The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1883-11-30
THANKSGIVING.

Let all the people give thanks, FOR
they are blessed. Fitting 1t is that
near the close of the year one day
should be set apart for thanksgiving
and prayer to Him through whose
care and kindness numerous blessings
have been vouchsafed to His chill
dren. The public acknowledgment
of our obligations is a duty not i'm.
posed by any arbitrary rule of State
or church, but arises from the
promptings of that inner self, which
bids us bow to Higher Power. The
Pilgrim Fathers who sought an asy.
lum in America where they should
he free from prosecutions because of
their belief taught to the world no
more beautiful and impressive lesson
than this of annually making public
acknowledgment of human depend
ence upon divine power. Honorable
indeed is it 10 our nation that the
lesson has not passed unheeded, but
annually millions Of Christian Ameri.
cans publicly give thanks to Him
"lrom whom all blessings how." For
what are we to give thanks TO some
the year past may have been tllled
with sorrow almost uncomfortable,
without IN apparent glimmer of sun.
shine to dispel the darkness. ri IT,
able indeed are such cases, but mid
all the gloom there may he found u
cheerful spot, for no life is there
however sad and dreary but has in 1t
some line of light. From him who
suffers So deeply of the ills of earth
rs well as from him who has been
favored with health. prosperity and
happiness there is an Indebtedness
due the All.Wise for some blessings.
Often difficult is it for Us to trace
them, but we must be content in
knowing that He doeth all things
WE'LL No year is theyss so flied
with failures and dlstresS but the
power and goodness of thsE Author
Overshadows them all, giving evil
dence of His kindness and mercy.
But when, as i'm the present year,
our country has not been cursed with
war, famine or pestilence when he
fields have yielded abundantIy - aer
grains, and prosperity has su ,,. T..
on the country, the obligations should
be. as they are, fully and freely &C
knowledged.
The American Thanksgiving has
come to be a day of hOme.gatherings
almost rs generally observed Us the
Christmas time. This is the New
England feature of the day. and who
but will admit that it is thus made
more of thanksgiving day. We
will not draw a picture of these home
comings. Each reader has in
imagination before him one of won.
drous beauty. If the wanderer or the
son or daughter who has forever left
the old homestead cannot on this day
return, memory for the time repeats
for him those early scenes, and ae is
again in his youth at the old home.
such days as these when above all
other recollections Of the past will
come, mark the chapters in the story
of life. They are periods from which
are computed the time past since
early events. They are days fixed
ahead upon the arrival of which we
hope to have accomplished something
earnestly desired. They are not only
days on which we bow with humility
before Him TO whom we owe our ex.
istence and the blessings surrounding
us, but days of hope and of desire,
when the sorrOws and failures of the
past are hidden by the promise of joy
and successes for the future. Few
are they who have all their wishes
gratilied. We must often suffer dis
appointment. Had we our will many
things would he different but it is
not for us to Judge. "For such as
we have make us truly thankful.