Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1880-11-26
Thanksgivilr.

Thursday Was set apart for Thanks
giving. II is now nearly two hundred and
sixty years ago that the first Thanksgiving
was celebrated on the bleak shores of Massa-
causettS BAY, under circumstances which the
luxurious generation of to-day would hardly
consider as establishing valid grounds for
any great degree Of gratitude. The colonists
were strangers in strange land, three thou
sand miles Of sea separating them from their
native land their only neighbors were saw
ares and wild beasts; their means of eking
out subsistence were precariOus and their
homes frail in the eloquent words of Web
ster, the infant was houselcss but for its
mothers breast, and homeless but for her
arms" But even under such circumstances
the Pilgrims found cause for gratitude to the
Creator and the outcome Of This feeling was
Thanksgiving.
Since that frs, Thanksgiving the circum
stances and the general habits and opinions
which cave Use 10 its celebration have great
" c..aarcd. Church and State are no longer
closely associated and the Puritan Common
wealth has passed away forever. OF these
Thlrls,.1.rr was The product-that intim-
ate association OF Church and State, that
Commensurate based upon government by
the elect. taking its counsels directly from
the Bible art consulting Omnipotcnce at
ever, step Inc original Thanksgiving was
= pu-.ly ri -iaus holiday and was observed
pretty much rs a fast i, theoretically, now.
But win On, widening process of the suns
it has t. a certain cytrnt lost its strict relig-
i5rs obs ryas.e and become an occasion of
general fc...iiar. of which the family gather
ing is lla principal feature. The sombreness
Of tn, dry 5 gone and in its place is
chsriy. GOOD cheer, hospitality.
l. Is sometimes said that TO appoint such
spar.iculdr season looks as if the people ne
elected the duty of gratitude on other days
thai Ii IS something like that book of Lord
Timothy Dcxter's, in which all punctuation
marks were omitted in the text and placed
on the flv-l,.af at the end or like the refusal
Ill -tl'Hl tiitA liisi4l ~ - b'N9''o ~
every meal because he had blessed the meat
in the barrel Bat surely, immersed as we
aye in the duties and pursuits of life, it is
well that one day of the year should he set
apart 10 remind US in an especial
manner OF or causes for thankful
ness and our duty 10 return it. And
those Gauss who can number themi at is
a JOY to live even in this present world,
SAYS orc What theatre of action is
opened in this present world, How beauti.
ful it Is in many aspects, So fair are the
thousand scenes which delight the eye that
It almost seems at times as if Infinite Love
had ta;lal to robe this world in charms.
Indeed this wondrous beauty is one of the
best proofs Of an Infinite Goodness. If the
san goes forth from his chamber like bride
groom, according to the Psalmst's image,
the earth looks up TO welcome him in the
larrlinoss Of a bride. And as man looks
upon the world, there IS abundant reason why
he should repeat the benediction of his
Maker, and say, in perpetual gratitude, 1t
is good But besides the 10y of mere
living" as Browning calls it, there are host
Of especial causes for especial gratitude to the
Giver Il all good at the present time. The
country has just passed safely through the
stress ard strain of National election, the
result II which has, we are glad TO believe,
assured Us the blessings of good government
and able administration for four years TO
come crops have been unprecedently abun-
ant throas hout the country and business has
revived nd lalor and industry sprung into
new life: The Nation is at peace with all the
world; tie night is passed and the new day
is come.
Let Us, then, yielding to the sweet in
iluences o. the season, rejoice and give
thanks.