The Rice belt journal., 1907-11-22
6 SPIRIT
and FEAST OF
THANKSGIVING

~ side with the long, un-,
~ .nstom handed down to us by
pIsn fathers" of setting apart an
N special day for Tn THANKSGIVING 9ss5 wing
also dwelt with us the lues IhaI ,l1
s have as nearly as practicable
pu' hind of a feast as that en-
(. the first settlers upon these
~ = From a sentimental view
oIs' So. theory is undoubtedly cor
-a "a would really work out beau
= - vpre it not for certain changed
ID% a,,ioos affecting our supply OF sea-
-. nroyisions. A regulation plan
srpctions for getting up proper
,saksgiying dinner even this year
a suggest the providing of oy-
VI' .rrkeys, chicken for chicken pie,
81 = vegetables fruits, rich pastries,
a Jeicacies in abundance The idea
!, arrange a composite meal which
n ,omprise as nearly as may be
,,rious fruits and products of the
:, And a good and praiseworthy
=, Il Is, too, if only everybody had
+. vherewithal to purchase these
s.st,. hut unfortunately this must be
,rcterless and turkeyleSs Thanks
',,i,g for many persons. The causes
Sostributing to this state of things
.nrot be discussed here; nor does
A much matter to the man who en-
.,. meat market and sees turkey
rbich he longs to purchase for his
family but which he knows he cannot
:. ,.ord lust why the commodity, with
II many others, is so far beyond his
means The thing is he knows it is
I hoyond his means, and therefore he
Avil have to do without it, He must
h 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-
eles comprised in it, must have been
a comparatively simple matter. The
settlers had but to take down the,
foEling piece, go 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 to raise were abundant; nuts of
various kinds were plentiful-what,
then, was to hinder the making ready |
a feast that should fitly supplement
the public Thanksgiving rendered unto |
the Lord? There is the point. The |
feast is but the outward sign or token |
Of that which underlies the whole !
Thanksgiving idea. 1t is the feeling |
in the heart, the sentiment Of graft
tude for good received, that, after all,
constitutes the real Thanksgiving. !
With this feeling present the absence
Of the turkey, even though he is every
where acknowledged to be the king
of the feast, need not be counted a
misfortune.
We are too apt to forget just how
things were with the settlers. We
take the idea of that great historical
feast into our minds, and we overlook
the dark shadows that must have been
in that first Thanksgiving picture. 1t
would be good thing II we would try
to remember the little graveyard by
the waters edge" and make an effort
to recall what the record says, that
not one household in the New Massa-
chusetts colony but had recently been
visited by death or severe and pro-
tracted Illness But still the prepara-
tons for the feast went on, and at a
convenient time they "solemniZed a
day of thanksgiving unto the Lord"
Surely we can learn lesson from
the simple faith of these pious souls.
We are not called upon to-day to suf-
fer the priVations which were the lot
OF our forefathers, but any year may
bring changed conditions which may
necessitate more or less self-denial on
our part. If the man who finds him
self unable to buy material for an
expensive dinner knows that his fam
lily circle is complete and unbroken,
and everybody in health and fully able
to enjoy the dinner when it is pre-
pared, he surely has good and sufi'
cient cause for thankfulness.
So, even If in some cases the tur-
Keys place must be filledSby a chick
IN, and perhaps not any too large a
chicken, and even if a number OF
'lainer dishes have to be made to an
'wer for the assortment of rich food
which we have always considered nee
.ssary for the Thanksgiving table, let
Is not depart on this account from
my of the time-honored customs be-
onging to the day. The family re-
nions can be complete and enjoyable.
The tallest grand child and the new
st baby can each be accorded their
ull share of attention, and old and
oung alike may all have part in the
oyousnesS and general good cheer.