Norwich bulletin., 1914-11-26
REASONS ARE ABUNDANT
 FOR THANKSGIVING.
Declares Rev. c. H. Rieketts in Rich.
 mond Radiator Co. Shop Talk.


 General Secretary Edwin HiIi led the noon shop talk at the Richmond Radi- ator plant on Wednesday held under the auspices of the '. M. c. A., and the speaker was Rev. Charles H. Rick etts, pastor of the GreeneyiIle Con- gresational church.
 Rev. MT. Ricl1etrs said that on Thanksgiving we all will observe the grand New England festival. It was born in a wonderful expression of faith in the goodness of A1nlig ghty God under adverse circumstances. When we look back to the autumn of 1921 and see the 50 struggling survivors of the original Pilgrim colony more dead than alive; having battled with fatal disease that removed three-fourths of their number: having struggled with a hard and unyielding soil; having bTaY- cd welt nigh insuperabIe climatic con ditions for these men and women to come together and praise God in the spirit of thanksgiving stands forth al- most unparalleled in the history of hu- man courage. It stands forth as an example for all time what men and women can do who have a deathlees faith in the providence of God,
 It is not my purpose to unfold the growth of the thanksgiving spirit and festival from its commencement at Plymouth Rock. I simply want to make vivid the contrast between the reasons these men had for thanking God for his goodness, and what you have. Looking at it from the human standpoint it would seem as though these men had lost nearly every thing relatives, friends, health, property and a promising future outlook. Men. what have you lost this year that is at all comparable to theirs? Perhaps individually you have felt all of these losses this year, but considered as a band of men, have you seen three fourths of youF number swept away by some terrible Tnalady? Have you met such property losses as these men did, or have you suffered like them tn other respects? Now then, if they found reason in their hearts for thank ing God for his loving kindness and tender mercies" what ought to be our attitude toward Him who have been so highly favored?
 Of course know that the business of the country is not in the most prom. ising condition, and yet I think that popular judgment somewhat exagger- ates this condition. According to sta tistics there are fewer unemployed than a year ago this time. When fl becomes necessary to cut down our ex- penses to meet our income even lit- tie it is easy to cry out about hard times. You have not been working full time, and perhaps you have had tc do some close figuring to make ends
  to eat and drink this year and enough clothes? Have you not had some oi the luxuries of life? Have you mol been able to feed and clot1e your fam lilies and keep your children in school Even if the bank account has not in- creased.
 Now then, while the situation from the business point Of view might ns more satisfactory, still do we really know much about hard times? In In- dia they can talk about hard timeS where men, women and children die oI starvation by the thousands, in some seasons and in China, too, where per. iodic famines from flood or trough; sweep away millions. have an ides that little, plucky Belguin, God savl her and bless her knows somethinf about hard timesi It might be pretty nlaHd for the Belgians to thank God foI his goodness His cities have beer captured and partly destroyed; price. less works of art destroyed; his field. h'~ '---~1 ~-7 all business paralyzed am thinking of the French widow N poys to the front ans there they will stay. That RHoFnaS knows something about hard times. am thinking of the million farnilie: