Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1909-11-26
Friday. November &c. 1909
THANKSGIVING.

AS this paper goes to press the
country is celebrating Thanks
giving Day, appropriately we
trust, and cheerfully sitting down
to big dinners. and feasting gen.
orally. 1t is we'll and mete to
give thanks, thanks to the Giver
OF all good gifts for our blessings.
They are many, and no manner
OF thanks is too much to return.
Peace alone is greatly to begrate-
ful for, and there are some who
are old that remember with ach-
ing hearts the time when "grim
ylsaged war" reared his ''horrid
'front.', and graves were plenty
on hill and valley. Widows
incurred, children wept, cruel
and remorseless battle swept our
land and homes were devastated.
Thanks that this is past, that we
have peace nowl
Some one once suggested that
a sermon be preached from the
text OF the Pharisee-"God, /
thank thee that / am not as
other men," 1t might be done,
and little reflection on what we
might have had that we have
been spared from would bring
much OF content. Thanks for
what we have not had. Well.
your boy is athome, is in honest
employment, is loved by those
who know him. RecallEit was
only a little while ago-the case
ofthe boy who was shot down in a
disgraceful brawl in which he was
entangled with disreputable
character. In a moment he was
gone, and his old father soon fol-
lowed him to a grave that came
sooner to the old man than it
should, he broken hearted and
crushed. Thank God, friend, that
you are not as other men areas
that old man. AS that mother
whose daughter left the home
stead under a blight-be thank
ful that it was not your girl.
That young mother whose babe
lies dead in yonder room-haye
you thanked God that YOU are
not MS other people, even as this
one bereft? But the list might
be prolonged. You have much.
very mnch, and while thankful
Tor this and that you have. pause
and ponder on what YOU might |
have had of suffering that Won
have been mercifully spared, and
again give thanks.
A man was once met on the
stree. 10y an,entire stranger. who.
stopping the passer, demanded |
II he had ever thanked God for
his reason. The questioned con-
fessed that he had never thought
to do so. Then get down on
your knees and thank him now:
L have lost mine" Even so: and
you have yours. 1t is matter
for profound gratitude.
Think it all over, friend. BE
thankful that you are not as
other men, even as this ,ltsmented |
MAN. And as you eat your
Thanksgiving dinner. remember
with hnmblethanks that YOU are
eating it in peace not SO much
because OF your intrinsic deserts
there are plenty who have none Il
such who deserve it as well as
you-but because you are one of
Gods favored kind, though YOU
cannot reason why. i
NotlOng ago there was a decent (
who had fallen from a .
building and was for a time a !
cripple. Quite a family depended {
on him and there was NO money {
to buy the Thanksgiving dinner 1
Children and mother, father and I
son, all with provisions scantv 6
and no cash in sight. Across the I
way was q family that had at I
east sufficiency of this worlds /
goods to be above want, and the i
Thanksgiving turkey g
vas cooked and ready. Said the p
nother-it's always the mother il
Who opens her heart first-said s
he, How would it do to send
me OF the boys over to the
Ihompson's with our turkey? a
Ne have plenty of cold ham," 1t n
vas done, and the !Thompsons. d
Who had expected nothing better v
han potatoes and sausage, sat n
Town to a turkey dinner, and the u
amily across the way enjoyed o
he cold ham pretty well, con p
idering. And when the big dish
II apple dumplings came on the
'oard-big sister could make 81
hem MS no one else-it was voted Il
8 good a dinner as any in the b
ounty, and the feeling of having 5
eiped the poor Tbompsons filed T
ii hearts with delight. In
DO you not know a Thompson
on could send something to?