The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1907-11-22
THE SPIRIT
AND FEAST OF
THANKSGIVING

Side BY side with the long. un-
broken custom handed down 10 us by
our forcfathers" Of setting apart an
nually a special day for THANKSGIVING
has also dweli with rs the idea thar
we must have As nearly as practicahle
the same kind OF a feast as that en-
joyed by the FIRST settlers upon these
shores From a sentimental We"
point this theory is undoubtedly cor
rect and would really work ont beau
tifuly were it not for certain changed
conditions affecting our supply OF sea
sonable provisions a regulation plan
OF directions for getting UP proper
THANKSGIVING dinner even this year
would suggest the providing OF oy-
STEERS. turkeys. chicken for chicken pie.
with vegetables. fruits. rich pastries,
and delicac.cs in abundance. she idea
is 10 arrange composite meal which
shall comprise as nearly as may De
the various fruits and products OF the
earth And a good and praiseworthy
idea il is. too. il only everybody had
the wherewlthal 10 purchase these
fruits but unfortunately this must be
an oysterloss and a turkeyless Thanks.
giving for many persons. The causes
contributing 10 this state of things
canno, be discussed here. nor does
ID much matter TO the man who en-
tiers a meat market and sees a turkey
which he longs 70 purchase for his
family but which he knows he cannot
AFFORD Just why the commodity, with
many Others. is so far beyond his
means The thing is he knows II Is
beyond his means. and therefore ne
will have 70 do without IT, He must
to some extent give up the idea Of try
ing TO initiate that first Thanksgiving
! dinner in the forest
In some respects the preparation OF
that feast or the obtaining the arti-
I Giles comprised in IL. must have been
I a comparatively simple matter The
settlers had but to take down the
fowling piece 20 into the woods and
bring home the wild game. Well filled
oyster beds lay quite near the shore
The harvest was fruitful. grain. wild
fruits. such vegetables as they knew
how 10 raise were abundant. nuts o
various kinds were plentiful-what
then was 10 hinder the making ready
a feast that should fifty supplement
the public Thanksgiving rendered unto
the Lord? There is the point The
feast is but the outward sign or toker
Of that which underlies the whole
THANKSGIVING idea It is the feelins
in the heart the sentiment OF graft
tude for good received. that, after all
constitutes the real Thanksgiving
With this feeling present tho absenc
of the turkey. even though he is every
where Acknowledged TO be the kin
OF the feast need not be counted
misfortune
We are too ant 10 forget just ho'
things We're with the settlers. W
take the idea Of that great historical
feast into our minds. and we overloo
the dark shadows that must have bee
in that first Thanks giving picture
would be a good thing if we would tn
to remember the "liitle graveyard b
the waters edge" and make an efroi
70 recall what the record says. tha
not one household in the New Mass
chusetts colony but had recently bee
visited by death or severe and pr'
tractcd illness But still the prepari
tions for the feast went on. and at
/ Oh
day Of thanksgiving unto the Lord
Surely we can learn a lesson frol
the simple faith Of these pious soul
We are not called upon to-day TO su
fer the privations which were the i
Of our forefathers. but any year ma
, bring changed conditions which ms
necessit2te more or less self-denial {
Cur part II the man who finds hii
self unable to buy material for Z
expensive dinner knows that his far
ily circle is complete and unbroke
and everybody in health and fully all
TO enjoy the dinner when it is III
pared. he surely has good and sui
cient cause for thankfulness.
So. even II In some cases the q
keys place must be filled by chic
en-. and perhaps not any too large
chicken. and even II a number
: palmer dishes have to be made to {
swer for the assortment OF rich 70
which We have always considered n,
essary for the Thanksgiving table.
us not depart on this account fro
any Of the time-honored customs
= longing to the day The family
= unions can be complete and enjorah
The tallest grand child and the ne
- est baby can each be accorded tn
= full share Of attention. and old a
- young alike may all have part in
i. jeyousness and general good cheer