Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1883-11-30
THANKSGIVING.

LII oA\OlhdiICC Will 81
custom and the recommendations of
the President of the United States and
the governors of the several states, to-
day, Thursday, Nov. 30th, will be kept
as day of thanksgiving to Almighty
God for the fruits of the earth and all
the other blessings of his merciful
Providence"
Thanksgiving day has become
great national feast day, and its OBJ
servance grows more general year by
year.
The story of the establishment of
the festival is familiar to many. In the
beginning of the year 1851 the young
colony of Massachusetts was on the
verge of starvation. 4 ship had been
sent back to England six months prior
to this time to fetch food and supplies
Of clothing for the furnishing colonists.
The ship failed to return, and the 22d
of February was set apart as Il day
Of humiliation and prayer. But when
all hope of the ships return had been
abandoned, she arrived in Boston Har-
Dor, laden with provisions, and the
day set apart for fasting was by or
der of the governor and council turned
into Il day of thanksgiving. In Nov
ember of the same year on the second
arrival Of this ship another day for
Thanksgiving was set apart, and the
custom of keeping the festival has
been honored by its yearly observance
ever since that time.
Many will to-day assemble i'll their
accustomed places of worship to carry
out the spirit of the festival, and
thousands will pause amid the stir and
strife of business to render up praise
and thanksgiving to the Giver of
every good and perfect gift. Not alone
for the returns of seed time and har-
vest and the ingathering of the fruits
Of the earth is there cause for thank
fitness
The Christian world can yield hearty
thanks that Il broader and sweeter
charity exists among Christians to-
day than in any former age; that war
ring sects no longer fight each other
for the love of God, and that senselesS
disputes in regard to modes of faith
and forms Of worship are rapidly
Il amt that oil hn IlpnfnSS and
call themselves Christians are being
drawn nearer together by the grand
central truths Of Christianity and that
the errors which attach themselves to
the faith are but the errors of weak
and crring humanity. Never before,
SAYS writer in the North American
Review for December, has Christianity
nominal and real advanced us during
the present century; and this writer
world in 1880 at four hundred and ten
millions rs against two hundred mill
hons at the end of the eighteenth
century. And for these things there
is cause to be thankful.
And there is cause for thankfulness
for the progress that is being made
in the arts and sciences, and i'll the
social and political world; and though
there are those who sigh for the golden
age Of the past, ours is an age OF
progress in all that tends to elevate
end ennOble mankind. The steamship
has become master Of the ocean; the
earth trembleS beneath the tread of
the iron horse; the air pu!SateS with
the electric telegraph and the tele-
phone; the electric hight bursts forth
to tighten our darkcness and to bear
testimony To the marvellous achieve
mcnts OF man. These are all grand
trIumphs of the nineteeth century. In
many things IAN humble schoolboy of
to-day can confound the logic of a
score of ancient eXpounderS."
And though we may deem the pol
tiles OF the age corrupt beyond all
ages, tile people are watching the party
leaders. and will make their evil de-
vices Of none effect.
And though our corn has failed in
in its wonted yield, our wine and oil
has not given out. Let us remember
that among other bountieS our thanks
giving turkey is ut hand. So let us eat,
and rive God thanks.