The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1885-11-28
THANKS TO THE GIyER.

The Day as It Was Observed
In Butte.
AN SERMON
By the Rev. Mr.. Frost-Other Serv
ices-An Entertainment
by the Ladies'.
A bright and beautiful day was vouchsafet
to the residents of Butte in which to return
| thanks to the Almighty for the manifold
blessings of the past year in accordance
with the usual proclamations OF the Presi
dent OF the United States and Governor o
| the Territory. In obedience to the docu
ments all the city and county Offices were
| closed, and most of the business houses
gave their employees a half holiday. During
the afternoon and evening the streets were
thronged with people, but there was Il no
ticeable absence OF ladies, for, in accord
ance with the rule that Thanksgiving is g
homeday, and especially adapted for family
reunions, those who have homes remained
there and gathered their friends and fami
lies about them to celebrate the day.
IN THE CHURCHES.
There was a union service in the Noun
tain View Methodist Episcopal Church, al
which there was q large attendance of wor
shippers of all denominations. Rev. {. c
Frost, OF the Baptist Church, preached one
of his characteristic sermons, applicable t.
the day. A number OF appropriate hymns
and anthems were rendered by the choir
with beautiful effect.
...- THE
Psalms 20, 5-In the name OF our Goo
We will set up our banners.
Once more the ever moving years hav'
brought US to the time when the glcefu
voice OF the husbandman is heard shout
ing, the Harvest Home, and we as a people
are exhorted to ascribe praise to Almighty
God for National benedictions.
We are reminded Of the days when oul
Republic was born; when Plymouth Rocl
and jamestown were it's nursing mothers
the slulnbers of youth to display thu
strength and vigor OF manhood, and to the
beginning of mighty work that resulted SC
gloriously. Then there were three million.
Of people; to-day there are nearly sixty
Then there were thirteen States; to-day
there are thirty-eight. Then there was war
to-day there is peace. Then there was no
q mile OF railroad; to-day there is one hun
dred thousand miles. Then London Wal
the financial center OF the world tO-da,
New York is her successful rival. Then GU,
people, by the hardest toll, could barrel.
feed themselves; to-day the ships of all tn
world are in our harbors to buy grain o
US. We have plenty to spare.
Great and wonderful, indeed, the change
that have 81 rapidly transformed the grea
the mightiest nation on earth to-day, ant
surely we may exclalm with him Of old
'God hath not dealt so with any nation!'
The reverend gentleman here paid
beautiful tribute to the late Vice-Presiden
Hendricks and referred to his sudden ant
u~nlooked-for death. Continuing, he said
Another sad thought is, that SO many O
our
oPL THANK THEMSELVES,
rather than God, for this marvellous growth
and astonishing increase, and in their expires
sions OF gratitude for national blessing
have no word of thanks for tie abundan'
provision God has made for our spiritua
as we'll as physical life.
But I am speaking to-day to a Christian
audience-to men and women who hav,
consented to obey God, and seek to do Hi
will. We are under peculiar obligations tt
enter His sanctuary with Thanksgiving ane
praise, accepting all the advantages ant
blessings as a trust placed in our hands a.
the stewards of God.
Not they are greatest who amass riches
pile up gold, or rear blocks OF marble ant
~--~ko AAo~to ~n1cf u,o0,, %rroc ,,v
is man, and he who does most to make
perfect and pure himself, is entitled to the
highest honors, and does most for his God
his country, and his fellow-man.
No monument more enduring can any
man rear than the record of a life spent ir
elevating himself and the race into TIN
character of Goodness.
So the true wealth of State and Nation
does not consist of it's Handicapped hills
it's fertile plains, it's busy rivers ever run
ming tireless to the sea, it's costly buildings
or the specie contained within it's vaults
No; none, or all of these, 60 to make up tn,
greater riches of the State. A Nations
wealth, like
A NATIONS OR DISGRACE.
is in the people-never in soil, or climate
OF possessions. Those who dwell among
lV0 1uOuulAlu6, 6pICdu OuC OSCI lUS tdIIcyS
or people it's busy towns and cities-thest
are the wealth of empire and OF State; anG
that country is richest whose people are
most temperate, pure-minded and indus.
trious.
The rushing torrent may destroy fail
hillsides and inundate smiling valleys; fire
may sweep through towns and cities, as it
has through Boston, New York, Chicago
and Galveston; thieves may break through
strong vaults and carry away the heaped.
up gold, and all these can be repaired and
replaced, more beautiful and attractive
than before; but allow the standard oil
society to be lessened, it's morals loosened
and corrupted, it's members become intcm.
perate, gambling and idle, and you have a
National calamity greater than any and all
losses by fire and food.
Rome wal mistress Of the world when it
had only the true manhood OF it's sons;
but when the Nation was filled with rich
spoils OF conquered people, 1T crumbled into
a chaos OF ruins and a waste of desolation.
THE Greek mind occupies it's solitary place
in history, because it was greater than it's
possessions, and richer than it's wealth;
because it was not buried beneath it's load,
but was the living seed which made these
accumulations the soil in which it grew.
IN THE MIDST OF WEALTH
and power and luxury and beauty the
Greek mine remained true to itself. And
these things were the sunlight and rain
which it drew into it's life and transformed
into it's thought and wrought out into
symbols of it's IDEALS" And Sc, not Greece,
but the Greeks enriched the world.
To be interested and active then in all
that will tend to elevate the mind and pu-
rify the heart is the noblest aim of human
existence. The two 60 together in this
connection. A a man thinketh in his
heart 20 is he." No matter how high the
standard OF intellectual culture, if the heart
be debased the whole structure goes down
in ruins. The cultivation of the intellect
may increase national wealth, but the
heart determines national life.
Satan, that great enemy Of all life, wheth-
er individual or national, never attacks
the mind, except through it, to reach the
heart. In the first neutrality-suspicious., the
work vas accomplished by awakening sim
lul desires in the heart OF the tempted. The
saw "a fruit to be desired The
battle between God and Satan is for the
possession Of the human heart. Out of it
are the issues Of life. This conflict has gone
on for ages. David in our text had not in
mind any banner OF carnal conflict, but
H BANNER OF A LIVING CHURCH
at WARMTH every form ofdarkness. Alldown
the centuries past the time OF David, Kingo
Israel, to our own day, this Thanksgiving
the call has hoen fnr mon IN GOT mn