The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-11-25
THE DAY OF THANKS.

II Ia tho finest Of all the holidays.
Reverential as Christmas. ono service
suits It to all religions. Patriotic rs
the Glorious Fourth. It has no plague
Of blatant oratory. It exccls New
Years US sweet cider IL better for the
health than champagne, and It giows
with honest graduation instead of
blazing with "resolves' quickly incin-
Grated. Not vulgarized by display and
noise. IL Is the prime day Of good cheer.
tho family holiday. the most American
Of festivities. To Il the Lesser holidays
are robins beside tho turkey.
Tho worthy gentlemen in State
Capitois and White House to whose lot
falls the composition Of Thanksgiving
proclamations have graciously averted
from less exalted pens tho task of
formulating and itcinizing the causes
for gratitude. II their stately docu-
nents, museums OF sInug hurnbus In
private comment, mentioned tho COM
mon air wo drink. tho earth that
sends strength UP into us. the skies
that shine when We do not darken
them with shadows of ourselves; tho
hope ana courage still native in Ameri-
can hearts. tho Joys OF tho American
home. the soundness OF our Constitu-
ton and tho prevalent humanity OF
man 10 mar among us--we overlooked
the reference. But they. with rounded
periods, have satisfied the intellect and
eft untouched the pleasanter task.
We shall spend Thanksgiving on
Deacon P.tltin's Farm. Deacon PIT
lin's farm II In that volume OF Har-
riet Beecher Stoves writings called
"Stories. Sketches and Studies: and
who will may have "Dred" and "Crcle
Tom,' so ho but icavc TO III this de
ilghtful miscellany. redolent OF old
New England days. hard days but
sweet. Thanksgiving. 1925. Tho proc
lamation has been read from The pull
pit. CONSERVATION on tho part OF Miss
Briskett, dressmaker 20 the village OF
Maplaton. Miss Briskett TO Mrs.
Deacon Pitkin: Don't sec notlin' how
I'm roin' IT, get through things
there's Saphlry's gown, and Mis-
Deacon Trowhridge's cloak. and Lily
James new merino, not n stroll done
ont The Governor OF That state
ought Ia bc ashamed OF himself for
hmrying matters so.
\ busy time: "Oh. tho chOppings
tho ~poundings. tho stoning of raisins,
tho projections OF pies n piddings,
, tho killing Of turkeys-wlio a utter
Il? 80 In the great roomy
clean kitchen OF the descon's Gus
might lie seen the 1.-THE. comely form
Of Diana Ir,k!n presiding over the
roaring great oven which WIS to On
gulf the armies OF pies and cakes
- -... L.. H. z,,
ton on the ample tables And a noble
days work: as who shall deny whom
at its enc ninety PIES. apple. Gran
berry. punhin and mlnce. wide ant
deep and juicy ana spicy. are lined on
shelves IN the cold store chamtsr
where. ranged IN rows and frozer
solid. they arc 10 as- over New Years
Day. Forty short da:-s: ninety huge
pies. Tha, Was living.
Seven years later. and Thanksgiving
again. Cold and frosty. Ch!il Lriv.
ing storms have stripped the trees ot
their painted glories. FTosts ave
nipped the fields. \ keen air moves
bare branches scrape q n the shed rpo'
and twig' rap n rattle against the
window pares. A gray. chill evening
but not 50 gray and chill, "a the poor
old deacon. waiting 20 have the ole
p.ac. sod up" AS Bah. the hirct
man, satl: The deacon's luck IL,
seem 70 Ice sor; o streaky. for do wha'
YOU may there's allus suth!n' to put
him back" And 30 the deacon st:
in the twilight and troods over the
mortgage. Then:
WIFE," l.. said. read me something
can't quito -cinc,nber out a. -he Bible
-, In ;!.c eighth OF D.Y.eronomy, tn
second verse;"
Mn. P!;k.n opened the Mig family BIB,
on ;Ae stand and READ; And thou shal
r member al ths way IN wh!ch tho Io-'
= ny God hath ed thee :hete forty year
In tho wilderness, 80 humble thee and Q
provo thee and % krov what l. In III
hcar;. and wh.-her thou wcu.dst keep II
commandment vr no. And lie humble
thee, and entered th4a 20 hunger, and fe
thee with mamma. which -hou kHewes. not
neither II. Thy father, know. tina; IL
nigh. max -h,- know that man doth no
i've ty lre-d alone. eu. BY every vor
;ha. procNodr.h out Of IN, mouth OF tn
: Lord doth man live"
There. that's II" Interrupted IN
deacon.
Now II was decidedly old Fashioned
Of Mrs. Stowe to have wheels rattl'
UP the drive at that very moment o
the tough old deacon's proclamation
Of resignation after long resistarce
to have B!ah bring In a mystertou
legal document. which proves To be tn
, mortgage cancelled. and to have Thu
runaway son pop In upon them al
after his years at sea. N course n
: was the angel that paid of the debt
II he insisted upon marrying hi
cousin Diana forthwith. ever w!thou
p a webbing ~grwn-wA'ic Biah 1-swowe-
and I-vumrncd and the deacoE and hi
GOOD New England wife gave thank
that meant something.
. \ Simple tale. hut moving, Oi
fashioned, mildly melodrainat.c an
with a moral attached, but hurnn
and healthy. n life we're all 10Y an
, success and prosperity We should NJ
I know thlnkiulnesS. Deacon Pitki
had tho right idea. We do not noe
TO be better, or better of. thar othe
folks in order to be- thankful.