Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-12-01


ton and failure the rule in all striving.
Yet, with all the centuries of preach
ing and ingenuities of teaching that
have been given to this high work, it
is impossible to say that one really
satisfactory Thanksgiving day has
come out of it. Some people always
sigh in thanking God" said one sarcas-
tic writer, observing the Puritan eff
forts in this direction, and though the
worshippers of today are some dis.
In one form or another, they still re-
tai nthe sigh. The Joy of that soil
tary psalmist of Samoa who went
through the autumn woods thanking
God as he tells us, that he had made
me and the birds and everything just
as they are and not otherwise" has
by no means got into their strain, and,
until it does, the vision of the unities
of life which connect it with the per-
feet day, is not clear enough to expeII
the shadow, wipe out the sigh and fit
the modern world to that resounding
cry, rejoice, rejoice, to which the an
Client prophets set the whole gospel
song and teaching.
Ignorance Of Blessings.
Whether peoples gratitude for the
good gifts that come to them be wisely
conceived or dutifully expressed is a
secondary matter so long as they feel
gratitude" says Stevenson, indorsing
the psychologists standpoint. THE
true ignorance is when a man does
not know that he has received a good
gift, or begins to imagine that he has
got 1t for, himself" More than the
self-made man, whom the writer in
stances, could point the meaning of
that reflection, for all the good things
time does manage to give us, how few
OF them do we fairly recognize as good,
or connect with any other active agent
than our poor struggling selves. Yet
how true is it that all our tools and
and material must be made to our
hand and made good before we can
accomplish anything, and then some
breath from the omnipotent mind must
4 flash through our efforts or they end
In nothingness at last.
Praise thou the mighty mother for
what is wrought, not me-" is the true
note Of all earth's children, however.
gifted; and the thanks of the creature
are due the creator for every achieve
ment of his life. 1t is only when man
recognizes this with his heart as we'll
as his lips, however, that true graft
ture is born within him, for no better
thing was ever said in the case that
gratitude is the memory of the heart"
And here, no doubt, is the secret Of
the gracelessness of thanksgiving eff
forts and exhibitions on the part of
humanity everywhere. They are too
chill and perfunctory. They lack heart;
they may recognize benefits and tabl-
late gains but rarely with that "mem-
i DRY of the heart" that warmth of love
and gratitude toward the good power .
as the gentle Emerson puts 1T, that
should blend with the light of rising
and Of. setting suns, with the flying
cloud, the singing bird, the breath of
4 flowers"
Prof. James is right. The true grace
of thankfulness is a habit, and it is not
commonly acquired in meeting house.
Love inspires it, and the divine habit
/ of loving grows side by side with it,
AS between man and man the love ele-
ment must be strong, however, to
make Dement'S received sweet mem.
4 DRY of the heart The wise Seneca
understood this when he said, Let
him who hath conferred a favor hold
his tongue" and the recipient of the
favor is ofttimes the best person to
show him how. Yet when love goes
with the favor, like mercy, it blesseth
him that gives and him that takes
4 When that Pentecostal day of love and
thanksgiving dropped down upon the
earth, men divided their possessions
and gave to every man who had need
. without thought of obligation or favor
and found the way to praise God in
"gladness and singleness of heart
), without much trouble; and however
archbtshops and people may divide or
the socialistic idea, there is something
In this thanksgiving presentation of II
!, which Thanksgiving congregations
might ponder to advantage.
Millionaire's Gratitude.
!. 1t would be interesting, IL not edify
ing, to discover what color gratitude
would take on in some millionaires
hearts, if they were required to sell
) all that they had and distribute to
those that had need as part of theil
Thanksgiving services. 1t may be just
as well as on the whole that high &c
clesiastics are telling them that, they
don't "have to-" for the sad case Of
Ananias and Saphira shows too plain
ly what would come out of it. They
at any rate, are not of that type O.
brethren in whose presence the apostle
writes that he thanked God and tool
courage" Yet precisely of such mus
that happy brotherhood be fashioned
for which the perfect thanksgiving day
of the human family waits. You may
search the earth from shore to shore
like the nature-loving poet Hale, it pu
into your psalm Of praise every weet
and shrub and blossoming or creepinf
thing known to 1t, but If man canno
stand by man in the true and perfec
beauty and harmony Of the strain, thu
Thanksgiving note is broken, there ii
a rift which the lutte threatens to make
!. 1t mute.
It Is impossible to say in the conflict
ing clamor of voices how far the recen
compaign has swung UP in that direc
: ton. New York politics." says on,
observer, will have to do some tai
jumping around to live up to all tn,
predictions" and the millennium doe.