The Tupelo journal., 1904-11-25
{ A THANKSGIVING.
A Suggestion for the Praise, Prayer
and Performance Which Should
Mark the Day.

and Performance Which Should
Mark the Day.
Back of the loaf is the snowy -four:
And back Of the flour is the mill;
And back of the mill is the wheat and the
shower,
And the sun. and the Fathers will"
Praise is comely for the upright"
and instinctively we turn, at this glad
season of the year, to such great Thanks
giving Psalms, as the m hundred and
third and the one hundred and eight
zenith, and through them endeavor to
express our gratitude to the Giver Of all
Good who has crowned our lives with
loving kindness and tender mercies."
And as we seriously contemplate the
Fathers goodness to ourselves, we nat
urally pray that all mankind may have
some share in these blessings. But in
our rejoicing and praying we should not
forget that God expects us to pass on
to others a portion OF His special good
ness to ourselves. Each one of US should
tiful spirit that prompted George Mac
Donald to say: IF l can put one touch
| of q rosy sunset into the life of any man
or woman, 1 shall feel that | have
worked with God"
At the battle of Missionary Ridge, a
regiment made a desperate attack upon
the enemy. who ordered that
| CHARGE" cried the commanding general
of an officer who galloped up to him.
| mo one, SIR" was the response; 1.-The
men saw the need and the opportunity
and they dashed forward without wait
ing for orders" The world wants thou
sands of Christian warriors thus to see
"the need and the opportunity" and to
act promptly! Many of us are slow of
heart and blind. Mrs. Browning is
right: .
"Earth's crammed with Heaven,
And every common bush afire with God;
But only he who sees takes off his shoes:
The rest sit round it, and pluck
ries."
A man was told of two motherless
| children in a wretched garnet. 20 Lord,
| he prayed, please send Thy angels to
watch over and protect these dear babes
In their time of need" And then a
| voice seemed to say to him: Thou art
My angel; go thou and care for these.
| My little ones" To his credit be 1t said,
he Immediately acted upon this spirit
| given suggestion, sought out the cheer
less garnet, and provided the friendless
| children with a comfortable home.
| When We pray that suffering may be re-
lieved, let us be quite sure in our hearts
that we have tried to do our duty In this
| direction.
At a certain Thanksgiving season
| years ago, a New England minister
| found himself and family sadly in need
| Of the necessities of life. In his extrem-
| ity, he resolved to inform his people of
| his condition, and to request them to
meet at his house to pray that in some
way God would send relief. The meet
| ing was held, a number of the neighbors
assembling to offer up petitions in be-
half of their needy minister. In the
midst of the supplications, a hearty
knock was heard at the front door.
Opening it. the minister found a bright
faced, light-hearted boy, who cried out
cheerily:
Father was unable to come to the
meeting, so he has sent me with his
prayers You'll find them here in the
cart; please help me to unload" And
there before the astonished and tear
dimmed eyes of the grateful servant OF
God, was a pile of grain, fruit and vege-
tables, sufficient to last him and his
family for many a wintry day.
What an object lesson for those who
had merely come to pray! What an OBJ
jectM lesson for us who do not unite
works with our faith! What doth it
profit. my brethren, though a mar say
he hath faith, and have not works? Can
faith save him? If a brother or sister
be naked. and destitute of daily food,
and one of you say unto them, Depart
in peace, be we warmed and filled; not
withstanding We give them not those
things which are needful to the body,
what doth it profit?"
Whether we live in city, town, hamlet
or country, there are those about us who
will need something directly from US
in order that an added bit of Thanksgiv-
ing cheer may come into their lives. 1t
may be money, food. clothing, or only
q kindly word; but something they
need, and that something we should be
quick to give. Let us find out these
needy ones. says Allan Sutherland, in
the New York Observer, and as they
stretch s~upplicating hands to Heaven
tor aid, may it be our glorious privilege
to be the medium through which Gods
blessings shall come to them. Lowell
teaches . much-needed lesson in the
following stanza, the first line of which
we have somewhat changed:
Thanksgiving day is kept indeed
In whatso we share with another's need.
Not what we give. but what WI share
For the gift without the giver Is bare:
Who gives himself with his aims feeds
three
Himself, his hungering neighbor. and Me-
The trouble with "a small mans