Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-12-01
Some Thoughts About
THANKSGIVING Difficulties

| Thnnksgipil
In the nice economy of our land it
would look as if Thanksgiving were es-
pecially designed for the successful
politicians. Coming so close upon the
heels Of the election, it is hardly to be
expected that the defeated parties
would be in the rejoicing spirit, while
as for the people generally such pre-
dictions of woe and destruction as
have waited upon the possible success
of either party would naturally move
a spirit of prayer rather than praise
in their troubled ranks. Perhaps that
! is why, from the President down, ev-
| cry one mixes sermon with his
Thanksgiving paeans. Likewise why
most people accept the sermon and
neglect the song. Even the small COM
pany of the vanquished, who assume
to cry Cali is lost, save honor" do
not seem sure enough of it to draw
much enthusiasm out of the shining
residue.
Political campaigns and national
Thanksgivings scarcely harmonize
sufficiently to make one month cover
them in perfectly happy and success
full fashion, and possibly when other
: fields for activity and innovation fail,
some reflection of this nature might
appeal to the energetic mind of our
chief executive, especially as the pres
ent returns from his own state cannot
altogether please him.
There is no denying on general prin-
ciples, that the spirit of gratitude and
thanksgiving in hearts have their seat
in something so spontaneous and gen
uine that at the best it is little diff
cult to separate the true emotion from
: Its Immediate cause. 1t is this which
!. makes a set day for giving thanks
somewhat perfunctory at all, requiring
all the spurs which piety and jollility
alike can furnish to bring it up to the
: mark 1t is when the first Joy in the
gift or benefit bubbles up in the heart
, that the note of gratiture leaps high
est, and to revive it for later occas
: ion Is not so easy anywhere.
: To enumerate the years blessings In
, field and mart goes but little way in
reaching that pulse of gratitude an6
!. JOY they awake perchance in needy
: hearts that experienced them. lr
; short, gratitude is SO much a matter o.
cause and effect that it takes reason
: able connection between the two to Sc
: cure the best results, and unless one
= = has mastered the sacred mysteries O
!, the apostles injunction, I'm every
= thing, give thanks a general day O
;, thanksgiving for fortunate and unfor
= tunate, successful and defeated, glat
> and sorrowing alike, has that touch o
,, mockery and jest which time attache
y to our brave and pious efforts every
! !, where.
u 1t is curious to find the essayists an
= scholars SURPRISING the preachers II
- advancing the optimism Of the old gos
;. pei which says rejoice evermore" a
:, against the pessimism of both Christ
: ians and non-Christians who CRITICS
% abuses in the key of bitter and face
= tious despair. Joy Is the deepest II
:, stinct of religion" says Moore, and
. is the brilliant Chesterton who pre-
sents the Lord himself as offering tn
:. cup of joy to human lips with the ne,
cry, Drink, for l know whence y
| come and why"
| Thanksgiving and Gratitude.
The psychological law which make
the feeling Of gratitude, in it's effect
upon the human soul, the main thin
carries the argument for more ger
eral share in the benefits that Undue
III it to it's logical and philanthropic cor
clusion. Certainly it emphasizes th
| mistake of devisiing Thanksgivin
benedictions for people mainly i'm
4 pressed with grand "hiatus betwee
what they wanted and what the
didn't get" There is always the shir
ing store of free and gracious gift
which drop like the gentle dews fror
heaven upon all creatures alike, whett
er they are aware that they want ther
or not. But it takes more than on
Thanksgiving year to open hunla
hearts and eyes to the meaning c
this. CALI our virtues are habits,
says Prof. James, and gratitude, tina
virtue of the finest souls, does nc
come to perfect flower in a momen
1t takes, the soul of a psalmist or d
Emerson to blossom into song &c
| daily benefits that "are more in nun
Der than the sands" or whispe
Shall l not call God the beautiful
who daily showed himself so to m
in his gifts"
That life is doubtful good at bes
and to some people, as George Ellie
so sadly said, not good at all, is tn
| feeling expressed or unexpressed {
too many who turn their backs upo
the sun and find no beauty in tn
moon nor music in the nightingal,
i "Who wanted to come here, anyway?
and, "Thank you for nothing" is tn
beginning and end Of all that the "al
cient chance" and teeming tides {
time call forth in their sad souls, an
who shall waken them to any Thanks
giving morn.
1 In one of the far western states
/ man we'll known to every, citize
old or young, throughout the territor.
as the most helpful and cheerful spir
the whole region can show. One sid
of his face has been completely cate
away by cancer and is covered by
bandage that leaves only one eye an
part of the mouth visible. Reverse
of fortune have claimed the wealt