Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1894-11-30

responsibility which he cannot avoid
without proving false to his own couu-
try as we'll as to his conscience.
Hear the words of this Proclamation:
Let lis invoke Divine approval by
generously remembering the poor and
needy. Surely He who has given us
comfort and plenty will look upon our
relief ofthe destitute and our Elinistra
| lions of charity as the work of hearts
truly grateful and as proofs of the sim
cerity of our Thanksgiving.
The President speaks for the whole
| people. Heis Chief Executive of tie
unfortunate as we'll as the fortunate
| He speaks for every pOar widow and
every sad orphan i'll this land. He ap-
pealS to the best instincts of the Amer
lean heart; for American manhood does
not stand for liberty aIoue but for fra
ternity and human sympaths.
And tonight 1 take his appeal and
bring it to you.
plead for the Orphan-thc mother
less and fatherless in our midst
This not despised nor a depraved
class. Franz the ranks of Orphanage
came Henry Clay, Abraham Lincoln
and hundreds Ofthe best and truest men
this land has ever honored.
One third of this audience are Or
phans. But you arc not in want. Thrift
has in large measure 1nitigated the
sadness of Orphanage with you. Reflect
then upon the sad condition Of those
too young to enter the lists of toll and
too poor to CAIN the protection and
support of kindred, who must depend
upon the fathers and mothers of more
fortunate children for bread and raj
ment. They pass-by your prosperous
stores; their epes gloat upon the rich
display of good things there, They
watch your wclI-Gressed and wcIl-fed
children with their costly toys they
observe you gO-by with rich cqulFage
while they are unshOd they see your
| harvest burdcned fields and bursting
| harms, while they are hungry, and with
tear stained ana palid faces they
| trudge along the hard road of life,
| looking up to the sky beyond which as
their dead mothers taught them lives
| God and the An, els, aud with a sigh
and tear the wonder i'll pathetic
faith if they MAJ not soon dwell there
where no want and no Orphanage can
come.
Oh, I make no 1naudlia plea, but to
the highest and diviuest feelings that
ever stirred your heart appeal. call
| you to thu most beautiful action that
ever hOnOrcd human hands.
| Let lie relate to you the legend Of
the beautiful hand:
"ThCre was a dcsputc among three
| ladies as t. which had the most beauti-
| full hand One sat By q stream and
dipped her hand into the water and
held itup. Another pluCkcd straw
berries until the ends of her fingers
were pink; and another gathered violets
until her hands were fragrant. An old
| haggard woman passing-b by asked, Who
will give me gift for l all poor All
| three denied her; but another who sat
near. uuwaShcd in the stream, unstain-
ed with fruit, unadOrned with flowers,
gave her 4 little gift and satisfied the
poor woman. And then she asked
them what was the dispute; and they
told her and lifted up their beautiful
hands. Beautiful indeed, said she
when she saw them; but when they ask
ed her which was the mOst beautiful
she said, 1t is not the hand which is
washed clean III the brook, it is not the
hand that is tipped with red, it is not
the hand that is garlanded with fragrant
flowers, but the hand that gives to the
poor that IS most beautiful AS she
| said these wo.dS her wrinkles fed, her
staff was t. rOwn away and she stood
before them al Angel from Heaven,
with authority TO decide the question in
dispute. And that decision has stood
the test of all time.
So let us come tonight with our gifts
| to those who not only are poor but also
| bereaved. Pile dime on dime, quarter
on quarter, half dollar on half dollar.
and dollar on dollar till here we build
a monument to EdcntOu humanity and
charity. And then let lis crown it with
a shout of Thanksgiving to God for the
mercy that never faileth, and let us in
| scribe upon it these words of the Mas
ter: "Verily I say uuto you inasmuch
as ye have done it unto one Of the least
of these, my bretheren, ye have done it
unto me. And whosOever shall give to
drink unto one of these little ones a
cup of cold water, verify say unto you
| he shall III no wise lose his reward"
For some of us this is the last Thanks
| giving Day we shall ever spend on this
side of Eternity. Oh let us thank God
to-day for his mercy endureth forever.
Praise with harp and timbre1, praise
Him Ill our hearts, praise Him with our
| tongues, praise with the gifts of love
placed here upon His altar.
| I'VE thank thee Oh Father for all that is bright
| The CLEAN of the day and the stars of the night
The flowers Of our youth and the fruit of our prime
And blessings that march down the pathway OF
| Time.
We thank thee, Oh Father for all that is dear =
| The sob of the tempest. the flow O the tear:
| For never in blindness and never i'll vain
| Thy mercy permitted a sorrow or pain
We thank thee, Oh Father fo1 song and for feast
| The harvest that grOWed, and the wealth that in
| creased;
! For never blessing euCompassed earth child
| But thou Ill tiny mercy, looked downward and
smiled.
Nv thank thee, Oh Father OF all, for the powe
Of aiding each other i'll life's darkest hour
The generous heart and the bountiful hand
| And all the soul help that sad souls understand
| We thank thee. oh Father, for davs vet to be-
! For hope that our future will call us to Thee:
| That all our Eternity form thrO thy love
Our Thanksgiving Day i'll the mansions above.