Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1904-12-01
THANKSGIVING SERVICE.
Interesting Addresses by Five lay
men at M. e. Church.


men at M. E. Church.
The union Thanksgiving service at the
Methodist church Thursday morning last
was attended by about one hundred peop-
pie. In the absence of the pastor, Rev
DIR. Cooper had charge OF the meeting.
Rev. Mr.. Ladd read the presidents procla-
nation, Rev. Mr.. Knowles read the Scrip
ture lesson and Rev. Mr.. Metzger offered
prayer
The speakers, who were introduced by
Rev. DR.. Cooper, were five laymen Prof.
Ham, Mr.. f.. A. Thomas, DIR. Bailey, Prof.
Whitehill, formerly principal of our High
school, and Editor johnson. The adj
dresses were short but full Of thought and
instruction and were listened TO by the
congregation with great interest, Not the
least interested were the clergy tho sat IN
the pews.
Prof. Ham spoke of four important
epochs in our history when the guiding
and protecting hand of the Almighty had
led US safely and successfully through
threatening circumstances and dangers in
a manner which called for our gratitude
and thanksgiving. First. he spoke of the
great trials and discouragements of Col
umbus for many years hen he wandered
over Europe, seeking aid to carry out his
great enterprise, and then of the generous
sympathy OF Queen Isabella which en-
Second, he described the sufferings of the
starving and dying pilgrims of Plymouth,
whose courage and faith in God prevented
them from returning to England on the
Mayfiowe~, and showed how the God-sent
bountiful harvest of 1921 preserved the
seed from which the nation spraDg and
enabled it 10 grow and spread over this
land in which the r descendants are now
so happily situated. Third, he told OF
Washington at Valley Forge. when the
defeat OF our arms and the failure OF our
national hopes seemed almost certain; but
the stretched-out arm OF God plucked vic
tory from defeat and placed our feet in the
path which led to Independence and ma
tional greatness. Fourth, he instanced
the epoch OF the civil war when the work
OF our fathers seemed about to be undone
and the patriotic heart OF the great Lin
coin was filed with fears for the nations
life.
Mr.. Thomas, from the standpoint OF a
business man, spoke OF this as the era of
increasing good fellowship. He thought
that the missionary spirit-the desire to
help others-is becoming more and more
apparent; that Christians are becoming
more united; that the relations of the
churches with each other are more frater-
nal than they once were and finally that
business men are exhibiting a more
Christian spirit-a willingness that others
1 sDOulQ live as We'll rs AHtulHelNts, ana an
honest desire for the best things for their
fellowmen and for the community. All
these things demand from us thanksgiy-
ing to God.
DR.. Bailey, speaking from professional
knowledge and experience, said that the
wonderful advance in medical knowledge,
not only in healing but in preventing dis
ease, and especially the science of santa
tion in which this country leads the orld,
ertw N for nrQftfmng n faOn fnr he
progress which has been made and for the
thousands Of dear and valuable lives which
are now annually saved by the more exact
scientific knowledge Of our physicians.
Prof Whitehill, as a teacher familiar
with our school system and our schools,
showed how much better our present sys-
TEN is than that which existed when he
was young, and how much more efficient
are the schools of today than those which
his older hearers remembered. He declared
that our public schools are the foundation
of our national greatness and glory and
that scarcely any other agency contributes
so much to the we'll being OF our country
They raise the intelligence OF the people
and elevate the standard OF citizenship
An intelligent people must be a free peo-
pie. We should thank God for the splen-
did condition of our public schools.
Mr.. johnson came last but the congre-
CATION was not tired. After some hui
morous remarks aimed at the clergy
who were getting the laymen TO do their
preaching, he gave some reasons why we
should be thankful and express our thanks
for the benefits vouchsafed to us. The
most striking thought TO our mind, was
that OF what might have been had God
allowed the pilgrim band TO die out on the
bleak shore where they landed, as one half
their number did the first year. Where
would have been New England now and
what would have been he effect upon this
continent and the whole world? The loss
by such fate is incalculable and we owe
thanks to God that he oyerruled the course
Of events as he did.
At the close OF the addresses the hymn
america" followed by the doxology,
"Praise God from whom all blessings
fiow,n was sung by the choir and eongre-
CATION. The service concluded with
PRAYER and benediction by DIR. Cooper.
The order OF exercises was a novel one for
Thanksgiving day but it seemed eminently
Satisfactory and had the merit OF showing
Thai the laity as well as the clergy has
sense of thankfulness and gratitude TO God