The coastland times. [volume] (Mnateo [i.e. Manteo], N.C.) 1947-1959, 1951-11-23
THANKSGIVING

appropriate W ME LhdA JIG
Thanksgiving festival. 1t is good
to pause at some season of the
year to mediate upon the bles-
sings vouchesafed us by merciful
providence. In America it had its
origin in the New England Colony,
and it came after the harvest had
been gathered, and the people
might spare the time to puase
from their arduous labors of pre-
pairing for the rigorous winter
ahead.
Its origin was in the mind of
religious people. Some felt they
owed an expression of gratitude
to their Creator. Others saw
means of cementing together more
firmly the community all members
of which were so dependent, each
upon the other. To the ministers,
/ it was an ideal moment for en-
couraging faith in God and unit
ing greater support for the church.
In a land of communal endeavor, it
was an opportunity for fellowship
and good will.
In more modern years in our
American commonwealth, it be-
came another opportunity to bring
the family together again around
one table, uniting those who were
near and dear while often so wide
/ ly separated throughout the year.
Until political pressure caused it
to be monkeyed with, and chang
ed to suit the whims of money
changers, Thanksgiving was truly
a great institution in America. 1t
finally got so, however, that one
might never be sure just when to
count on observing Thanksgiving,
hence it lost so much of its sig
nifcance that now it means but
little. To altogether too many
people it has lost so much of its
original meaning.
Thanksgiving will be over when
many of you read this, particularly
those who are a long way from
home, and more especially the
boys who are overseas. But we
who are here at home, still sur
rounded by so many material
blessings, and exceptional COM
forts have cause to be extremely
/ grateful. On every hand, if we
look about US, we will find cause
for extreme gratitude, and to
humble our hearts because of the
blessedness of our lot compared
with so many others we may know,
To all men in the service of our
country everywhere, our hearts
should go out in gratitude, but
particularly to the men in Korea
who are fighting battles they
know not for what. They have
had to give up their comforts at
home, they have been called away
from their opportunities in life
to answer the demands of those
who are running our country. They
are far from home and family and
friends, and they are sacrificing
the good years of the best part
of their lives. They are losing
more than a man in prison, SEN
fenced for a long term.
We owe them more than we can
ever repay. We are fortunate in
deed land if ever there was time
when we here at home should give
expression of gratefulness at our
good fortune, it is now.
1t seems now that too many
people look upon Thanksgiving as
just another holiday. An opportu-
nifty to get away from their work
and be paid for it just the same.
Fortunate Government employees,
teachers, and many others find
Thanksgiving a double blessing
and for which great gratitude
should be expressed.
And while all of them, and US
too, have an opportunity to ex-
press to God our gratefulness the
boys in Korea have so little for
which they can be thannful.
Forty years ago, men of my
fathers day never gave a thought
of getting a day off from their
work. Did they take off the day, it
was at their own expense and not
at the expense of the taxpayers.
Most of them gave expression to
the thought that they were CRATE
full indeed to be able to do full
days work.
Really, when we think seriously
about it, haven't we lost sight of
the significance of Thanksgiving?