The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1919-06-06
A NEW LIGHT ON
CARDS OF THANKS

IARDS VI thA.Nh5
That most country publishers hold
in q sort of contempt the ubiquitous
"card of thanks, is well known to the
writer from his own personal expert
ence. He has, and believes many
others will, come to view the matter
from more understanding angle after
reading the following human-interest
editorial from the pen of Thurman
Miller, editor Of the Washington (O)
News. 1t was printed under the title
of "Neighbors and Friends.
81 have been in the newspaper bust
ness now just nine years. The past
six of them have been very busy, yet
very delightful, years to me as editor
of this paper--the home paper for the
people of Clinton county.
II say this about myself merely to
prepare the way for saying that dur
ing these years | have written hun
dreds of cards of thanks for people
who found, when they came to the of
fee with an obituary, that the public
expression of thanks to neighbors and
friends was lacking; for people who
had been i'll long time and recov-
cred; for some who had met with
calamity, like the burning of the home
or their barn, or some accident.
~ did this work for the good people
always with what kindness was natur-
al to me, but at that it was done in
very perfunctory manner and with as
much brevity as dispatch. | under
stood that the people were doing it in
sincere gratitude, and l was willing to
help along the best | could, busy as ]
always was.
"But until the past month / have
never appreciated what card of
thanks means; l have never known
what 'neighbors and friends actually
mean.
"You will understand that | have
not failed to appreciate my neighbors
and my friends-they have been the
joy of my life, but actual dependence
upon them and continued kindnesses
from them, coming from scores and
hundreds of people is a new expert
ence for me, and one that has brought
a new light upon life.
"For example, my next-door neigh
Dor for five weeks has fired my fur
mace, carried out the ashes, kept my
two noisy boys for days and nights at
a stretch, extended the use of his tele-
phone when mine had to be discon-
nected and in addition given us the
full output of his milk factory besides
doing me and my stricken family a
thousand and one kindnesses-and all
I could do was to lie there and say,
thank YOU not being able to go on
and explain that some day was going
to get even some way!
"And since | have been able to be
up and around the house for week,
l have begun to understand how it
came that | didn't die like so many
people did couldn't die! There was
no logic in my dying-dying and leav.
ing my family and Wilmington and all
my friends and neighbors? Impossi-
BILE! have found during the past ten
days what the poet meant when he
said that it is only in the agony OF
parting that we look into the depths
of love-
"They tell me that went down into
the valley, where the shadows are long
and dark, but the going and the return
have brought new appropriations OF
many things-of life, of home, Of
friends and of everything.
81 now understand about the caro-
of thanks as ! never did before. / ap-
preciate the sincere gratitude that
prompts the good people to express
publicly their thanks to their neigh.
bors and friends, and let me say, if
were not in position where ! car
commander a column at will, / per
haps would be sending the newspaper
a card of thanks, just like everybody
else does.
81 have come to the conclusion that
/ am in favor of widening the frame
of the old motto that contains the
words, "God, Mother and Home so as
to make room for 'Neighbors anc
Friends
"When | get to heaven, which l viii
if my plans do not go amiss, expect
to select some oldest inhabitant like
Abraham or Noah--somebody who has
seen the place build up from small
institution-to show me about, and
have it in my mind that when we turn
into the most beautiful boulevard il
heaven, where everything gives one thu
impression of being somewhat better
and finer and more restful than an!
other separate part OF the place,
shall ask my escort what this is, ant
/ have a notion he'll say: That's tn
best part of heaven--thats reserved
for neighbors and friends