Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1896-11-24
THANKSGIVING DAY.
THOUGHTS SUGGESTED BY THE An
NUAL HARVEST FESTIVAL.

It's Origin and Ancient Manner Of Ob.srv-
| ance - Its Modern significance The
Country Feast-A Tempting Banquet.
The Perfect Form OF Giving Thanks.
An annual harvest festival OF Thanks
giving has been by no means peculiar 70
this country or even To modern ages In
deed the Hebrews had their harvest festi-
yals the principal one being the autumn
feast OF ingathering Oeast Of the Tabcrna-
cles), "a thanksgiving for the whole produce
Of the wine press, of the fruit orchards
and the cornficlds. Similarly, too, the
Greeks and Romans had festival seasons In
honor OF Dcmeter or Ceres, the goddess Of
agriculture All these were sanctioned by
religious rite, games and joyous indulgence
in the pleasures OF the table so our
Thanksgiving day has noble descent I'm
history, and the Puritans II Massachusetts
not only showed their piety, but their
scholarship, in some Of the old sermons still
extant 4 discourse Of the celebrated DIR.
Cotton Mather on Thanksgiving Is curl
Gus in It's learning concerning the proto-
types Of the Puritan festival among tho
nations Of the past. IL shows how well
the fathers knew they had linked them
selves with a great historic Observance.
However the day has become shorn ot
its religious quality in the minds Of the
masses, who sacredly enjoy the Thanks
giving turkey, its connection with worship
is always earnestly cnjoined by state and
federal proclamations IL Is indeed the
sole religious festival observed In the Unit
ell states by virtue Of civil authority. The
annual practice In New England during
colonial times was initiated after awhile
by the Dutch and English governors Of
New York, and the continental congress
proclaimed the festival annually during
the great war struggle. IL remained after
ward, however, purely state affair till
In 1868, President Lincoln began the prac-
tice OF proclaiming an autumnol Thanks.
giving annually.
In the earlier time Thanksgiving day
was the most important of American fes-
tiyals for Christmas was looked on with
more or less suspicion by the rigid Puri-
tans. Aside from churchgoing. shooting
with the rifle at turkeys was the most wide
spread habit Of the day. This j. still prac-
ticcd to some extent In the purely rural
communities. Nowadays, however, the
oyershadowing feature of the holiday In
the way of amusements l. the prevalence
OF the great football and other games se-
lectcd for that date. Our universities make
IL the occasion Of their most brilliant ath-
letic contests out Of the cities where the
more important Of these friendly battles
would naturally occur local games arr ar
ranged which perhaps evoke as much in
ter,st among the spectators II i curious
o. observe that among all the strong and
servile nations this tendency To connect
national festivals with athletic contests
has been all but universal. Among the
Americans, Englishmen and Germans Of
today, the cognatc branches ~ the Teuton
family, this Is specially noticeable
The religious exercises Of Thanksgiving
nearly always look in some way toward
matters Of national gratitude rather than
those OF individual thanks - we expect
the church addresses - be- largely II po-
litcal character, dealing with topics II
public morals. Our ministers naturally
avail themselves of this escape valve o. dis
charge views Of political questions once
year, and many good stump sposch. "a
we'll as some poor ones. have bocu thus shot
from the battery of the pulpit Not few
Of the most powerful and eloquent aG-
dresses ~ Henry Ward Bcccher Rev. DR..
Storrs DIR. Han, DR. T.. II. Chaplin and
other preaching celebrities have owed
themselves "a this occi,ion. A sermon de-
liyorJd by the Rev DR. Palmer of New Or
leans on Thanksgiving day, 1850, Is sald
a. have aroused and crystalizcd secession
oratOry did the revolutionary sentiment at
the convocItion Of the French states gen
eral in 1859. So while most II the / hanks
giving pulpit talking may lack pith and
fire, II sometimes becomes proiectile OF
monstrous forcc and effect
But after all T. said. one must confess
that the true modern significance of
Thanksgiving j. that Of the feast day-the
family feast day. IL gathers the scattered
branches together from far and wide 20
sacrifice at the altar oi family love, where
are enshrined the larcs and Penates Of
the old home. There j. something OF this
feeling, too, at Christmas but IL chiefly
touches the individuals II each family
branch. Thanksgiving seeks the gather
ing OF the elan and becomes in many cases
perhaps the most beautiful and delightful
occasion of the year, full of the purest JOY
and sweetness, a yoritable fountain Of re-
freshment The spectacle of three or four
generations Of family assembled together
from distant dwelling places under the
ancient family ruoftue l. charged with
the heart trucSt poetry The significance
is not that IL ,urfeits the belly with tooth
some and >urculcnt dninties, but that 10
fills the soul brimful of love and sym
pathy, oti,rye,ring anew after long abb
sence. hi, b.. tnc trucst religious sacrifice
Of the day, ..ad 50 the dinner table be-
comes PERRIN tie most consecrated shrine
Of all, though no blood II the grape is
poured ont in lbation there.
1t Is In the country that the finest joys
OF Thanksgiving are found They 90 with
turkey ard pumpkin pie not with terrnpin
and canvashack; with sparkling apple
juice, not with champagne The crisp,
pure air, the association of rural life re-
yiycd again with exhilarating freshness,
the warming Of family ties, the homely,
appetizing dishes, into whose Concocting
the cook has poured The purest love and
Joy of the heart aS well as fragrant spices
and sweets make up something which no
banquet Of Lucullus could equal. Many
spirit has found in such anoc-
casion n new SENSE flaming out Of the ashes
u ennui and WEAKNESS, that, after all, life
Is well worth living. And Sd may 1t be
always.
We nave said nothing in this article
about the giving of thanks, which the
name of the day emphasizes. Well, per-
laps the indulgence Of love and innocent
Joy and the new birth Of all the best sym
pathies Of ones nature are As perfect form
)f thanksgiving to the great Creator OF all
is prayer and psalm singing within the
walls of the chapel. Without the first
named all else Is but as sounding brass
md a tinkling cymbal
G.. L. FERRIS
n