grow quiet and
self-respect by measuring ourselves with other
nations. Our taste anu knowledge in Art
grow, and something better is gained for us
than an income for artists or pOtters.
On the whole, we may be thankful to-day
that we have sounder, loftier and more en-
during causes for thanksgiving than even our
full barns and mcasureless fields.
-----------