The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1893-11-30

how With thanksgiving Tor This, Ills
chastening. Having passed through
the dark waters of sorrow and disci-
pline, when we stand on the other side
as free men, we shall be thankful to
God for this experience. if we profit by
it. A. B. M.
At first blush it would appear that a
Jail bird has not much cause for
Thanksgiving and l might have said
that yesterday But to-day, | for my
self and dear ones have much to be
thankful for. Coming away from my
family, their only bread winner,
looked with a troubled heart on the
possibilities of suffering and privatiOn
that they might be exposed to; Won
dered how hungry mouths would be
filled and naked feet shod. But He
who knows the falling of sparrow has
gathered my little and dear ones under
his wing and the wolf is not bowling at
the door. They are alive and we'll, so
am l, and the prospect is that in due
time [ shall again rejOin them a better
and stronger man, in as much as, in
here, have learned some far reaching
lessons, above all that there are sadder
lots than mine. Is this all nothing :?
with life, health a reconstructed char
acter and hope of brighter future
am indeed thankful to the Giver of all,
even for the punishment that is making
a man of me. J. B.
Xxx
Thanksgiving day is set apart by
every state and territory as a day of
rest and recreation and giving thanks
and praise to our common Father for
the many blessings enjoyed during
the past year. 1t may seem out of place
that we, situated as we are, should be
under the control of the keeper SO we
of our youth and the many happy
Thanksgiving days enjoyed by the fire
side at home surrounded by kind and
be done all over again. There is inspi-
ration to do good in recalling to mind
those happy days. 1t fans that spark
of hope that those days will come again.
| am no mOralist; still, if each of us
who will be so fortunate as to pass
from these gates ere another Thanks
giving rolls around, would resolve to
make it a happy day to himself and
friends he would never have cause to
regret the resolve.
Backward, turn backward, time in thy flight
Let us be happy lust for tonight
BRIGHAM.
Xxx
Thanksgiving day originated in colo
NAL times on that barren and deSOlate
coast round about Cape Cod, where man
was thankful for anything. When the
crops failed (Which they always did)
they were thankful and lived on Goldfish.
When the cod failed they were thank
full and lived ON herring. When the
herring failed they were thankful and
took to the woods and lived on wild
turkeys. Evolution wrought a heredi-
tary instinct in all New Englanders-
spirit of thankfulness and love for
turkey. For over two centuries New
England maintained exclusive control
of the Thanksgiving day turkey-feast
institution. During the late unpleasant
ness, large number of New England's s
sons were sent South as missionaries to
convince their southern brethren of the
error of their ways. In 1864, fearful of
another failure, old New England, for
the common good, sacrificed on the al
tar of her country one of her most hon.
ored and sacred inheritanceS. Since that
time the said quit-claim to Thanksgiv-
ing day has been worked for all it is
worth by the whole country from the
Atlantic to the Pacific, from Maine to
Mexico. OSSIAN.
The impression that is generally prev
alent among the people that Thanks
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