The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1914-11-24
OBSERVING THANKSGIVING,
DAY IN AN ORPHANS HOME
NO I1ace "here The Spirit of the Occasion Can Re Moro
Celebration. s Nohes ~
IL. r. ~REYNOLDS.l

Gays anu weeks pass. There is some
tning eacn Gay for each and everyone
TO De Notwithstanding each week.
something Zach month, and an event |
or events or prime Importance upon
which rejection may be given at tho |
end of the year.
AS one reads the Presidents proc
lamation Of Thanksgiving Day natur-
ally ne thinks first that this great ma
ton has been neutral in war, and that /
~bloOdshed, followed by a fearful and
mourning reublic, has been SUBSTITUTE |
ed with peace-Sublime peace. And
then n reverts to the fact that fam
inc has been impeded and that boun-
teous plenty has swelled our Golfers
with the necessities of life. These are
matters Of national importance, and.
with some of the things that more
largely touch one personally, the pur-
port OF the national reminder of a
thanksgiving day is buried in the
chasm of turmoil that, seemingly, is
q heritage of the world.
There are hundreds OF incidents
each year for which each and every
person should have a thankful DISPOSE
ton. Yet for the TACT that the major
part of these incidents are possibly
not noticed as being Of particular i'm
%portance. they are forgotten-forgot-
ten possibly, to never again enter the
volume of m
dlo lS
which a youth is brought up doubt
less has much to do with his or her
Thanksgiving spirit. Almost all over
the country the youthful mind looks
forward to Thanksgiving Day with
as much delight sa' he anticipates
Christmas. The pleasures Of that day
are almost equal to that Of the COM
ing of Saint Nick" The school boy
and girl look forward with anticipa-
ton to the holiday that will be given,
as we'll as the good things in the form
OF edibles. From the early days Of
childhood we are taught generally
that Thanksgiving is a permanent day
of pleasure. We naturally get the
habit of observing the day and antici-
pating the next one, and but little
thought of its purport is given. With
some more than others there is a
greater internal understanding of the
original purpose of Thanksgiving Day
and a conception OF the cause OF the
custom is evident.
Where Day is Understood.
Possibly in no place is there such
q proper observance of ThankSSlvln
Day as in IN orphans home. POS
sibly in no other place of training is
the child and youth, both from un,
Outstanding and habit of observance
taught that it is a day of real thanks
giving in the full sense Of the term
To fully appreciate this fact one must
get an instinct of the experience him
self. When he has gone into an or
phans' home and once observed close
~ the thanksgiving spirit he will there
receive a lasting Inspiration ana al
impressive understanding OF the pur
port of the national Thanksgiving Day
To have lived within the bounds o.
an orphans home is an experience
tina comes to few. Only a compare
lively small percentage OF populatlo1
are brought up in such institutes, !o'
it is in those homes that those De
reft in early age Of ~parentage ar
cared for and given the mOtherly AM
fatherly training of which they other
wise would be deprived. For one t
have been occasiOned a life IN an or
phans' home is both fortunate and un
fortunate-unfortunate because OF TN
loss of ~arentag fortunate becaus
of the access to a home which make
parental care possible. To be reare!
in such a home is not only an experl
ence that comes to few, but II Is
rare experience to those VINO nave III
privilege. There one learns to appre
ciate life-not from luxury. however
to know how to live 1t and enjoy II
pleasures from experiences that com
to only those who are CHANGED 10 o
reared there.
4 Day to Be Remembered.
The first real Thanksgiving LAY thd
experienced was ina
home. in which 1 had been for aoot
two months. To me had come IN
combined fortune and misfortune {
l;fe-the nenetration OF sadness an
the ~paciication Of gladness. We
do I remember the September "a.
not MANY years since, when l was lif'
ed into a railroad car to take my ni:
ride on a train. The day was IN
beginning of an %eventful six years +
the end of the days journey was
be dropped amidst new
and amongst strange people and IN
new home-an orphans home. MO-
vividly do 1 recall. upon reacnin
v;ew that greeted my eye and respon'
ed TO a puerile nature. 1t seemed
me a vision, for so magnificent q we
--.r = 4Ao,obt he seen only IN