New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-11-24
"THTNK AND TIL INA. "


In the nature Of things Thanksgiving Day
cannot be festival Of uDmixed exultation.
Even those 10 whom the largest measure of
good fortune has come during the last year have
something 10 record Oh the other side of the
ledger There Is withheld completion in
every human life. Along with the days of sun
shine we remember also the days of gloom. and
We recall perhaps even resentfully, the failures.
crosses and dsappointments thai have so large
" taken the bloom off our successes. II often
happens that men reach the fruition OF their de-
Sires only after the desires themselves have
been chilled by time or modified by circum-
stance. Man never is. but always 10 he blest
Is the prosaic experience Of every son Of Adam.
There is little drop Of NORWOOD At The bot
tom Of every cup of happiness, and il IS so or
dered that We shall drain the cup to its dregs.
There is sad minor chord in every song OF eN-
uberant Joy. and some time or other every one
must touch that chord and feel its tragic tones
ir the very secret dwelling-place Of his soul II
is in this bittersweet mood that most people
VIII gather to-day in their accustomed places of
worship
In the Christmas stories of Dickens want is
always relieved and everybody is happy. But
in real life we know that this is not the case
In spite of all that the churches and philan-
thropic societies are doing hunger. misery and
restitution are claiming myriads every year.
Yet out OF all this may be disccrncd the out
working of something better for the race. Scr
row and pain chGsten and enrich llfe and give
note of sincerity and human pathos TO ii. The
most genuine spirit OF thankfNlneSs is that
which grows out Of life as II is. The optimism
that exists only by shutting its eyes TO the
seamy side OF eXistencr. which breaks out into
frothy rhetoric over the perfect glory OF An
autumn day and ignores the storm and stress
of Nature is poor and false thing. rot worth
the having. The man who has passed through
the depths Of gloom is the man who can best
appreciate the sunlight Of JOY.
The same thing is true OF the National aspect
of THANKSGIVING Day. We can discern some
shadows i'm our National life We long ago out
lived the foolish. Doastful period in the infancy
of the Republic when we fondly thought we
had solved every problem and looked with pity
ing contempt on the rest Of the world toiiirg in
the trenches far below US There IS no Orag
CART and boastful note il the scream Of the
eagle TODAY We have learned that our rol.t
cal salvation must be worked out in fear and
trembling II will not come Of itself And we
are now learning that we are not an isola ed
people. but that, whether for good or Ill., we are
an integral part of the great world civilization
We believe that the American Republic has q
mission 10 help along the enlightenment Of the
world But we recognize, as some OF The
fathers did not, that we hold this treasure IL
earrhen vessels We did not get rid Of human
nature by changing our political skies. nor Is
there any mysterious potency In paper const
turion that can bring about Of itself social
and political millennium. Yet this thorn in
the flesh" Of American citizenship may be made
productive Of good. II lmpresses upon us the
duty Of fitting ourselves for the heavy RESPONSE
bilities that are laid upon us. especially now
that we stand facing new and untried duties
Through the open door Of opportunity we may
catch gmpses Of larger service for humanity
IT Is not 10 be supposed that the Nation will
shrink from that service because II entails re-