The Mercur miner. [volume] (Mercur, Utah) 1895-1913, 1907-11-27
THE SPIRIT
AND FEAST OF
THANKSGIVING

Sido by side with the long. I'M
broken custom handed down to us by
our forefathers' OF setting apart an
nually a special day for Thanksgiving
has also dwelt with us the idea that
we must have as nearly as practicable
the same kind of a feast as that en-
joyed by the first settlers upon these
shores. From a sentimental view
point this theory is undoubtedly cor
rect, and would really work out beau
tifully were It not for certain changed
conditions affecting our supply OF sea.
sonable provisions. A regulation plan
of directions for getting up a proper
Thanksgiving dinner even this year
would suggest the providing OF oy-
sters, turkeys, chicken for chicken pie.
with vegetables, fruits. rich pastries,
and delicacies in abundance. The idea
is to arrange composite meal which
shall comprise as nearly as may be
the various fruits and products Of the
earth. And a good and praiseworthy
idea It is, too, II only everybody had
the wherewithal to purchase these
fruits; but unfortunately this must be
an oysterless and a turkeyless Thanks
giving for many persons. The causes
contributing TO this state Of things
cannot be discussed here; nor does
II much matter to the man who en-
tiers a meat market and sees a turkey
which he longs to 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 1t is
beyond his means, and therefore he
will have to do without II. 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
| Giles comprised In It, must have been
a comparatively simple matter The
settlers had but t. take down the
| fowling 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. wilt
fruits. such vegetables as they knew
how to raise were abundant; nuts o.
various kinds were plentiful-what
then, was to hinder the making ready
feast that should fifty supplement
the public Thanksgiving rendered untt
the Lord? There is the point. The
feast is but the outward sign or toker
OF that which underlies the whole
Thanksgiving idea. II is the feelini
in the heart, the sentiment OF graft
tude for good received. that. after all
constitutes the real Thanksgiving
With this feeling present the absenc,
OF the turkey, even though he is every
where acknowledged to be the KIM
of the feast, need not be counted
misfortune.
We are too apt to forget Just how
things were with the settlers. w,
take the idea of that great historical
feast into our minds. and we overlool
the dark shadows that must have beer
in that first Thanksgiving picture.
would be a good thing II we would tr,
TO remember the little graveyard b.
the waters edge" and make an effor
to recall what the record says, tina
| nOl Out nOuStHOiu III llt NtW MdSSd
chusetts colony but had recently beel
visited by death or severe and pre-
tracted Illness. But still the prepare
lions for the feast went on. and at
convenient time they "solemnized
day OF Thanksgiving unto the Lord.
Surely we can learn lesson fror
the simple faith OF these pious souls
We are not called upon to-day to sui
fer the privations which were the 10
of our forefathers. but any year ma
bring changed conditions which ma
necessitate more or less self-denial o.
our part. II the man who finds hin
self unable to buy material for a
expensive dinner knows that his fan
lily circle is complete and unbroker
and everybody in health and fully abb
to enjoy the dinner when II is pre-
pared. he surely has good and sun
cient cause for thankfulness.