Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-11-30
1hanksoivinu Day.

L
corner of the Union among the de-
scendants of those hardy pioneers in
i whose grateful hearts was born the
idea of the first Thanksgiving day,
nearly three centuries ago. At first
l observed only here in New England at
the close of the harvest season, the
| idea of Thanksgiving soon spread west
ward where the sons of New England
pioneers conquered the interior wilder-
ness, One by one the governors Oh
other states followed the lead Oh 'he
governors of Massachusetts, and Con-
1 necticut in issuing an annual prociaha-
tion for the observance of the day, but
it was not until the administration OF
| Abraham Lincoln, in the dark days OF
the Civil War, that the first national
THANKSGIVING proclamation was issued.
This was in April. 1852, when Lincoln
| called upon the people to gather in
their places OF worship and return
| thanks to God for the victories won in
|
the following year. similar proclama-
ton was issued late in the fall. Every
year since that time, through a period
of over 40 years, the last Thursday in
November has been designated as a
national Thanksgiving day. If not
observed so much as formerly as day
of worship in the churches, it is.
nevertheless, day sacred in its
significance and associations to the
the republics strength. 1t is the real
Old Home day of the year, holiday
which is in many senses holy day;
festival unique among the festivals of
nations, and one which Americans may
be counted on to protect and per-
petuate.
So much for the history of the day.
Surely our country as a whole has good
reason to celebrate Thanksgiving this
year. 1t has been a year of I'M
precederted material prosperity follow
ing series of unexceptional prosper
Gus years. The country is at peace
with all the world, and there is no war
cloud upon the horizon. No terrible
calamity, such as flood or famine or
pestilence. has cast it's blight upon our
land. The harvests have filled the
barns. the bins and the cellars of the
American farmers to overlooking. and
the wheels of industry are turning day
and night in every manufacturing city
and village. There is work at good
wages for every honest and able bodied
man who wants it.
Never was philanthropy SO generous
to our educational institutions; our Ii
braries: our hospitals, and our many
care for the suffering and the unfortu-
nate. Sectional feeling has SO almost
completely disappeared that it is
difficult indeed to conceive the bitter
ness which prevailed only few years
ago. Our country never held before a
place SO proud and powerful among
the nations Of the earth; and was never
before SO much respected, admired and
envied by the Old World. If we have
internal problems to solve, they are no
greater than we have solved peacefully
before, and no greater than American
patriotism and intelligence can now be
counted on to deal with safely. Sure
ly the American people never had bet
ter reason TO celebrate Thanksgiving
day in it's true spirit. Well may their
hearts be filled with gratitude to Him
| "who has crowned the year with His
| goodness"
AS with the nation as whole so
| with us as individuals. If there have
been clouds. there has also been the
sunshine. Both were needed to make
| the harvest ready. None of us are SO
unhappy or unfortunate that we have
not much to be thankful for. and at
| this season it is well to take q quiet
hour and think over these things. BY
| the way, did you ever look up the
| words thank and think? If so, you
will find they come from the same root
| and that there is close connection in
the meaning. Certainly the thought
| full man cannot fail to be a thankful
| man: while the man who feels that
| there is little to be thankful for in his
| life is certain to be man who has done
| little honest thinking on the subject.
| The trouble with many of us is that
| the good things which we enjoy, the
blessings which surround us. the COM
forts and luxuries of life and the daily
food of mercies which God pOurs upon
| our undeserving heads get so familiar
| that we neglect and forget to be prop
erly grateful for them. Occasionally
something out of the ordinary arouses
the sense of thankfulness. but life
| would be much better for ourselves and
those around us if we paused more fire.
quently to feel thankfulness for our