The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-11-27
MEN, WOMEN
 AND THINGS

Thanksgiving Day, is observed in. all the states; it is not. however, a legal holiday in all of them, but as this fact does not change the character of its observance 1t is not noticed.
 The Presidents proclamation recom- mends that it be set apart as day of prayer and rejoicing, and while in many of the towns and cities the churches hold a morning service, the day is largely. becoming one given over to family dinners or devoted to outings.
 
 The day is of New England origin, the first one being set by Governor Bradford of the Massachusetts colony in December, 1921. Washington issued a Thanksgiving proclamation Sor Thursday, December May, ITS. From this it will be seen that the custom of placing it on the last Thursday in November Is of more recent date
 I like to dwell on the four men sent out nearly 300 years ago by the gover- nor of a New England colony on hunt ing expedition to obtain wild game for feast of Thanksgiving, for it would seem from this that there is both history and excuse for those who now use the day to take to the woods with dog and gun though they may get the bag in late for midday meal, but not too late for ( o'clock dinner
 Say what you please, there was some thing fine about the pioneers who settled the bleak New England coast. The first harvest of their colony had been gath cred in, and in honor of the occasion they must procure turkeys and other wild fowl to grace their festive board, so that they might after a more special manner rejoice together" It is true that they were stern lot, but the times demanded strong and seffous men and fearless women.
 | I can see in my minds eye the busy wives and daughters getting ready for the return of the hunters, for it would be up to them to cook the goodly supply of game brought in by their husbands and brothers. To this day, there is something absolutely fascinating to me about a great fireplace with a swinging crane and kettle. No modern range of the latest make in any big hotel or res taurant brings to me such pleasant thoughts of the table. I consider it a privilege every time I spend the night | in the country in a home where logs are piled high and the wood fire sings as the blue flames come and go. | I heard pr. Edmonds at the Rotary luncheon briefly refer to the fact that some of the egreatest things in life cen- ! tered around a meal He told of the Arabs hospitality, and of the sacred ness of the breaking of bread and the taking of salt. And many of us thought of that blessed upper chamber on the night when the Master in the shadow of the cross instituted what we lovingly call the Lords Supper, commemorated in churches and pictured in art for cen turies. I stood before the famous paint | ing of it by Lionardi da Vinci but some how it seemed too formal, and was not the simple gracious one of which Jesus and His beloved disciples partook. The point Dr. Edmonds was making was that the weekly lunches at the Tut wiler might be truly made golden hours in which busy men for the time forgot | their businesses and gave themselves over unreservedly to brotherliness. He was right for the mere fact that during the war many of us were almost daily drawn to eat together brought us into a fellowship which years without such q bond would have failed to do The week ly iuncheons of our various clubs make for a better understanding among the men who are doing things in this busy city of ours.
 | l daresay that if Governor Bradford and the four hunters and the good house. wives and the sturdy company which sat down to that first Thanksgiving meal could come back to life they would be astonished beyond measure that they were setting the fashion for a glorious succession of Thanksgiving Day, in a far off time when their land had grown great and prosperous. As we partake of our Thanksgiving dinner, while lift ing up our hearts to our Heavenly Father for His loving kindness which surrounds us as a nation, let us not forget to think of the noble band of men and the handful of consecrated women who faced g bleak coast with no shelter and hostile i1ndians for conscience sake.
 l grant that many of you are familiar with the story how the Pilgrims had come across the sea to form new home in the wilderness, because of religious persecution in the home land There were only 1o2 in the little company when the Mayflower cast anchor off Cape Cod, landing at Plymouth Rock, in what later was Massachusetts, December 21, 1920, after perilious voyage which took them a dozen times longer to make than our modern ships require. It was in the midst of winter. The women remained on shpboard with the children until the men built community house.
 
 1 ished during the winter; but when spring. lutely to work to clear the land They made friends with the In,iians, who taught them how to plant corn and to use fish for fertilizing the soil It will tbe seen from this that. artificial fer tiliZipe was begun early au,nDo tIa oo,