The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1880-12-16
RItsceI1menms.
REV. T. DEWITT TALMAGE.
FRUITS FROM THE HORN OF
NATIONAL PLENTY.
A Psalm, a Song, and ReminiScence
Of Thanksgiving Thank God for
the Present, Thank God for the
Future.

with the fruits of the earth, take my
text from the New Testament of the
harvest field, first chapter and first verse
written by the Evangelist of the sun
shine in gold Of wheat, and snow of cot
ton, and orange of groves. Turn over
the leaves and read the text for your
selves. And these palm trees, from
South Carolina at either end Of the plat
form, and this silver and copper and gol-
den ore from Colorado, and this rye
from Long Island, and this corn from
New Jersey, and this sugar cane from
Louisiana, and this rice woven across
the organ pipes, 30 as to help p make up
the music of the Union, and this moss
hung from the chandeliers, the uphols-
terry of Southern forests, the bridal veil
of tropical woods; and these shells from
the Pacific coast, and these California
grapes and Florida bananas, bursting
from the horn of national plenty-all
these preach to you while l simply in
terpret. Where did you come from, 0,
thou golden wheat? 81 am from Long
Island, the reach of ground that God put
down near enough to the mainland to
watch whatever comes up from the sea,
and give home to the weary thou ands
of the great metropolis when they want
evening repose." Welcome the wheat;
it means bread, and plenty of it. From
whence are thou, 0, glorious COrnP II
come from the far West; l am only the
tasseed courier preceding the great crop
that will enrich the nation; speak Tor
two thousand million bushels of bread
stuffs" Whence art thou, o, cotton2
~ am from the Georgia cotton belt near
Augusta l came up during war times
to stop your ears, now l come up to
clothe your backs; l am from the "solid
South" but l am glad to stand shoulder
to shoulder with the products Of the
Northern fields. I voted for Hancock,
but now that Garfield is elected, l will
support him." Hush, o, cotton, with
your politics. All peaceful and happy
down South where you came from? Yes
as much as you could expect; our fortunes
are being reconstructed; you will notice
there lie no mark of my blood on my
forehead; / came here to. day to shake
hands with Michigan wheat" Why
strayest thou so far from home, 0, thou
great green shaft of sugar cane2 II came
from the far southwest to promise 230'
900 hogsheads of sugar and 13 600 600
gallons of moasses this year." Welcome
the sugar cane. At this point the play
ing of passing band on the street was
heard Music inside and music out
side, and all making up grand anthem
to the Lord. Lemons for tart beverage,
Rec for puddings, the best that were
ever made. Apples, sour for those who
like them sour, and sweet for those who
like them sweet. What dost thou here,
thou great fallen star? 20, l am silver
ore from Colorado; came here to rep
resent the harvest of the mountains;
came to tell you our regions have only
begun to yield; all the piCkaxes and the
great crushing machines of the next CEN
tury will not be able to reveal the riches
of the hidden realm | represent" Great
mountains full of the precious metasl
What meanest thou? And who art thou?
"I am the coal from Ohio and Pennsyl'
Vania. represent one hundred thou
sand sqlare miles of coal bed. Inex.
haustable supplies" "And l." says the
iron, represent one hundred and sixty
thousand square miles of IRON" The
iron to pry out the coal, the coal to forge
and smelt the iron. What boundless
wealth, how infaite the resources. La
Dor for the millionsl
Ny friends, where are We? In the
country, and wandering off and back un.
til we get in the felds far away, and our
minds are flooded with memories of the
past. Thank God for the present. thank
God for the future; but most of all,
thank him this morning for the stirring
and delightful memories of the past.
These Cornfslds wake up all the past.
know what you are thinking about. We
are clear back again in our boyhood
Thanksgiving Days. We cared nothing
for the sermon we rode three miles TO
hear, although we sat still two mortal
hours to learn how thankful we ought to |
be our gratitude refusing to rise until we
got to the benediction! Must we con-
fess l.? The chief event was the dinner, |
po,tponed a little later than usual be. |
cause the turkey had to be basted after
We got home from the long ThanksgiV.
ing ride, and there seemed 30 many |
things to do, we got impatient and raw.
enOus and uncomfortable, and at last,
when the group gathered at the table in
the old farm house, and father planted
the fork astride the breast bone, aud
with knife sharpened on the jamb of the
fireplace, laid bare the folds of white
meat, and the big spoon explored the
depths for the dressing, it seemed as if
there was nothing more to wish for ex-
Cept the wish bone," which, dried and
hung over the doorway, would prophesy
weddings to come. Then came the pies,
for the most part a lost art. What minCe
pies, in which you had all conf lence,
fashioned from all rich Ingredients; not
the leavings of things, but the begin.
nings. Not purchased minGe. pies, with
profound mysteries of origin; but moth.
ers made them. chopped the meat, spc.
ed, flavor d, sweetened them, and laid
the lower crust and then the upper crust,
with fork puncturing an opening into
the fl hsky surface, 30 that we might get
a glimpse Of the blessedness beneath. No
brandy, for the old people we're stou on
temperance; but cider half way between
new and hard, with slight tendency
toward hard. Dear me, what a pie! You
deluded New England glanders can tell
about your pumpkin tarts for Thanks
giving day. Give me an old fashioned
New Jersey minCe pie. Then we pushed
back from the table, and such roaring
and racketiag and fun. There were five
of US, or | should say, seven, for the old
people were as young as any, and what,
with blind mans bud, leap frog, hide
andgo seek, and molasses pulling, and
wrestling, and rushing out bareheaded,
leaving the door wide open with our
boisterous glee, Thanksgiving meant
something with us, l tell you. Some.
how, you never later could gather that
group around the same holiday table.
Your sister did not live to grow up. She
was always little weakly, coughed hard
at nights, and got out Of breath when
she played "CatCh." Without ever say.
ing anything aboutit, you knew she was
knn UnOd In atau in thia oOld u,oeIJ nho |