Thomas County cat., 1886-12-09
THANKFUL FOR SORROW.

All :aay BE Converted by Divine Power
Into the Nutriment of Virtue.
81 am never happier in any domestic
task" said a notable housekeeper IN
our hearing the other day. than
when l am putting up the winter sup
ply of mince-meat. l feel then as
though l hard something in the house
that every body will like and some-
thing for company. Here is enough
to last till after New Years and per-
haps till Washington birthday. and
never made better than this since 1
went to housekeeping" This lady
had laid up during the season abun-
dant supplies of corn and tomatoes
and fruits and preserves and jellies and
pickles, but in none OF them did she
take the satisfaction that she had in
her miacepies, because, as she said,
''when 1 was canning and preserving
Thanksgiving Day seemed far in tue
future and Christmas a long way Of.
While now they are near at hand, and
in a few days al the leaves will be
needed in the extension table, and side
tables must be arranged for the chill
dren and grandchildren that will come
to the old homestead to cat Thanks
giving dinner"
There will be vacant places at many
a board-the places Of those who "eat
bread" in the Upper Kingdom, above
this vale of tears. Mute shadows will
seem to be lowering around many
full table. We mourn not for them
but for ourselves who must fare on
: without their company and sympathy
and aid, but we mourn not as those
without hope. for we shall soon be
Joined to them in an everlasting re-
union, and then:
After long agony,
: Rapturcs OF bliss"
Shall we give thanks alone for full
1ar,iers, for bins bursting with grain,
for abundance of clothing. for supplies
of fuel. for peace and prosperity? Or
shall we ''in every thing (and for every
thing give tilanks?" "Shall we re-
ceive good from the hand of the Lord
and shall we not receive evil?" If we
thank Him for the good, shall we
not also thank Him for the evil? Evil
from Him is but good in disguise. The
vine that escapes pruning yields but
meaGer and inferior fruit. The gold
that is not tried in TIE fire is not fit for
the uses of the jcwelcr. 1t is .'tribu-
lation that workcth patience. and
patience experience, and experience
hope" Our woes bring Us nearer to
God. Our tears are lenses through
which we may more correctly read the
promises of God. Some of these prom
ises can be read only through tears.
DARKNESS shows us worlds of light
We never saw 10y day"
Shall we not give thanks for darkness
as well rs light, for sorrow as well as
JOY. for death as well as life?
The farmer carefully saves all waste
products. all sewerage. all unsavorv
and offensive and disgusting sub
stances that accumulate on his
farm, and gathers them in COM
post heaps. not to burn them, not
to throw them away. hut that in the
spring he may spread them upon his
fields, where 10y the alchemy of the
Great Chemist they shall, be trans
formed into golden harvests. Is there
not a lesson in this for us?
Even thus our follieS, our mistakes,
our sins, may be converted by Divine
Power into the nutriment of virtue.
There seems no way for US to learn the
right without learning the wrong; to
do the right without doing the wrong.
"What man is he that liveth and SIN
meth no;?" May We not be thankful
even for the sins by means of which
our eyes have been opened and we
have been given to see the beauty OF
goodness. the purity of the Divine
Law. the possibility of making of on,
dead selves stepping stones to higher
things9
If IN reviewing the year we have not
prosperity to be grateful for, happi-
ness to be grateful for. then let us be
thankful for the sweet uses of ad-
versitv,"
"Which ike the toad. ugly and venomous.
Wears yet a precious jewel III its head.
The sweetest and most unalloyed JOY
any one of us will taste this Thanks
giving Day will come from the refec.
ton OF joy in the faces of our fellows.
Joy that would not be in their faces
but from some act of ours. This JOY
there is none so poor or so unhappy
that he may not taste. Those are most
to be enyied who are able TO make the
largest number of human beings hap
pier and better.-N y. Tribune.