The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1892-12-02
THANKSGIVING DAY.
How the Day Was Spent in Mankatt
The Union Services.

-The Union Services.
Thursday was an unusually quiet
day in the city. The stores were gen.
orally open in the forenoon, though
little business was done. In the
afternoon the streets had a Sunday
appearance and it seemed as if every
one was at home or gone skating.
Several hundred INDUCED in the lat
ter sport, particularly during the
afternoon.
The union services at the Presby-
terian church in the forenoon attract
ed congregation that comfortably
filed the church. After song by the
Presbyterian choir, Rev. John Bar
bour offered prayer and read a psalm.
Another song was followed by prayer
by Rev. Mr.. Marshall, after which the
third hymn was sung.
Rev. |. Bergstrom preached the SER
mon, which was one OF the best ever
given from a Mankato pulpit. He
took for his text, "In everything give
thanks" V. IS, C. V, l Thes. He op-
ened by stating that although he was
now suffering from a severe cold, he
was filling an engagement which he
had been appointed to fill year ago,
but which he had been unable to do
on account of sickness.
He took up his subject by saying
that the spirit of thankfulness is not
a universal trait. Some possess it by
nature, some cultivate it, but many
go through life without it. Thankful
ness is not an arbitrary feeling Great
ed by the proclamation of the presi-
dent or governor.
Murmuring is moral rebellion
against God. Thankfulness is loyalty
to God. 1t is keeping under of our
selfish nature. If we do not possess
the spirit of thankfulness by nature,
we should cultivate it and in time it
will become fixture of our nature.
We should be thankful this day for
the great prosperity which has blessed
our country during the past year. We
should be thankful that we have a
Christian President, who calls upon
us to return our thanks to God for the
blessings that have been bestowed
upon us. We should be thankful that
we have just gone through one of the
cleanest political campaigns and held
one of the most untrammeled cleo
tions in the history of the country.
Our exports are greater than ever
before, and health and prosperity,
peace and comfort have blessed our
land. The kingdom of Christ has en-
larged it's boundaries to wonderful
extent during the past twelve months.
Many in the congregation have eX-
perienced sorrow and affection during
the past year. Sorrow has visited
even the first home of the land. But
we should remember not only the ap-
parent evils, but the good that has
befallen US. We should put them in
seperate columns and strike the bal
ance, and we will see that we have
cause for thanks.
Generosity and large-heartedness
should follow prosperity. The more
successful you are, the less worldly
you should be, but this does not al
ways seem to be the case. The un-
grateful man feels that all that he has
is his and that be may keep it. The
grateful man feels that what he has is
God-given and that he should use it
as God would have him. 1t would be
for the better if we were more gener-
Gus. We cannot take our money with
us to the other world. The JOY of CIV
ing is greater than that of keeping.
At the conclusion of the sermon
Rev. f. M. Rule offered prayer.
A collection was taken up, to be di-
vided equally between the Ladies' Re-
lief Society and the Woman's Relief
Corps. Following a hymn by the
choir Rev. Mr.. Marshall dismissed the
congregation with blessing.