The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1899-11-22

!. Ger richer stores than gems or gold
N Once more with harvest song and shout,
q Is Natures bloodless triumph told.
q Our kindly NJ Mother, rests and sings
+ Like Ruth, among her garnered sheaveS
y Her lap is full of goodly things
Her brow is bright with autumn leaves
"Swifter than a weaver's shuttle
the busy days and weeks and month
: go by, making the years, that slip b
so rapidly we scarcely can realize thei
passing. 1t seems only little whil
since we were making ready for las
Thanksgiving Day, but II whole yea
has passed and now The same pleasan
duty is before us. "A retrospect o
the intervening year vii! show III
much for which we should feel pro
roundly thankful in this section of the
country. No great calamities of fire
Hood and storm have devastated oul
borders nor has any special epidemic
OF disease entered our homes to be-
leavc. 1t is true the summer was hot
and dry and we were without many
comforts that usually we enjoy in the
way OF fruits aud vegetables yet this
was useful for it learned us on how
little variety we could live well. For
our staple products the prices arc bet
ter so for this blessing and for the eX.
pcrienccs that made us wiser and more
thrifty, then 100 for protection from
' danger, we should especially remember
The coming Thanksgiving Day Let
us observe it in the spirit by services IN
our churches and glad reunions in our
homes. Some of these homes, in vari~
Gus sections of our country mourn for
soldier boys in the far away Philip
pine Islands. For some purpose, that
we cannot understand, God has per-
mltted this war to be, but out of it no
doubt some good will eventually come :;
with unquestioning faith we live and
wait until the end shall be. From an
exchange we give TO our readers a
beautiful selection, "Thc uome Com
ing Time :"
Among the things that should make
This Thanksgiving season one of special
gratitude is the fact that 1899 has been
a wonderful year Of Homecoming
time III which not only individuals, but
communities and even nations have
seemed to turn more or less earnestly
to better phases of life. 1t has been
wonderful year for the return to noblcr
p"iIOS Ilucl NlCNS anu ilbCS
of thought on all vital moral questions.
This last, is Il genuine coming home,
for the natural resting place for the
heart of man is on cte.nal righteous
ness and truth. The home of the
race is the heart of God, and it is only
when ! ervercd and wandering aUd
turned aside from its Fathers house
that tt can rcvcl iii opinions " deeds
that are not for the good of humanity.
la this turning of mems hearts to-
ward new sense of national objiSa-
ton and honor, in the growing rccog-
milton of new and noblcr standards
OF business Integrity, in the recognition
of our need of Il purified social life, in
the changed sentiment as to moral and
religious duty, we sec abundant rca-
son for unlimited thanksgiving and
praise.
We do not forget the old story. We
know how the Thanksgiving pruclama-
ton reads, and how it has rcad ever
since in childhood we saw the oil pas
tor unfold the important-looking sheet
in tho pulpit, and wondered If it could
be quite right for him to have such
worldly looking s'hand-bill" in the
sacred place.
We arc to be thankful now as then
for the sun and the rain and the har-
vests Tor the peace, prosperity and
plenty of the land for a Constitution
and a Government that have their
foundations III Justice for institutions
that ought to hold us back from every
threatening ruin and wreck; for our
greatness i'm our own sight and in the
sight of the other nations of the
world.
But we must not forget that except
as they lead 10 the individual or ma
tional development OF character, all
these fail of the blessing they were
meant to be. Prosperity that fosters
sclf-indulgencc and Incidence becomes
curse. Wealth that encourages OK
travagance or tcmpts to vice - not a
gift that "calls fol loudcst praise"
National greatness that stimulates ma
tional greed is not a thing over which
to rejoice. The seeming good is but
the outward shell of the real good. If
broken, it yields no reality of greatness
or prosperity or worth, then it is but a
doubtful blessing at best, and calls for
no dcvout thanksgiving.
But for reality, for true value, for
gain in rightness of living and think
ing, for the homecoming of vagrant
souls, for the home coming of dcludcd
purposes and wandering thoughts, for
every gain to man, woman or child in
education, in temperance, and in hon
esty or truth, for every step of true
progress, in the nations life, fer every
good wold said or good work done in
the year that is past, thanksgivings too
ueep to be uttered should thrill the
heart of every lover OF his kind.
4 GIVE THEM A LITTLE COLLEGE
EXPERIENCE. is the duty Of every
n for,nar tn anpu tbo hove and t,irla of