Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1905-12-23
LET US GIVE THANKS.
Mere Gladness Is Not Fxpressive of
the True Spirit Of Thinks
giving.

The Thanksgiving Of the Thankless
is a phrase that involves both a para
dox and very significant truth.
Thanksgiving is a vocable that
stands for the last Thursday in No
Vember; custom and the proclamations
or national and state executives have
made II such; nevertheless there are
Thanksgiving dinners with no civ
ing or thanks. The fact is. too manv
are given 10 mistaking mere gIadness
Tor Thanksgiving; but a vast difference
marks the two qualities. A selfish
misery man may De glad he has ac-
cumulated more gold in 1905 than no
possessed in 1904; the farmer may re-
1oice that he has increased acreage and
diminished mortgage; the manufac-
turer that he whlrls more spfnaies or
turns more lathes, which increase his
bank account; but IN all these. as in
other Instances. he may be ono into
whose sladness not one grain OF heart
felt gratitude nnds place. We 20 fur
Their; the farmer may rejoice that he
has such crops as never before: that
he has never got so much money from
them; and yet. though an attendant
upon religious services, IL he does as
little as possible for the church. n he
sees his neighbor suffer. or rather does
not see him prosperous or we'll cared
Tor and blessed with plenty. yet moves
not a finger TO help him. how dwell
eth the love Of God in him?"
Thanksgiving, As we sit around
the family board let us recall our mer-
cies and be thankful But an angel
has entered the house; you recognized
the Death angel as his shadow fell
across the floor But how shall We
wish the dead brought back to us
brought back 20 our environment OF
trial. OF sin. OF temptation?-
Wishes arc vaini O. were they not.
The world might render thee too biest=
That brighter world be ali forgot.
In this alone TO take our rest
What an endless procession Il Is We
see OF pilgrims Fastening to their
haven't And the long roll is being con-
stantly called. until for some of US IL
means loved ones name and a VA.
cant chair-thank God It Is the mer-
ciful AllFather who has called. And
so, whether you have lost dear ones.
or whether business has miscarried
or the crops have failed. so that sor-
row and disaster sit as unwelcome
guests at your board. still forget not
TO thank God for what remains.
II is hard for the young to realize
that by and by, slowly yet steadily and
surely, early manhood and woman
hood will come. then middle age. old
age perhaps. and then-homei IL ia
we'll TO recall the thought az any time-
IL Is especially fitting to do so on
Thanksgiving day. All great lows are
serious, and he only gets a taste OF the
brightest Thanksgiving joy who can
serenely contemplate the fact OF his
earthly mortality as he recognizes the
joyful, solemn fact that a few more
passings OF the season, few more
ripenings OF autumnal harvest, and he
VIII enter upon the glad and endless
Thanksgiving of eternity Nav all our
readers have this comfort. and take
1t to their hearts on this high fes.
uval; and so. however we mourn the
lost, or have TO face disappointment
and disaster, let us note the light
cleaning above the horizon; and. pur.
suing our routine OF daily duty cheer.
fully, make every day a THANKSGIVING
day until we are called from the
Thanksgiving of Time to the endless
Thanksgiving OF Eternity.-Christian
Work.