The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-11-29
THANKsGIXING DAY.

THASkSGINING DA1.
We adopt from THE outlook" the fol-
lowing as our address to our readers on
this Thanksgiving Day:
Remote readers of The outlook will re-
ceive this Thanksgiving Number on the
eve of Thanksgiving Day. but nearer
readers will receive IL week or ten
days in advance. and its prompt arrival
will give time for thought concerning
festival which is too often taken for
granted. The causes for Thanksgiving do
not always lie on the surface. 1t is true
that the proclamations Of the heads OF
States find their special cause for graft
tude in business prosperity, in large
harvests and in the preservation OF
peace. and these are all things TO be
grateful for. 1t is right and proper to
rejoice in the comfort the ease. and the
facility for generosity which prosperity
brings 1t is right TO rejoice in the wide
spread benehcence Of great harvests; but
these are not the only, nor are they the
greatest. reasons for Thanksgiving. Our
conception of the real significance Of the
Thanksgiving festival is likely to be SUI
perficial and therefore mistaken. The
prosperous years are often the very ones
which are fullest of ultimate disaster,
and the disastrous years are often the
years which precede the truest prosperity.
country may have immense crops and
colossal revenues, and at the same
time be dying at heart. On the other
hand. a country may have meagre crops
and diminishing revenues, and be eX-
panding into the greatness of a strength
which IL has never before possessed.
NOTHING is more superficial or mislead-
ing than to judge ultimate tendencies and
conditions by present appearances, to
measure the prosperity of a man by the
momentary success of his business. or the
prosperity of nation by its financial ease
and comfort. Real prosperity lies inf
nitely deeper than these. and often comes
through adversely. There are times when
national wealth is cOrrupting the ma
tional conscience so rapidly that to be
thankful for ii is kind of blasphemy;
and there are other times when national
adversely is purifying the national con-
science so rapidly that not to be thankful
for it is equally a blasphemy man
ought TO be grateful when his life is ex-
panding in power integrity and useful
ness. whatever may be his external for
tune for the moment. nation ought to
Dt bldttAui WITH illCSilNgs NOuIdEt anu
intelligence are coming to the front and
are incorporating themselves in law, no
matter what its commercial condition may
be. These are the elements OF real pros
perity. 1T is infinitely better TO belong to
81 poor and righteous country than to a
rich and corrupt one; infinitely more in
spring TO live the free, expanding life
OF the Greek in the early days of Athens
poor In means, but rich in genius and all
the possibilities of life, than TO be a
member Of a rich. materialistic CONNER
cial city like Carthage, without intellec-
tual or spiritual significance in the his
tory of the world. If we are intelligently
thankful. we rejoice In the things that
build up our lives, and not in the things
that build up our fortunes When we
have learned this truth we know that
the most painful moments in our lives are
often the most blessed, and that the most
comfortable days are often the most I'M
fortunate In their results. A man who is
committed TO course of evil shrinks
from the time when his sin is laid bare
and regards that moment as the GROWING
misfortune OF his career As a matter of
fact, when a man is in the way OF evil
the happest thing that can happen 10
him is 10 be found out. Better a thou
sand times that he should suffer all the
torments which come 10 a sensitive ma
lure from surprised and indignant pub
lie opinion than that he should 20 on.
comfortable and undisturbed, deepening
the degradation Of his soul. Such a man
should rejoice when his sin comes to an
end. no matter what II cost him. he
should despair when he is committed 10
the sin without the power OF separating
himself from il.
The eternal ground OF thanksgiving is
10 be found In the righteousness of God
in the consciousness that under all human
life there is a foundation which no man
can disturb. and that life is so organized
that no man can be happy. restful. or
prosperous in doing evil; that at every
turn he is smitten with penalties, and
that real happiness and satisfaction are
bound eternally 10 right thinking and
right acting. These great truths, which
deepen the significance OF Thanksgiving
Day, and which make the years OF trial
and self-denial as rich. II not richer, in
causes OF gratitude than the years of
ease and self-indulgence, do not need spe-
cial application TO public or private life
at this moment. Both as a nation and
as citizens We have been learning during
the last two years some OF the lessons OF
adversely. II they have taught us 10
care less for wealth and more for In
tegrity. TO value crops less and character
more. TO discern that the greatness Of
nation lies In the compass and elevation
of tn life, and not In fits commerce, its
manufactures. or it's farms. we nave the
greatsst possible reason for thankfulness.