The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1881-11-26

victories gained over French Napoleon
and on the final restoration OF peace.
Again, in India, in 1854, for the success
of the British troops. Then there is the
fifth OF November. dating back to 1913,
which is marked in the English Church
service as a Thanksgiving Day. in COM
memoration of the discovery of the
Gunpowder Plot. You have heard of
Guy Fawkes-you BOYS, at least-and
how they put the powder under the
Parliament House and were going to
blow it up.
" But it was in this great land, my
dears, that was born the permanent
Thanksgiving Day, and this is its his
tory. Long years ago, some very
worthy people lived in Old England.
toward whom other folks, who had
power, acted very badly. And so these
became so discouraged, so tired of per-
secution, that they left their homes. and
at last they resolved to go and live in
this great New World, of which they
had heard so much So the7 packed
their goods, and with their families
sailed across the big ocean to America.
You can form no idea, in your happy
days, of what these poor people suf-
fered. 1t was a good land they had
left, and this was then mostly wilder.
ness; and, between cold and hunger
and other hardships, life to these emf
grants was very, very dreary. But they
were a strongly religious people. They
trusted in the Great God; and at very
early period of their history in America
they began to ascribe calamity to His
frown and prosperity to His smile.
From this they came to celebrating
regular Fast Days, and Thanksgiving
Days, the latter usually in autumn and
the former toward the spring.
"Ihe earliest Thanksgiving Day on
record in what was called the Massa-
chusetts Colony Glanced as | have told
you, on an appointed fasting day, the
22d of February, 1852, and in this way.
The people had been in great distress
all winter. Provisions were scarce,
and they were obliged to live mostly on
CLANS, muscles, acorns and ground
nuts, and these obtained with much
difficulty in the winter time. A ship
had been sent TO the Old World for
supplies; but it had not returned and
it was greatly feared that it was lost.
As the fasting dav drew near, the PEG.
pie were all discouraged. 1t was ru.
mored that the last batch of bread was
baking in the Governors oven. and that
was sorry prospect for them. But
the good God did not desert his people.
On the very night before the fast day
from those who wee watching hope
lessly for the ship were heard loud cries
of Joy. They had deserted it, and pres
emily in it came laden with the supplies;
on which account the appointed fast day
was changed to a Thanksgiving day,
and you may believe they had joyful
time.
lit is true that the keeping of
Thanksgiving DAYS was not limited to
old New England. They were observ-
ed also among the Dutch settlers in
America, in times of great public re-
joicings, and by others, but only at
times; not, as here, regularly every
year. 1t was long ere the other States
began to keep an annual Thanksgiving
Day-as late as the year 1917 in New
York; but finally the custom grew
very popular. The Governors began
to issue yearly proclamations, and now
Thanksgiving has become as much a
part of the year as Fourth of July OF
Christmas, without which folks would
feel quite homesck. Is it not so, my
dears?'n
Father Thanksgiving paused, and
blinked comfortably around. There
was a moment silence, and then little
Susie's voice broke in.
"Do you suppose there was any
turkeys and pumpkins-pies on that
Ship" she asked.
Il hope they were. l hope they
were, little creature" answered the
old man, chuckling; but | could not
say. | wish you could tell me-" he
added, turning 80 the grown folks,
lust how turkey and pumpkins got
so twisted up with Thanksgiving. But
you've no record; more's the pity
Jenny stood regarding the old man
curiouslv.
81 believe all you say, Mr. Father
Thanksgivin," he spoke, suddenly
"but, somehow, l don't quite believe
in you q never did much in genuseS
and fairies), and | thing it S very funny
that Grandma should know you and
never speak of you. think"
But Jenny paused. Suddenly Aunt
Joe had whisked out from among the
grown folks and just here seized the
old man very unceremOniously by his
hair and whiskers, which, to the utter
amazement of the children, she lifted
and held triumphantly above his head.
And then? Well, such shouts from
the unsuspectng little folks! Such
shouts from the funny grown folks,
who had early discovered the pretty
plot, and who dared only now have out
their mirth completely. Such shouts
even from grandma and the jolly gen
tleman, sitting now in his own black
hair and whiskers! Such shouts truly
were never heard in that house beforel
For the jolly gentleman was Uncle Hal