The Cooperstown courier. (Cooperstown, Griggs Co., N.D.) 1902-1913, 1905-11-30

0EsSEsNI IL you have learned
| ~ HE:. well the lessons Of hui
"a man experience. a. far
as you've gone. you viii
answer: The best way
b. spell Thanksgiving Il T-h-a-n-k-s-
Living"
Josh Billings says: MANY peopls
use their religion about Is they would
q hfe-preserver, putting Il on only in
time OF danger, and they generally
wrong side before"
Part Of our religion 10 supposed to
te cherishing spirit Of thankful
ness. The president of the United
States calls on us annuasy to give
thanks. A thousand other voices call
VI daily to the same experience.
Do We respond?
Some do. after the style of q certain
expression too common among
class of young people. Hand q girl
on the car the handkerchief she has
dropped. and she answers: Thanks,
awfully." Give . waiter . tip, and
he responds: Thanks, awfully." Show
another the way to some once which
he 10 looking for, and he touches nh
hat, saying: Thanks, awfully." Now.
isn't that absurd? Certainly it is un-
refined, undignifed and utterly inap.
propIlate slang.
Yet to me 1t expresses too forco.
fully the manner of much professedly
Christian thought. For example: A
man thinks growl, because his baby
has had the whooping cough, though
he's nearly we'll. Why does he not give
thanks because the baby lived. His
neighbor's died.
"Rained for four days steady" says
another man. How about the IL days
Of continuous sunshine and balmy air
preceding? WELL" he says, II for
got that. suppose I ought to he
thankful" Now isn't that Thanks.
awfully?"
I'm getting 30 gray I'm startled"
says some Beau Brummel. Way
aren't you thankful you've got hair
enough to turn gray? Your partn.:-
Is bald as quart-cup.
Be thankful, but live 1t. The natisn
IS learning this duty fast. Neighbor-
hood is no longer a geographical term
but means human need and ability to
help.
Christ for the world" we sing is IN
the hymn book But so is the next
line: ''The world to Christ we bring"
Here's some more:
"The poor and those that mourn.
The weak and oyerborne,
Stnstck and sorrow worn.
Whom Christ can heal"
But He will be pretty apt to do 1t
through your word, your touch. your
rocke:book-yourself.
Poor little waif," was said to a littlo
ragerufhn by tender-hearted wom-
an. "Why doesn't God tell somebody
about your needs?" He did," SAID the
child, pitifully, but Somebody forgot
about It,"
To forget-that is "Thanks-aw-
fully" II the nation Is grateful to-day,
it means her citizens are. We've
had the sword, our across-the-saa.
neighbors have had 1t long enough.
But zee! The sabre that cleft foe
mans skull set wide open the door of
human responsibility before the eyes
of Christian men and women.
Thankful were we for our own
peace. But Thanksgiving means me-
tional and individual Thanks Living!
So. awhile ago, with a sublime altru-
ism, q wealthy nation of $4,000 900 laid
itself at the feet Of enslaved Cuba and
said: "Here are we! Our best youth,
our atlest generals. our guns, our mu-
milton and fortunes, to set you free"
1t cost blood, even quarter of . mill
lion men; it cost treasure; but in 100
days the foe was conquered, and 12,-
900 people set free.
Are we thankful for the still moro
recent treaty Of peace? Yes! But
we are not worthy to stand as Amer
ican citizens IL we do not prove OF.
gratitude by meeting the tax assessor
honorably, the laboring man fairly, the
capitalist as fairly, and the needy a.
generously.
Let us go to autumn's shrine and lay
there our garland of thanksgiving.
purple, and crimson, and gold. Leave
it there. thankfully, holly.
Then let US go to put crimson glortes
and new tints of happiness in poor,
starved, helpless lives. Maybe some
body Is hungry for CLINT Of gladness
IN your Office. Maybe in your home.
Look about If the people do thus
you and are the people-the natioa
will, and the earth will laugh out in
her gladness to. hail true Thanks.
giving day.
A Thanksgiving Thought.
| There is something lacking in the
sincerity of the man who goes into
the temple on Thanksgiving day to ac-
knowledge the good gifts Of Provi-
aence to him If he has done nothing
through the year or on this day to