Daily Kennebec journal., 1899-11-30

~ ceiving at the
hands OF kind Providence. every hour
and every day, can be thankful as often
as they please, but they seldom cele-
brate the thankfulness by having a
great feast and by gathering in the
relatives. Neither does the average
family think while they are feeling
thankful to send out anything more tC
the poor than usual. In case every yone
sent out as much as at Thanksgiving
to the poor, every time they felt thank
full for some blessing or favor that has
come to them. the poor in this world
would never suffer. though there might
be great many who would be reduced
to the ranks of the poor class by Civ
ing. 1t would be getting poor in a
noble cause, but the cause of thankful
ness would soon cease and have to
come through some other channels.
This is the one day of the year when
the President of the United States and
the Governor of the grand old State OF
Maine as well as the governors of other
states say that we should pause from
our toll and reflect upon the blessings
we have received during the past year.
Il u
the time in doing good or making
happy those less fortunate than our
selves, by giving them food and clothes
and expressing in material manner.
our thanks to God.
The Governor says that we should re-
frain from all unnecessary labor and
pass the day in doing good unto the
unfortunate poor and others who need
our aid. This, however. does not es-
pecially mean that everyone should go
into the poor districts for something of
the sort to do. There is a better way
here in Augusta. and even though this
is Thanksgiving morning it is not too
late to avail oneself of the opportunity.
If after the breakfast has been eaten and
one has time to think over the bless
ings that have followed him, his city,
his State and his nation, and he feels
thankful, he can go to the Howard
Benevolent Union and place a sum of
money with it, no matter if it is small,
and assist in making still more people
happy. not only today. but some time
in the future of the coming winter.
That most commendable institution
will never have too much money TO
spend. 1t received great quantities of
food, Tuesday and Wednesday, that
will be used, today. and it received
money to purchase the things that
could not well be given in other forms.
1t will be a glorious dinner that they
will serve, today. to the poor children.
and not alone to the children but to the
whole families as well, if they present
themselves.
If there seems to be too much for the
dinner at the city government rooms, it
will be distributed among the needy or
among those who could not afford TO
indulge in any extras for the day, and
many a home will be made happy by so
doing. If there is any cash left. it can
be assured that it will not lie idle in
the treasury, but a good use will be
found for it. 1t goes in n way that will
directly benefit and make someone
happy. So the person who knows not
where to place a little thankful money
can deposit it with the society and lay
back assured that he has done some
thing to make someone thankful as
well as himself
This small boy at the head of the
column will doubtless begin to wonder
by the time that he feels as though he
is turning into a turkey, the reason
why his parents have supplied the bird
for the day. He may hear that it is
| Thanksgiving day. but that isn't
| enough He already knows that and
he wonders why. He wonders why this
of all other days of the year is chosar
as the one when he is supposed to ea'
turkey until the buttons fly. He knew
ahead that this was coming, and he wa:
so pleased to think of it, and to thinl
| Of the fixins and all the extras witt
| the general feast of good things, that h'
cared not to inquire the reasons why
| and how Now, however, the innel
man. or boy rather is satisfied tina
something. is wrong and he goes gun
ming in his brain for an answer.
Well, for an answer he hears that i
was because the colonists nearl.
starved in the fall of 1852. He can't se'
| what that has to do with turkey
There were no birds mixed with tn
starving process, at least they mus
have acted then different than they d
now on him. Perhaps, though. the fix
ms didn't go with the turkey in thos
days. and the turkey alone would be
dry bird.
He is told that the crops of the col
onists. that year. We're failures, ah'
that the looked for ships with supple
from Old England seemed to have bee
lost at sea. until finally the food suppl
of the colonists grew so small that
was found necessary to deal out a teN
kernaIs of corn each day to the rev
who survived. Finally, with starvatio
staring them in the face, and with som
dead from the lack of proper ncurlsh
ment. the ships arrived and there wa
great rejoicing.
Previous to this Governor Bradfor
! had sent the men out to hunt Tor WI
fowl that were found in the WOOD
after the harvest of 1921. and this lie
TO the desire, every time thereaite
when there was to be a feast, 10 nav
these fowl which it is supposed WEI
!. | rTbara was a feast Tor IN