Evening star., 1923-11-25
BY THOMAS II. MARSHALL.
Former Vice President Of the United
states.

BY THOMAS n. MARSHALL.
Former Vice President Of the United
states.
listener in the General Assembly OF
the Presbyterian Church when the
discussion was going on as to
whether what Is known as the Van
Dyke prayer book should be used In
the churches. The discussion almost
Immediately passed the bounds of
more pleasantly and entered the
realm OF acrimonious debate. None
of the numerous participants lost
| his head. but several appeared to
be filled with righteous Indignation.
After the vote disclosed majority
in favor of permitting the use of the
book, l overheard a gaunt Scot pass
comment. He said to a fellw Scot:
Il have grown used to eating canned
fruits and canned vegetables The
ancient zest with which 1 looked for
these things in their season has long
since passed. / am reconciled to
keeping my body fit on canned goods.
But l shall never consent to keeping
my soul alive on canned prayers"
1t was the protest OF minority
against the spirit of the age and 1t
turned my thoughts to the changing
conditions of changing times. For
the first time / considered prepared
ness in the abstract--the policy of
always having on hand supply of a
needed article as insurance against be-
ing compelled to rely upon the moment
u
When our ancestors came into New
England they were SO thoroughly i'm
bued with the imminence of God and
the omnipresence Of hell that they
looked upon every earthly gift as a
distinct reward for their services to
Jehovah. Seedtime and harvest came
as blessings from His hands. Failure
was evidence of His displeasure
Famine and pestilence marked His
wrath. The deadly savage was to
try their faith. And so when the har-
vest was over and the angry waves
OF the Atlantic. rolled by early win
ter's blasts. beat upon the rock
bound coast of New England. If there
was food enough for the long and
bitter season ahead, fuel and cloth
ing enough to battle the cold. absence
)f pestilence and protection against
the red man, they ordained a day of
Thanksgiving. They recognized the
source from which all blessings flow.
We. however, have grown so used
TO abundant harveSts. the shelter of
comfortable homes and the protec-
tion which enforcement of strict
health laws afford. and have such
confidence in our ability to defend
ourselves against all enemies. foreign
and domestic, that while We keep up
the custom of an annual Thanksgiv-
ing day observance. it has become
for many Of us just canned thanks.
single hour of church in the morn
ing and then we are ready to devote
the rest of the day to sport and
amusement. 1t may be, il the truth
could be known. the Father is just
as pleased to see His children en-
joying themselves as He was when
listening to the day-long thanks OF
decades ago.
In time, our fathers ordained a
new system of government among
men and set apart a day on which
posterity might annually show It's
exuberance over the possession of
freedom. For many decades observ-
ance of the Fourth Of July was q
real celebration of a grateful people
for the possession of the rights to
life, liberty and the pursuit Of hap
piness. And then, just as we had
become accustomed to seed-time and
harvest and abundance of material
goods. We grew accustomed TO the
blessings of liberty. The old-fash-
ioned Fourth of July exists now only
in the memory of men. Happily.