The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1915-11-19
WaysandMeans
Of
Thanksgiving

THANKSGIVING in the language
from which it is derived really,
means thought giving, and that
reminds ne of the lines,
There is nothing, good or bad.
But thinking makes it So"
II we are not thankful it is our own
fault. There are few OF us whom for
tune has so abused, but on this one day
Of the year we cannot find something
to be thankful about-if we but think.
We can at least be thankful FOR the
free blessing of light. the blue sky so
clear and deep in the November days.
the sunshine that brigntens the earth
and the life that run in u veins.
There are few of us too, SO poor we
cannot give a thought of gratitude for
other blessings we nave. There are
few of us so placed in life that we
cannot help someone else to be thank
full If we try.
From the first Thanksgiving day
when Governor Bradford sent out men
to bring in wild turkeys for the feast.
in honor of the first harvest in Ply
mouth, there has been a general opin-
ion that this is a harvest festival and
80 it becomes a home festival. That
is one of the blessings of the day to
mothers and fathers. They can give
thanks in truth when they see their
children and grandchildren around
them. 1t ought to be in the minds of
sons and daughters, a pleasant duty,
to pay especial attention to their par
ents on this day. II they cannot be
at home they a at least send a let
ter or a telegram of greeting to the
home folks"
The thought of Thanksgiving being
a home festival sometimes is a stun.
bling block in the minds of men and
women, who have either no home ties
or are prevented by circumstances
from being in their WI home circle or
from joining the circle of their
friends. So they shrug their mental
shoulders and say to themselves, Why
should l be thankful? No n cares.
Something like that vas the first
thought of a young woman, alone In
a large city, making her own way in
the world. Her second thought was
| better. She reasoned: IF I am alone
here with no to give me a Thanks
giving dinner, there must be a great
many others in the same position, and
maybe some who cannot buy even q
good dinner.
IF I'm going to show any gratitude
for the blessings of health and
strength and courage, I'll look out for
someone else" She did SO. by going to
the superintendent of a newsboy home
and asking for three boys who had no
relatives or friends in the city who
should be her guests at a Thanksgiv-
ing dinner. The superintendent en-
tered heartily into the plan. On
Thanksgiving day she made these
boys her real guests mot charity
guests), in every ense. There was
a turkey dinner with all the "ixings.'
and there we're tickets to a matinee
in the afternoon. Bat best of all, she
became acquainted with them to such
a degree that these boys looked upon
her as a friend and showed in diff
ferent ways later how much they ap-
preciated the Thanksgiving treat.
A SCHOOL teacher way out on the
"a Pacific coast felt as If she we're
in exile. She had no friends or rela-
tives within two thousand miles. At
first she did not look forward with any
pleasure to the first Thanksgiving
day to be spent among strangers. But
it is her disposition to make the most
of life. If she cannot have what she
likes she looks for something to like
in what she has: She decided to give
someone a good Thanksgiving din
e 1t was out of the question for
her to entertain anyone and the idea
of just sending q basket to a worthy
family did not seem to be sufficient.
She wanted a personal touch some
how. She consulted with q woman,
who. while not a social worker. knew
the city and the needs Of many a fam
lily. Through this woman she found q
widow with two ons who was Just
about ready to give up the struggle.
and break up her home. She had
been sick. was discouraged and lone
ly and vas losing spirit and energy.
The school teacher took in the situa.
tion with keen sympathy. A basket Of
groceries, a chicken. vegetables and
fruit made a Thanksgiving dinner pos
sible. It was a dinner that more than
fed the bodies Of the mother ans chill
dren. It put new courage into them.
The school teacher forgot her own
loneliness in being thankful she could
lend a hand to q less fortunate sister.
The mother shouldered her RESPONSE
bilities with new courage which never
tagged until finally a neat and com
Portable home for herself and her chill
dren was the result.
It pays sometimes to replace "For
what l am about to receive make me
truly thankful" by another prayer:
For what l am about to give make mo
truly thankful.
HEAD I LOSE, SAID THE TURK