Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1901-11-28

ton over the achievements of brain and
hand during the past twelve months. The
texts are: / Corinthians tx, 10, "IIc that
I, He that smootheth with the ham
mer;' Judges v, IA, They that handle
the pen of the writer"
There is table being spread across rtlc
top of the two great ranges of mountains
which ridge this continent. table which
reaches from the Atlantic to the Pacific
sea. 1t is the Thank sgiving table of the
nation. They will come from the east
and the west and the north and the south
and sit at it, On it are smoking the
products of all lands, birds of every
aviary, cattle from every pasture, fish
from every lake. feathered spoils from
every farm. The fruit baskets bend down
under the products plucked from the
peachields of Maryland, the apple or
chards of western New York. the orange
groves Of Florida. the vineyards of Ohio
and the nuts thrnshed from New England
woods. The bread is white from the
wheatfelds OF Illinois and Michigan, the
banuueters are adorned with California
gold, and the table is a-gleam with Neva-
da silver, and the feast is warmed with
the fire CRATES heaped up with Pennsyl-
vania coal The hall is spread with car
pets from Lowell mills. and at night the
lights will hnsA from bronzed brackets of
PHILADELPHIA Manufacture. The fingers
of Massachusetts girls have hung the en-
broidery, the music is the drumming Of
ten thousand mills. accompanied hy the
shout Of children let loose for play, and
the gladness of the halvesters driving
harvard the loads of shcaves. and tho
thnnksgivines of tho nation which crowd
the celestial gates with doxologies until
the Oldest harper of heaven cannot tell
whore the terrestrial song ends and the
celestial song begins.
Welcome, THANKSGIVING day, What
eyer we NAV think OF New England the.
ology. we all like New England Thanks
giving dav. What mems the steady rush
TO the dcno.s und the long rail trains dart.
ing their lanterns along the tracks of the
Boston and Lowell. the Georgia Central.
the Chicago Great Western. the St Paul
and Duluth ard the Southern railway ?
Ask the hsvpv group in the New Eng
land farmhouse. Ask the Villagers whose
song of praise in the morning will come
over the berkshire hills. Ask nil tho
plantations of the south which have
adopted the New England custom Of set
ting apart n dav of thanksgiving Oh il
is a prent dav of national festivitv, Clan
your hands. We neople. and shout oloud
for low, Through the organ mines LET
there come down the thunder Of ma
lions roioicinp, Rlow the cornot, Wave
tbc noln branches, "Oh thar mon world
proise the Lord for his goodness and for.
his wonderful works 70 the children Of
menu
The Victories of Peace.
For two wears and n half this nation
has been celebrating the triumph of
sword and cun md hottcrv. We have
sung martial airs and cheered returuinq,
heroes and sounded the roouiem for the
slain in battle Nethinks if will he n
hcalthful change IL on this years Thanks
giving in church and honestea,@ cole
brate the victories of the plow. the ham
mer and the men; for nothing was done at
Santiago or Manila that was of moro i'm
nortance than that which in the last ycor
has been done IN farmers field and me-
cbonic's sbon and authors study nv those
who never wore an epaulet or shot n
Spaniard or went hundred miles from
tLcir own doorsill. Come M. farmers
and mechanics and literary men. and get
your dues as far as | can nav them.
Things have marvelously changed.
Time was when the stern edict Of govern.
ment forbade religious asscmblagcs.
Those who dared To be so unloyal TO their
king as to acknowledge LOYALTY to the
Head of the Universe were punished.
Churches awfully silent in worship sud
denly heard their doors swung omen and
down upon the church aisle a score of
n,uskets thurnn,d os the leaders boda
them "Ground arms" This custom of
having the fathars the husbands the
sons and hrothers at the entrance of the
NOW is n custom which came down from,
nIden ti,no whom II was obsoIutoIv necns.
sary that tbe father or brother should sit
ot he end of tho cburcb navy fullv arrod
IN defend tho hclnless portion ~ tho fam
i1v Rut now. how changed, Severe ncn-
nitios ore threotoped AGAINST any ono who
shall interrunt religions services. md an
nunllv. at tbe command Of the highest
nHicioI in tho J'nitod Statoe we gatbnr
together for thanksgiving and holy wor-
shin Today I would stir vorr souls 70
iovful tbonlsgivirr wbilo 7 sun,k Of tho
mercies Of God and in unconventional
wov racount tho copouests NJ the nlov
tbe hammer md the non
Most of tho in,nlaments Of busbandr1
have been sunersoded hv modern iuven
tions but tho nlow has never LOST ira
reign. If has furrowcd IFS way through
all the ages. Its victories have been
waved by the barley of Palestine, the
wheat or iersla, the max or Germany, Inc
rice stalks OF China, the rich grasses of
Italy 1t has turned up the mammoth OF
Slhnrln StnInn