The Elbert County tribune., 1907-11-21
THE SPIRIT
AND FEAST OF
THANKSGIVING

Sido by side with the Tong, un-
broken custom handed down to us by
our forefathers" OF setting apart an
nually special day for Thanksgiving
has also dwelt with us the idea that
we must have as nearly as practicable
the same kind of feast as that en-
toyed by the first settlers upon these
shores. From sentimental view
point this theory is undoubtedly cor
rect, and would really work out beau
tifully were 1t 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-
sters, turkeys, chicken for chicken pie,
with vegetables, fruits. rich pastries.
and delicacies in abundance. The idea
is to arrange a composite meal which
shall comprise as nearly as may be
the various fruits and products OF the
earth. And good and praiseworthy
idea 1t is, too. IL only everybody had
the wherewithal to purchase these
fruits; but unfortunately this must be
an oysterless and turkeyless Thanks
giving for many persons. The causes
contributing to this state of things
cannot be discussed here; nor does
1t much matter to the man who en-
ters 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
ThA f1 I. L.. Is,
beyond his means, and therefore he
will have to 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-
cles comprised in 1T. must have been
a comparatively simple matter. The
settlers had but to 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, 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
feast that should fifty 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 a good thing If 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.
tions for the feast went on, and at a
convenient time they "so!emnized 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 1t is pre-
pared. he surely has good and suHi-
cient cause for thankfulness.