Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1902-11-23
Thoughts for
Thanksgiving.

the quiet hour, that mothers love. Will
come when the great truths OF Thanks
giving may be improved. Each child may
then be brought to the realization of
personal obligation to- the Heavenly
Father for His bountifu gifts. Mera
moralizing on this as on everything else.
is wearisome and Eprof1tless. An interest
ing story bringing out some blessing,
physical or temporal. of which the child
has perhaps never thought. will make
far deeper impression. The early history
of the Pilgrim Fathers Will be most In
teresting to the little ones. The odds
under which the N1ayfiower set sail. thu
lonely landing on Plymouth Rock. tho
hardships endured. the scant reward OF
their toiIing. until taught by an Indian
how to plant corn. they reaPed harvest
which made the existence OF the colony
a possibility and prompted the Pilgrims
to have Thanksgiving 1t will be well
to remind the little folks that ninety
Indians were entertained at this t'r-t
Thanksgiving feast enjoying the turkey.
wild duck and venSion provided by the
colonists; for the Entertainment OF
strangers and the laws of hospitality are
part of the lesson of thankfulness which
every American child should learn.
With such stories. all too soon the
afternoon of Thanksgiving will pass
away and as twilight gathers games may
be INDUCED in.
THANKSGIVING PLAYS.
4 potato race will furnish amusement
and Jun for half-grown boys and girls.
To play this place. parallel two rows
of knotty potatoes on the floor. and let
youth and maiden vie with each other
by picking them UP with "a silver tea
spoon in a given length or time. This "a
easier to descrIpe than to do. for the
rolling of the potato makes it awkward
though amusing. suitable prize Tor IL.
one picking up and safely deposittng at
the goal, the greatest number of potatoes
would be a blot,er. cut in the shape OF a
potato, and ornamented with some pic
ture like John Alden and Priscilla, and
for the BOBBY prize. a gilded corn-cob
tied with a bright bow of ribbon, to De
used as paper-weight, would not be
amisS
Ii those to be entertained are very
young, a turkey party might De SUP
stituted. For this large gobbler should
be represented, and the little ones, blind
folded could cope with one another at
guessing where a missing tail feather hau
best be pinned. In this case. money
bank of an earthen ware apple wouiu
prove satisfactory prize for chilG,
while n bag OF popcorn would serve az
q consolation.
THE OBJECT OF THANKSGIVING.
Stories of patriotism like those OF
Jamestown and Plyr. outh rock instil into
the youthful mind ideas of patriotism
and admiration for those pioneer
spirits whom we have to thank Tor the
liberties and privileges We are enjoying
to-day--Freedom OF Religion and National
Prosperity. These are eur heritage!
The benefits of Thanksgiving are 10"
many to be enumerated here
Thanksgiving throws open the doors OK
the house of worship. 1t closes for ons
day extra the doors sof commerce, giving
to the workingman holiday of rest, III
which he may mediate upon that truth
which suffers no contradiction. that he Is
the most blessed and privileged bread
winner in the world.
When the Puritan abolished Christmas
as a relic of popery, passing laws prohio-
ting its observance and substituted lh-
stead Thankssivug-Duy as their upss
for jollity and feasting. they little knew
the benefit which was TO accrue from this
observation. for it developed the splrH
of mirth lateatSin Puritan children arc
| established for the future another ho!i
day. For the new nation that was TO
terminate from the colonies OF James
town and Plymouth Rock would need
| not only Christmas but Thanksgiving az
Well. otherwise Uncle Sans development
would not have been as it IS. for al!
work and no play would have produccu
the inevitable dull boy.
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Often when a society woman's cheeks