The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1903-11-26

IT was Thanksgiving Day. From
the Atlantic to the Pacific the peo-
pie of this great nation offered up
thanks for real or imaginary bless
ings received. AS people they had
much to be thankful for. They were
at peace with all the world. The sea-
sons had been propitious, and the Ia
bors of the husbandman had been
abundantly rewarded. Throughout
the whole year the wheels of industry
had revolved almost increasingly, and
millions of workers had been employed
at living wages, and their countenances
reflected the contentedness felt within
their bosoms. Commerce and trans
portation had achieved new successes,
and the figures representing the vol
nme of business transacted elected
smile of satisfaction even from the
jaundiced pessimist. From out the
bowels of the earth great riches had
been taken, and Plutus' hidden treas
nres had been exposed to view. The
mountains, the plains, the forests, the
streams, the turbulent kingdom of
old Neptune, and even the waters un-
der the earth had contributed to the
material welfare of the nation. Science
boasted its new discoveries, and the de-
sire for wealth and fame had been the
cause of many new and useful inven-
tiOns. Education had made giant
strides toward the goal of perfection,
and the dark clouds of ignorance and
prejudice were pierced, here and there,
by the divine rays of truth, and tolera-
aion followed in the wake of enlighten-
ment.
1t was Thanksgiving Day. Joy per-
vaded the air. From the pulpits and
affairs of the churches millions had
been exhorted to give thanks, and
many souls, too busy, or too careless to
yenember the Creator on other days,
lad on this day poured out their
thanks to the Source Of all Being with
FUN hearts and willing lips. In thou
sands of homes, when the family gath
cred around the table to partake OF the
good things the all-bountiful Mother
Earth had provided, the parents neg
lected not to instruct their children to
Be thankful at all times, and to remem-
ber in the days of their prosperity their
.less fortunate fellow mortals. And the
lame, and the blind, and the deaf, and
those of unsound mind, and those sep
arated from the world for overt acts
committed against the laws of organ
med society,-all these were remem.
bered, and many prayers went up In
their behalf, and many acts of kind.
ness were they the recipients of, so that
the conditions of even these were amel.
6orated, and the distance between them
and their more fortunate sisters and
brethren was lessened.
There is something grand, something
sublime in the very thought of whole
nation giving thanks. 1t matters little
10 what deity our thanks are offered
All conceptions of the Supreme Power
must necessarily be clouded-more Of
3ess-with the errors due to our defec
tive understanding. Being finite, WI
cannot fully comprehend the Infinite
If man could fully comprehend the In
anite Being, he would be the equal O
that Being. No two persons capable
Of independent thought can form th'
same conception of God. There ar
rs many theological dogmas in tn
world as there are independent think
ers. But true thankfulness is benef
eial to the individual whose soul is per
meated by it, and to all who witnes
the manifestations resulting from tn
state of mind we call tbankfulness, o
gratitude-and that regardless of the be
hef OF opinions entertained by the on
who renders thanks. Therefore tn
benefit nation derives from q ger
eral Thanksgiving, is incalculable. An
as long as an individual, or q natiol
can feel sincerely thankful, is ther
hope for that Individual, or nation
Mean aordid naturas are incapahle q