The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1885-11-28
Thanksgiving.


The favorite New England holiday passed
off very pleasantly. The large fall of snow
so early in the season, enabled lovers of
sleighing to get out their trotters and cutters,
and the streets were merry with the sound of
sleigh bells. The places Of amusement
theatre, City Hall, and the skating Kinks
were well patronized, and there were several
balls and social assemblies, at which dancing
was INDUCED in to late hour.
Union services of the st. Lawrence street
Congregationalist and the Congress street
Methodist societies were held at the Con-
gress street church, conducted by Rev. A. ID.
Wright. Mr.. Wright dwelt upon our rea-
sons for thankfulness as nation. Rev. Z.
T. Adams, pastor of the church, followed,
with an address, in which he considered 10
cal and domestic blessings
Union Thanksgiving services of the Uni
yersalist churches were held at the Church
of the Messiah. Addresses were made by
the pastor. Rev. Mr.. Crosley, Rev. Mr.. Blan-
chard of Congress square, and Rev. Mr..
Shinn of Deering Mr.. Blanchard spoke of
liberality of religious thoughtand sentiment,
Mr. Shinns theme was temporal blessings
and home blessings, and Mr.. Crosley's re-
marks were on the advantages Of giving
thanks.
At the First Parish, DR.. Hill took his text
from Lamentations LII, 22-23 His COM
panions fail not; they are new every morn
ing" The thought here, as in other Scrip
lures to which he gave references, seemed to
be that life is a daily renewed gift; and all
its blessings are thus new every morning.
| The blessings from His hand are innumerar
BILE and invaluable But there are philosoph-
| ical pessimists, and there are ungrateful
grumblers; there are also men OF eccentric
piety, who bring objections against gratitude
| and would have us only work, and never
| sing psalms Into all their fallacies we
| would not enter: we would speak only Of
one fact which they adduce, the existence of
| evil To all complaints of the existence of
| evil there is one all-sutficient answer. ut is
| the Lords hand; let Him do what seemeth
| to Him good God could do only what
seems to Him good, and what seems to Him
| good is good We might not understand
the mystery of evil, but that did not hinder
our succeeding efforts to prevent or alleviate
| evil. The astronomers and mathematician
| give us good examples of the proper mode of
action, namely, to leave insoluble problems
alone; to give ourselves to active endeavors
to help our fellow men in cutting away what
| is injurious, and multiplying what is benef-
| cial; and finding occasions for thanksgiving
in our daily life; perfectly assured that as
for God His ways are perfect and great is
| His faithfulness; His mercy is from ever
/ lasting to everlasting
At the First Baptist church a large num-
Der attended the union service in the fore
! noon The services were opened with an in
vocation by Rev. DR.. Small. Rev. Mr. Dan
ieIs read from the Scriptures, and prayer
was offered by Rev. Mr.. Hallock. Rev. DR..
| Bashford based his sermon on Luke XII, 80
1T is your Fathers good pleasure to give
you the kingdom" The key to modern his
tory was the topic to which the text was ap-
| piled, and its eloquent treatment by DR..
Bashford held the closest attention of his
hearers to the close. . The scientific achieve
ments of this century, the growth of perso-
| nal freedom, and the movements towards
nationality and race unity each of which has
| its claimants as furnishing the key to mod
| ern history, were discussed in turn by DIR.
| Bashford, who shows that these are, to a GER
tain extent, only component parts of the
greater movement for the redemption Of the
| world, which is the key to modern history
| The closing prayer was offered by Rev. Mr.
Bayley.