The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1907-11-28

.H 49,
Godcy's Lady's Book Mt Philadelphia.
and Mrs. Hale became editor of that
celebrated periodical, holding the posi-.
ton continuously for forty years.
Thus on the two magazines her edI-
torinl career extended over f~orty-nlne
years. She retired In 1877, being then
c~ighty.ninc years OF age. She died In
Philadelphia April 80, 1879.
The Scaman's Aid society, originated
In Boston by Mrs. Hale, Is the par.
cut Of many similar organizations In
various ports. As an editorial writer
Mrs, Hale always advocated the nd.
vanccment OF women. She urged their
employment as teachers and the estab-
llshmcnt for them OF higher semlndries
OF learning. She also started d move
ment which resulted In the training
OF many women for medical mission.
AIRY service in foreign lands. While
editor Of the Ladies' Magazine In Dos
ton Mrs. Hale proposed that the wom-
en- of New England should raise $50
600 to complete the Bunker Hill monu.
ment. This proposition was carried
ont. the women holding n great fair,
for the purpose. Mrs. Hale took u
leading part In the management Of
the fair. Thus the Bunker Hill monu-
ment stands today in n certain sense
as n monument to Mrs. Sarah ]. Hale.
But It is with her efforts In behalf
of n national Thanksgiving day that
we are chiefly concerned here. About
tie time that Mrs. Hale began ngitat-
Ing the raising Of the monument fund
she also suggested that Thanksgiving
should be made a national festival. to
lie held each year on the same day
throughout the country. Prior to TINT
time New England had held Thanks
giving days, but these We're usually Of
n very serious and somber sort. calcu-
lated to depress rather than to cheer.
In the main they were days Of humiii-
alton and fasting. Mrs. Hale proposed
n festival involving thanks to Al.
mighty God for blessings rendered.
Mrs. Hale went about her work In
earnest. For more than twenty years
she urged the idea. through her Bos.
ton magazine first and Inter through
the Philadelphia publication. She
opened personal correspondence on the
subject with the governors OF various
states and with each succeeding presl-
dent Of the United States.
There wns an interval Of forty-slx
years, from 1915 to 1861, during which
no president Of the United States Is
sued a proclamation either for hu-
initiation and prayer or for thsntsgiy-
ing and praise. In New Englard tho
ancient custom was kept Up By %ecla-
nations from the stnte governors.
President Lincoln. acting upon a rec
ommendation from n Joint committee
OF both houses Of congress, proclaimed
the last Thursday In September, 1851,
,"as a day Of humiliation, fasting and
prayer in an effort to restore peace"
Other similar p~roclamatIons were Is.
sued by Lincoln during the civil war.
and by 1864 the last Thursday in No.
vember had come to be regarded as
the proper Thanksgiving day.
With the close OF the war and the
restoration Of peace Thanksgiving be-
came n dny Of rejoicing rather than
OF hun elation, and thus at last Mrs.
Hnle's suggestion, which was altogeth-
er In accord With the cheerful spirit Of
the present age, was c~rystallized into
n Of our most popular and useful ma
tional institutions.