Milford chronicle., 1938-12-16
LEADING UP TO THANKSGIVING
Emma Gary Wallace

1 Early Impressions are lasting. They
often reacn forward into later years
and influence the grownup in his
adult life. So il is important to SOW
+: the right kind of seeds and to culti-
vate them in order that a sturdy
growth Of high ideals may be devel-
0ped and encouraged.
Unless parents and teachers take
pains to plant such seeds, by their
own way Of living, the annual obser-
vances Of Thanksgiving and Christ
mas will not contribute all that they
should. Naturally the young child
cannot be expected 10 grasp the sig
nificance of these celebrations with
out the right kind of leadership.
Young children. especially, are
fender Of heart and almost always
ready to listen to what Is told them
by those they love and trust; and
these words will bear fruit provided
the example set is in accord with the
teaching. It is true also that chill
dren can often comprehend what
they cannot put into words for them
selves.
So it is advisable, even expedient,
for the little folks to be led step BY
step to know that while the Giver Of
all good things is kind and generous
and loving, He expects us, for our
own good, whether we are little boys /
and girls or men and women, to. be |
grateful for all He has done and is
doing for us.
If children have had these funda-
mental facts impressed upon them
since infancy, the Thanksgiving fes-
tival should become yearly more
meaningful. Most of the boys and
girls will be able to trace the loaf
Of bread from the baker back TO the
miller who makes the flour, from the
miller to the wheat field where the
and rain have caused the
seeds to grow and from the field to
The; farmer who has sown the seeds
and cared for the harvest. But most
children win stop there unless they
are, led to grasp the idea that they
should give thanks for all this, not
,nly in words but in deeds. by shar7
ng what they have with those who |
lave less or perhaps hardly anything
It ALL
Mary and Jackie have been greatly
in the beautiful apples and
,olden oranges which they have seen
n the market or in the orchard.
they have enjoyed all the delicious
hings that grow in the garden.
hey have sung songs about the
wealth of the harvest at home and
t school. II is not hard for them ! 4,
J, ,,nSarsfand that tho1, sI,o,,1a SOW | .
Thank you" to mother and father
or giving them a share in this {
bundance, and that they should
hank God also by saying grace at /
able, IL that is the home custom, orr I
then they say their prayers.
And now we have come to a time :
hen the squirrels are gathering =
uts for the winter, and people are /
repairing their foods from Out-of- /
OOrs and putting them where they +
an be used when the cold winter i
lmes and the snow covers the 4
round. So Mary and Jackie are led i
'rward in. their thinking. They :
re told about this wonderful day :
hich we set aside as a special time
give thanks for all our blessings.
is explained to them that on this
" which we call Thanksgiving Day. A
g have an especially good dinner
remind us how much we have for
hich to be thankful And, too, be-
use we love the members of our
mily very much and are grateful 81
at we have them, we like to gather d
many as possible together to eat M
nner with us on Thanksgiving Il,
~. Al
3ut this isn't enough to express our iy
because some people
We SO very little. and If we forget
I'm while thinking of our own good
ngs and do not share our abund-
ce with them, we are really selfish
d not truly grateful. So Mary and
ckie are asked TO think up things
do to help some one else have
ppier day. for after all. that is one
the most important Of the ways in
ich God expects us 10 say Thank