Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1883-12-13
NUMBER 10.

Gu ioIinS anu ceremonies; as SuDstItue
for the free, spontaneous outporings Of
'he'human heart. So they escaped, they
fed, they came to New England under
Divi,e purpose. We all know their his.
tory, how they ssruggled and how they
prayed. We know how brayely they
endured the rigos of New England
winter; threatened with famine and BY =
savage foe, still they trusted in God,
though He had seemingly forsakeu them.
The wind howled round their lowly huts,
the storm rushed madly from the forest,
the fierce and savage Philip, with hi
wild tribes Of Indians, lurked il svssY
shaded dell, still these men Of iron nerve
were firm, they would not give up shsiy
trust in an overruling Power. Was mos
the God of Israel the God Of the Pilgrimsf
They still trusted, even when the gauns
skeleton of famine could be found in
every house; they wrestled in prayer till
they tainted from sheer exhaustion, aud
when at last, help came, and that ship
from Old England, loaded with provisions,
sailed up the bay, like beautiful broad
winged bird, there was not skcptis
among that little band, they all rejoiced,
and gave thanks unto God, for they had
not trusted in vain. But time passed,
the seasons came and went, the hills no
longer looked bleak and drcary, for small
crops Of yellow waving grain greeted the
eye in every direction. Soon came tho
harvest, aud then came New England
Thanksgiving dinner. This custom has
been observed, until it has become fixed
in the hearts Of this people. 1t il no
longer local but g, neral The President
OF the United States has appointed the
29th Of November as day Of Thanks-
giving, and has recommended al all See
ular business, SO far as possible, be laid
aside, and that all mon, irrespective Of
creed or party, appropriately observe this
day. The acting Governor of this Ter
ritory approves the recommendation Of
the President and has issued his procla-
nation to that effect. For Il is purpose,
my christian friends, we are gathered here
this morning. We come to express in =,
public manner, our hears felt gratitude
for untold bless n g, We are not 50 blind,
but what we cfn see, til 1t they al como
from one ines baustible source; the jsys.
which constitute the sunshine Of our life;
the powers which have made us strong
and able to overcome difficulties; tho.
influence and the energy which have
helped US to lay hold Of eternal life, all
come from One who delights in our hap.
piness and rejoices in our triumphs.
know that there are some things to cause
sadness as we naturally look back today
over the past year, very few have fully
realized their expectations kindled one
year ago, few in ICED VIII, have not met
with Disappointment ard keen sorrow,
few who have not seen troubles and dif.
ficulties, which were not inycntoried in
their prospective sock Of experience, for
a coming year, fortunes have been lost
and won, sickness and death have been
busy harvesting ear and sorrow. There
have been illegitimate speculations, enor.
NOUS frauds in some OF our moneyed in.
stitutions commercial disasters, railroad
collisions, terrific storms and cyclones and
earthquakes, all attended with great loss,
of property and i c. But notv thstand-,
ing all these sad features, incidental 70,
human experience, we have mu h cause,
for gratitude We can bless God, even.
in adversely, for thank!ulness, which de-
pcnds on unbroken prosperity, is not fit
to be called gratitude. Looking at our
country as whole, We have graat
cause to rejoice. When we take into &C.
count all our blessings in the aggregate,
we find that they vastly outnumber the
sorrows and ad,ersities of life. We have
had seed time and harvest; God has given
US the "6ncst wheat the earth has yield.
ed abundantly her increase, and the gram
aries lti III. Of food, and plenty for ALL,
We have eujoyed general season Of
health and prosperity; and, as whole,
the domestic, social, intellectual and re-
ligious enjoyments of this country far ex-
ceed its sorrows, for very tear there has
been thousand smiles, and for every,
sigh, the ministrations of love a hundred
fold We are dispose to take an excep-
tional case of wrong and make universal
application of it, 1t is true that there
are many dark exhibitions Of crime and
misery and the papers record every day
instances of fraud and corruption, yet all
taken tog gether, are few, compared with