Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-11-22

0NCE upon time-by which beginning you
u ! may know the story is pleasant fiction
the handy small boy of instructive anecdote,
hearing an elder unctuously roll forth the phrase,
"Grace after meat, remarked that of course girl
might do anything, but boy had more sense than
to chase after something he was sure OF getting any
way
To the mall boy Grace after meat" was literal.
He had picture of leggy thing in skirts actually
pursuing something desired. You know the aphor-
ism about men being only children OF larger
growth. "Grace after meat is one OF the pleasant
sounding phrases for gratitude. The most familiar
definition of gratitude is appreciation of favors
vet to be received. The small boys understanding
is substantially the the grown-up idea, only
it is trihe more literal.
Real gratitude is about the rarest thing in the
world. In it's pure form it is found chiefly among
those who have saved others at great risk sacrl-
fice When lifeguard pulls us drowning from the
surf or a fireman rescues us from the flames, or
policeman stops runaway after hope is given up,
then, for a moment two, when we are still shak-
ing with the chill of impending death, we promise
extravagantly lifting voices in loud proclama-
ton of amazing gratitude.
But when we recover our poise, the first business
we set about is forgetting, and we try hard sup
pose the is that SO small we are ashamed
of the weakness that made helpless In the face OF
a danger another overcame. We resent this greater
strength and courage. On the other hand, the res
cuer is glad to have had the opportunity to display
these qualities and to know they accomplished some
thing pretty big He has feeling of paternal, pro-
prietary interest in the victim. So if you are look
ing for real gratitude, seek it among the savlors
not among the saved 1t has always been so.
Fine Act of the Puritans
HUMAN nature being what it is it is remarkable
- that our Puritan forebears should have estab-
ished the finest of all national holidays If they had
not set their grim faces against everything that
snacked of pagan joyousness they might have called
it 1.-THE Feast of the Grateful" But they chose a
name that has greater significance and solemnity,-
Thanksgiving.
1t is big and fine this idea developed by handful
of New Englanders that has become the distinctive
national holiday of these United States. All the
world celebrates its New Year Day: the Christians
of the earth celebrate the natal day of Him whose
name they bear; nearly every nation has its Liberty
Day; everywhere are birthdays of great men hon
ored There are no end of holidays; but only in
this country is there Thanksgiving Day.
Those strait laced Puritans pretty narrow
minded in many things; but now and then they
brought forth something big and broad as life
itself Many things we owe them; but none is better
or finer than Thanksgiving. Some day, few ages
hence we may be able fully to understand and ap
precate it.
There used to be in many legal documents
phrase still found in contracts governing the ships
that sail the deep seas,the saving clause, " an act
could not be safeguarded against. Most of us have
a comfortable fashion of charging failures to
the g act of Providence, while we congratulate our
selves triumphs, considering Providence not
at all. There is heap energy wasted in dodg-
ing responsibility for failure than is usefully
pended in struggling for success
They didn't try to dodge, those Puritan folk