Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1908-11-20

laugh in merry glee at the first
Thanksgiving dinner with its Indian guests Young peo-
pie all love the sweet story of Priscilla the Puritan mai
den. Men and women turning moment in busy lives
to glance backward feel deep satisfaction in the knowl
of the bravery of their fathers who laid the founda
tons of the nation and who left them heritage of stur
dy courage and democratic ideals.
The traditions of country grow old They have
perennial youth Stories and traditions become en-
bodied in the epochs of nations life and literature from
which the latter generations find The tales
of the brave of country, their sacrifices and
noble deeds of of loyalty and of strength
to be part of the nations thought and its life. They
form ideals toward which the character of the community
and develops The story of Thanksgiving is a sim
pie one from viewpoints; but it is rich in sub
stance that its inspiration is felt to-day all the Unit
ed States.
In England the Puritans were unhappy They separat
ed from the Church of England and held services in p
vate houses or in the open air. These called Sep
arasts. They We're arrested lawbreakers and fined
or imprisoned. About the time the jamestown colony
was planted band of these Separatists went to Ley
den, in Holland where they could enjoy freedom of
worship They stayed there 12 years.
These Pilgrims mainly farmers, and had difficulty
to earn their living in the Dutch cities gardens Their
children were obliged to attend Dutch schools and
fast losing the of the English tongue. The
the Pilgrims entered the Dutch army and navy and the
young people began to inermay. The Pilgrims feared
that if they stayed in Holland any longer their families
would become Dutch They decided that they like
to go to America They sent two to get permission
of the London company to settle it's land. The
pany glad get colonists and gave them
"a charter of privileges.
The spirit had cried against its loss by absorp
tion. The sturdy English desired keep intact their
language and their racial characteristics worship
God as they deemed right
1t in December that they made a landing on the
coast of Massachusetts,
There were with hoary hair
Amidst that pilgrim band
Why had they to wither there
Away from their childhoods land?
There woman's fearless eye,
Lit by her deep loves truth;
There was manhoods brow serenely high
And the fiery heart of youth.
What sought they thus afar?
Bright jewels of the mine?
The wealth of seas the spois of war?-
They sought faiths pure shrine!
Ay, call 1t holy ground
The soil where first they trod
They left unstaind what there they found
Freedom to worship God
It terrible winter they lived through unused to
the climate away from the comforts of civilization
Better times came The summer fruitful one
and autumn the little colony with stores that would
keep them through the coming winter The barbarous
foes or the west had not molested them although
lived there, tiny colony shut in from friends by the
vast sea to the east and the forest prmeva stretching
to the north west and south Of them They thank
full for their blessings and so set aside day in which to
express their gratitude to the Good All Father They
not rich in worldly goods but their reached
out to all humanity and that feast they invited
to their table Massasot Indian chief 40 of his
braves 1t was great undertaking for that small group,
yet they gave from their hearts in the funess their
gratitude This sweet and wholesome spirit become
part of the national celebration. Thanksgiving day
of festivity of family reunion, of feastng glad
An atmosphere of satisfaction pervades it. The ana.
lytical mind but make comparisons to-day and yes
terday, and speculate on the morrow That mind
how the great catasrophes that fell the nation have