Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1902-11-29

the sons ana the daughters vi the lOl-
eigners. They enlisted in the foreign
navies and went forth MS free lances 10
the foreign wars, and it was In order
to save their own flesh and blood from
the sinful contact OF the ''uncircum-
cised Philistines," as well as for reli-
gious liberty, that the pilgrim fathers
turned their backs upon the land OF
their adoption and the homes OF their
friends. Shall we not, then, OH this
Thanksgiving day Of 1902 be thankful
that we can rear our children in land
whose silver dollar Is stamped with
the suggestive motto, "ln God we
TrustY Taking our little chlldrens
faces between our two hands and look
ing lovingly and earnestly into the
depths OF their pure eyes. can we not
be thankful that both we and they are
living in Christian communities where
human affections are held sacred ana
where purity Is not an oddly ana prac-
tically monopolized, as Of old, by
few vestal virgins cOnsecrated to llfe-
long service I'm 4 heather temple? Can
we not thank God that our children are
not breathing the morally depraved at
mosphere Of some less fortunate land
whose daughters are sold like chattels,
never even seeing nuptial day, and
where a wife Is regarded as dsgracing
a family when she becomes the mother
of daughter instead of a son?
We place a priceless value upon the
nhysical lives Of our children. Shall we
not also place a priceless value upon
their spiritual welfare? How much
we value them few Of us realize untll
we are brought face to face with the
sore trial Of parting from them useu
TO consider myself a poor man tinanclal-
ly until a few years ago. never 90 SO
now after the following experience:
had been visiting my mother In the east
and was returning with my wife and
little daughter to my Pittsburg home.
Being very tired from Overwork, l lay
down I'm the cars to sleep. Meanwhile
nv little baby daughter began to smile
and nod her head at stern FACED man
reading across the aisle. She held out
her hands for him to take her. After
awhile his face lighted up with an an
swering smile. He took the baby Oh
his lap and played with her hour after
hour. AS we neared the Smoky city
this stern faced man came to me ana
said: Young man, do not know who
Won are, but here Is my card. am one
Of the wealthiest men in Milwaukee. l
have everything that money can buy
but l have a home without any chill
dren. Young man, you can thank God
that YOU have q family. And II you
are willing to give me this baby and
let me adopt her l will give you GER
tiaed check for $4,000, and she shall
be my daughter and inherit all that
have" OF course / refused the oner
7 told that man there was not enough
money in all the treasury OF the Unlteu
States to buy my flesh and blood, ana,
though you may laugh when talK
about my $4,000 baby, yet l am not
putting any higher valuation upon the
physical lives of any one of my chill
dren than every father sitting before
me today would upon his. If we par
ents thus place so high our physical
valuation Of our children, shall we not
also place just as high the spiritual val
uation? Like the pilgrim fathers OF OLD,
shall we not rejoice this coming Thanks
giving day because our children are
not only living in Christian homes, but
also in Christian neighborhoods and
under the shadow Of the spires OF
Christian churches? Shall we not re-
ioice because on account Of being born
in a Christian land they may the more
easily learn to love Christ? Shall we
not rejoice that on account OF their
spiritual advantages after their lltes
work is done they will associate with
us in the great harvest home, where an
eternal Thanksgiving day shall be spent
in the green pastures and by the still
waters Of heaven?
The Hope of Meeting Loved Ones
The pilgrim fathers rejoiced in the
hone that they should soon be reunited
with their loved ones who were lett
behind in Leyden. The whole COM
munity of pilgrims which in 1910 set
tied in Leyden did not cross the Attain
tic In 1920, as many people suppose
No. Only a small part-12O men, WON
en- and children-came first. The vast
majority of that community remained
behind. And so these American pill
grims on Plymouths first Thanksgiv'
ing day were living in the hope thai
John Robinson and the absent mem
bers of his spiritual flock would soo1
be by their side They did not ther
know that death would first claim
!. their beloved pastor and that his bones
would be buried in the little church
yard which his preaching has made
world famous and which is today the
Mecca Of many a pilgrim. They die
not realize that most Of their earthly
: friends would never meet beside th'
waters Of the new world. But they
did know, and they rejoiced In the
knowledge, that, whether at the foot
Of Plymouth rock or at the foot of the
. great white throne Of God, they would
meet again. And if they did not meet
, again until they were reunited in thai
, better land, then they would there
meet to part no more.
My friends, cannot we rejoice In the
hope that we are some day going t.
> meet our redeemed loved ones? CaI
. we not rejoice that when we NEE
l them we shall part no more? Thanks
. giving day without this blessed belle
. would be to us a meaningless festiya
1 and would be robbed Of its chiefes
/ Joy. The young people may look for
o ward gladly to the autumnal queen o
q American festivals as a holiday from
r school, a day for a football match,
). day when they can eat a big turke.
a dinner, but most of us will think o
3 Thanksgiving dinner as day for va
cant chairs-a day when we would b
/. willing to give all we owned II w