Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1905-12-01
DAY OF JOY TO HIGH AND Low
Thanksgiving in Omaha is One of Comfort
to Rich and Poor
GODS BoUNTlES ARE AMPLY SPREAD
People Give Thanks in Devout wor-
ship and Celebrate Gladness
ut Places of Amuse-
ment

thankfulness to Providence for its bounties
as the citizens OF Omaha and Nebraska.
this would indeed be a glorious world for
all.
Even the submerged tenth found some
beams of sunshine percolating through the
routine and depressing clouds of gloom
With natural heritage as cultivated and
prosperous as the blessed west affords
with a city elegant to the eye and filled
with hsppy homes sheltering an optimistic,
God-fearing and hard working people. Ne
braskas metropolis entered with willing
and reverent spirit into the celebration
of this ancient. but now peculiarly Ameri-
can festival
n frost-purifed atmosphere, sweetened
and lightened by the bursting rays of the
uncomfortable sun, uuickened even the
lively life of bustling people. In homes,
no less than In churches, the fast-springing
fount of perennial hopes and thankfulness
was open to the full.
Rich Remember Poor.
The prosperous had not forgotten the
unfortunate; Fortunes own tavorites had
paused to give comfort to those who had
been lost to her smiles for weary days and
months. Even the ones ordinarily most
forgotten were remembered In some shape.
The hand of plenty was willingly
open to hop even the careless, and per-
haps In some case the undeserving. Those
who have fallen and care not to make the
effort to rise, were reminded, if their eyes
an6 hearts were open, that The world Is
not so bad a, place as the growing cynic
| paints it
| Out Of thankful hearts and in obedience
to the Masters behest feasting for the
| multitude was planned with as much care
and as generously as feasting for the few.
| Prison bars were forgotten for the time
| by the rebellious or dropping souls to
make new aspirations out Of the unwonted
| satisfaction of the present needs Through
| gloomy corridors drfted the aroma of
| fragrant viands; anticipation gave sweet
1 II temporary surcease from gnawing re-
gret Hope took root again in many a
heart where long it had lain dormant if
not dead. Such hearts sang involuntary
paeans to the sanctihed thought that in
spired Thanksgiving day.
HOvels May Become Palaces.
Hovels can become palaces where plenty
begets good feeling and good fellowship;
and even the novels in the by-paths were
! not forgotten in Omaha on this day of
reverential praise. Hustling newsboy and
shiftless adult were alike cared for out of
n plenteous store. Club room and church
| were alike the scenes Of practical demon
stration of that felIox9 feeling that at
times makes selfish hvmanity wondrous
kind Potent tired '(omen and fretfuI.
~ sg y lslif Iz,ss. l-i -ypo-fc'-.,si 70
partaRe oe. the 63EsettSi of Gods gifts
Mans inhumanity TO man" was not the
motto in sight God is good the
simple. dignifed expression Of the over
burdened when the load presses trine
less heavily was the impelling maxim
1t was throughout the city. on the hill
and in the hollow, sunshine disspating
gloom.
Couriers of the Salvation Army had Wis
tied many home with shoes and stockings
and warm clothing a change from the
plan of other years. Their brothers AMI
sisters Of the Volunteers of America dis
tributed with joyful haste several hundreds
Of baskets filled with the approved ma.
terials for the Thanksgiving table. They
sought those even who cared not to MAKE
their wants known. and by a divinely in.
spired diplomacy got the recipients to &C,
cept I'm the spirit in which the OFFERING
was made. 1t is hard for the proud poor
to dodge the men and the women of thes,
two organization when they are on pleas
ure bent; and to please others we'll 1:
their Thanksgiving offer 20 Him they fol
low into the neglected byways.
, | FtdHt thC NrNHIeNs
| Philanthropic women and willing NAL,
friends had prepared for the paper seller,
of the streets a surfeiting feast at tn,
| Newsboys home. Waited on by some o.
the noblest and the best of womankind tn,
alert urchins with the strident voices wer,
for once cstopped from noisiness-for ,
while. at least. Faces snown and eye
sparkled in way to light up beyond tn,
: power of artificial brightness the basemen
room at present serving for the Newsboys
! home. Hope sprung high in all heart
> that next Thanksgiving day will see din
ner served in a better place.
At the rooms OF the Young Mems Chris
tian association the late hours of tn
afternoon were given over to welcominj
and dining the young men who are ava,
from home. Amid surroundings congenia
and mixing with spirits akin to their own
the strangers within the gates of Omahi
found memories of home and home day
e revived, not only in the spread of goo,
o things, but in the pervadng spirit of tru
Y Christianity that graced and made gla,
? the whole affair.
Church Dinner for Poor.
Out at the Peoples church a simiIa
scene was enacted with motherly womel
. and bright-faced maidens waiting on III
heavily laden tables The invitations wer
: wide in their bidding to the plenteous boar
5 and the services that followed were ablaz
with spiritual comfort and joy.
( Policemen and jaiIers, too. Wed with tn
" purely religious vim in making thei
$ charges realize that this day was not Iik
unto others; that It was surcharged wit
? thankfulness TO Him who made the fe,
$ loaves and the scanty fishes ample for al
[ No man. woman or child was frendles
n In Omaha this day who could be reache
j. by willing visitors and served with un
o grudging hand. The democracy Of III
@ Christ was abroad in a way to gladden. tn
d saddest heart and to prove anew that ther
j. is always time for pause among even tn
busiest II the proper string is touched
White and negro, foreigner and nativ,
were all alike the wards OF those VIII
have it in their hearts 10 make Thanks
( giving day something real and full q
all