Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-11-21

The annual Thanksgiving season is
a necessity in enriching and develop
ing human life. 1t is the one time
in the year more than any other
when men are called upon to consid-
er the blessings and benefits for
which to be grateful. No man is a
normal man b " nom the eT1 ton ri
gratitude is suppressed. When some
great good comes into a mans life,
the response of gratitude awakened
in his soul makes so much the larger
/ his personal life and deposits Sc
much more of content in the enrich
ment of his character. To become
Indifferent to any call for gratitude,
or to suppress the emotion when II
arrives, is q stultifying act.
The principle holds good as well for
a nation as for an individual There
Is some great good that comes into
an individuals life that Is quite per-
sonal, but there are blessings that
come to a nation in which each in
dividual in some proportion shares.
1t is in recognition of this fact that
the President of the United states
and the Governors of the several
States yearly issue proclamations
calling on the people to render
thanks for the continued goodness of
ton is not at war is something that
the people are grateful for. That the
harvest season has been bountiful and
that industry is expanding are rea-
sons for Thanksgiving. That condf-
tions are not worse, when they might
be, Is something to stir feeling OF
qualification. That various ameliora-
tive movements for the betterment OF
life are thriving are worthy OF grate-
full considerations.
The development of the spirit OF
gratitude has ever been necessary
element in the spiritual man, VINO
becomes a spiritual detective without
it. In these days when much atten-
tion is being given to physical and
mental detectives in the effort TO
eradicate the defects and to raise the
faculties to normality, the sad state
of sn'ritual 5efecfive is not ~ be
overlooked. The yearly return of the
Thanksgiving season is calculated 70
remedy a defect in the thankiess
man by giving new opportunity Tor
reflection on the things that are
good and helpful in his life. The
emotion OF gratitude has been per-
sistent one in the development OF nu-
manity. Nations of the past nave
had their seasons of rejoicing, teast-
ing and thanksgiving.
How American Thanksgiving Gre"
The eight-day Feast of Taber-
nacles of ancient Jewish people was
a period Of Thanksgiving for the
blessings of harvests. The American
Thanksgiving season grew out OF the
spirit of gratitude for small blessings
rather than an abundance. The nrst
winter was a hard one for the Ply
mouth colony. but they had It in thelr
heart to be thankful that they were
alive and could pursue their way OF
freedom in a new land. They believed
that by establishing a day Of thanks
giving they were beginning their ire
amid new environment. however
wild, in right way Probably tney
felt that by being thankful for what
they actually had. they would re-
ceive in greater abundance. They
were a people of strong religious con-
victions which shaped chiefly their
customs. habits, institutions and 80
cial and religious celebrations. Some
of those customs and habits are NOT
acceptable today, but their conscious
ness of dependence in God and their
feeling of the necessity of gratitude
for even the smaller blessings OF HE,
challenge the admiration of naticn
that has waxed strong in people ana
resources.
The righteousness of the duty OF
Thanksgivinu has steadily been