Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1909-11-26
Through Bright Sky and Warm Air
Nature Bestows Smile.
DOOR AND OUT THE FESTIVAL IS
Devout Give Thanks in Religious
Observance of the Day.
VIGOROUS YOUTH RUNS AND PLAYS
Even the Fork on the Block and Fat
Poultry seem TO Give Forth
freshness of the Cheer
full Season.

II was a day OF genuine thanksgiving In
Omaha. And busy commerce paused to OBJ
serve It. The weather-sprinE-liSe I'm its
balmy clear atmosphere--toned the spirits
to a high key and the Great Human Fam
lily, or that portion Of 1t in this city, partook
Of fcstal feasts and engaged I'm devout
worship and participated in out-of-door
exercise with vim and vigor Characters
tic OF a healthy, happy people.
That aspect Of Thanksgiving day from
which the name itself is derived, was
not ignored In Omaha, many churches
holding services Of praise and gratitude
and these services were particularly i'm
pressivc among those denominations to
whom the day means much in an historical
way. But there was opportunity for all
who felt like observing the day in other
than astronomical way. so to act.
One sermon with particular reference to
the history and meaning OF Thanksgiving
day was delivered by Rev. L, o. Baird
pastor Of st. Mary's Avenue Congrega.
tional church. who occupied the pulpit at
Grace Lutheran church, where one of sew
eral union services OF the day was hold.
"As Christmas is the feast OF the nativity
of Christ" said DR.. Baird "and as the
Fourth Of July is the birthday celebration
day is the birthday holiday of Purltanlsm
I am here to say some words concerning
Puritanism and the Puritan.
So with All Great Events.
Just as at the birth of Christ, there
were the wise men who rejoiced and tho
people who wondered and the Herod who
scoffed, so 1t has been with other great
events and facts at their inception and
afterwards.
1T has become the fashion to indulge in
much easy abuse of the Puritan. To call
a thing 'puritanlcar is to damn 1t; to call
statute a blue law is to kill it, And all
this abuse, all this unfounded criticism Is
entirely unjustiflable.
Il do not want to return TO witch hang
ings-there never were any witch burnings
In New England. Nor do l wish to return
to the intolerance which exiled Roger VIII
liams; nor to the fake blue laws which are
much talked Of but most Of which as ex-
ampled We're never I'm any statute book
These references as commonly made are
the eXaggerations Of carlcature. And what
basis they have In face were the excuses
necessary to a primal state II Is true
that their ways were rigorous, but their
hearts were stupcudous The easy going
critic seated in his armchair under an
electric light in a steam heated flat seems
to forget the drapery OF these rugged
men was cut from the cloth of their day.
''Do you judge school by It's ounces or
by it's wise pupils?
do you rate men at their best or their
worst averages? Shall We discount Peter
after Peutecost because he had lied once
and sworn once?"
AnHIyIizes Popular Charges,
Dr. Baird then went on to analyze many
of the popular charges against the Puri-
tans in New England. He referred To
witch burning, now well known by the
educated never to have occurred in Amer
lea.
There were all told thirty-one executions
for witehcraft in New England" sad he.
and this was but in the fury OF the de-
lusion which swept across from the old
world Prior to the Ma sachusetts ou brsaS
there were $4,000 put to death In England,
5000 in Germany, 10000 in Francs-an for
the same cause.
do you ever hear anything about witch
craft in England? Do you ever hear about
It in Germany? In France?
-Four years later we see in New Eng
land the whole community join in a public
expression Of humility and penitence"
Seated with Rev. Mr.. Baird before the
sermon were Rev. w. Z. Todd OF the Third
Presbyterian church. NJ. l.. Mplick Of the
church in which the services were held,
Dr. Bail Of the Parkvale Congregational
and w. S. Fulton Of the Westminster
Presbyterian. Members Of the Hanscom
Park Methodist Episcopal church al o took
mart in the service