Saying Setting Aside a Period for Thanksgiving Is a Custom ot Remote Antiquity. HE idea is prevalent in the Unit ed States that our Thanksgiving is peculiarly an American custom of New England origin. This is true in part only. The general observance through many years of a set day on which to give thanks to Almighty God for his blessings has made the custom distinctively American; but its origin long antedates the settlement of the western continent, and we must look elsewhere for it. The ides of Thanks. giving day goes back to remotest an race. In written records, we have ample evidence that the festival was celebrated In connection with “the fruits of the earth” by the ancient Egyptians, the Jews, the Greeks and the Romans. Long before Luther's The signs the veteran turkey sees CS Orgtifude XY — Eugene Field. NNSA NNN AAAS AAMAS beauty stirs in my soul AM thankful that be extremely m ug that th at some times I can iserable Ps) implies a Think it at ar much better thar I am glad that I am living now writage of the past is he " of sciend good to mis AS oh, hos can laugh! re happy phrase quick 1 clever story arty and thrust are ne sary to balance 1CAYY parts all AM thankfui that I have the power to feel the glorious sunshine or the gray rain. My heart fills with jos sky and hear the music of the brook the depth of the shadows, and I am glad that I can be uncomfortable in the intense heat cold, for means a joyous sense of relief when it comes. or power to judge? recurrent cases we can induce a rule, a law, a generality. And from this we can make applications to specific in- stances. Is it not wonderful, and are you not glad? OR my power to decide for myself I am thankful. is a precious jewel that I pray I may duly treasure. No one can say what i shall think, for that is my heritage My thoughts concerning iife, death glad. HEN there is this country in which T I live. 1 am grateful that it is here, with water around it, and other lands on the east and west. The jure of the distant country will prevent us from a narrow insularity. [ am glad that we can govern ourselves in mat. tera that affect ourselves, | am filled with joy that men are born free and equal and can keep on living that way F° the position of woman in this country may [ ever be thankful She is not the draft animal of the fields in some countries beyond, She is not the chattel of the middle ages. Bhe is not the spineless creature that was a well-trained echo of another, A woman is the equal of man now, ex cept at the polls. For small favors | am deeply grateful A nnn of institutions of learn: ing are letting us in at the front doors, If 1 wish to study sociology or medicine or the languages, | am not beaten into a pulp by scornful deans. If + wish to write & book, | need not be ashamed and hide it under a sam- pler if | hear anyone coming. Thanks awfully! VLAD am | that I can earn money to clothe, feed and shelter myself, Father and mother should not support an adult woman until another man of: fers to take up the burden. | am not a hangeron in the political economy march, and I give thanks, A power of self-expression let me that I can sing when I feel like it, cry when 1 am inclined to, walk when 1 AM grateful for the bioun] had in this life the cut dire lie, the cruel ing nave courteous teacher OR my wavs grateful frianda A mere ac the same family chosen I am nial glad are list NEMORY. my makes me grateful be a little verze of sunshine, a bot play or some past joy or must give thanks for the gift of membering. It doubles life ND I am glad that today | A fearful of the Great Beyond BARBARA LEE K, a Vv sorrow. | To the Harvest Lord. the board the feast Heap hig and gather tu toast fhe with And sturdy COUrage praise tn that whom their ste were And thanks unto the Har sends our daily bread - Allee WI ma Brotherton never cogsed Give All-Gracio ea Ons b Sort va e je est Lord who Fortunate Americans, When the American citizen abroad he feels inclined to give thanks for the possession of a aystem of gov ernment which, despite partisan dif ferences, commands universal respect and confidence. The exceptionally high standard of Intelligence which here prevails is a guaranty against sudden movements in opposition to the established order. The vast ma- jority of the American people are capable of analyzing conditions, They keep in close touch with the affairs of the world and with the eircum: stances of their own land. They are growing steadily in political acumen and are becoming more and more eff}. ciently independent in their determin. ations. With every peaceful political revolution they strengthen the nation. al foundations by providing cutlets for sentiments and digsatisfactions. Mistake Too Many Make, If, on this Thanksgiving season, you feel a great melancholy, a lack, a sense "of loss or of life's injustices, take this to heart: The cure for every loss and lack 1s in your own power. The great mistake of the whole world fs the belief that some supernal hap piness comes with the money to buy and to do certain things. A year is a short time, out set out if you please, today, with ‘he definite intention of of happiness, it had been observed by the Christians; and after the Reformation, in frequent use by the Protestants, especially those of England. The festival appears early in Jewish history, and, as It was connected with had a Canaanitish prototype. Its cele carried in a ceremonious manner to the temple, one full of water, the other of the altar of burnt offerings the Plutarch on seventh of the fes describes this which he believed was a feast of Bae chas. He says: “The Jews celebrate two feasts of Bacchus. In the midst the vintage they spread spread with all manner of fruits live day al.” tiv of tables and in tabernacles made especially of A few which dedicated to Bac chus, for they carried boughs of palms in their hands, which they into the temple, ng be fore with instruments of music.” Analogous to Jewish and possibly borrowed from it old Greeks, the Thesmor phia. This was a feast to Demeter, the goddess of the harvest. [It nine days and consisted of sacrifices of the products of the soll with obla tions of “wine, milk and honey.” ocritus refers in the Id chidas says was openly with want the Levites gv the festival was lasted to it fin is our way friends, feast to robe, offering Bn. Ids where “Now to the Thalysia sooth, are making a of the first for this our for in Demeter the since fruits of their them ideas has piled the threshing floor with barley in teous manner, the Bo The Circle of Our Love. Ee swe Thanksgiving Fable. A turkey the one farm yard and immediate ly began find fault with it “You vain, conceited bird.” turkey, and economy of nature iay observed a pea cock in to said the ‘you are proud of your looks of no value in the Why do you strut regard all others with dis yet you re dain?” “You make a mistake” peacock self, though 1 should be excused for Next Thursday is Thanks giving, and [| was merely indulging In Moral Beauty is only skin deep, Not Copied From the Jews. Undoubtedly our present Thanks Plymouth 1621, that the Plymouth festival was sug thanksgiving festival of That is not probable, as the differences between them are more striking than the like nesses. They were of the same dura- tion, each lasting a week; and In com- mon with all other harvest feativals they had the same intent. But in the Jewish festival sacrifice and worship were the prevalling characteristics, while in that of the Pligrims they were entirely wanting. Thanksgiving Observances Have Been General Only a Com- paratively Short Time. HE day which is now called Thanksgiving day,” and which is a formal observance by proclama- tion of presidents of the United States, usually followed by proclama- tions of governors of nearly all of the states, has had its poetry, its rhyme which is not poetry, and prosaic liter ature which is better than either po etry or the rhyme. It was in its orl gin really a religious observance, the first proclamations being promulgated by provincial governors of very re ligious New England, Bradford having lamation. Observance was and it was not general and synthetic, really, until 1864. when the first pres fdential proclamation was cause of the end of the Civil war. day was not obgerved by the seceded apparent in nearly all of the though in many of them statutory holiday. It is not, and nev er was, a national holiday by legisla | tive enactment Just when the turkey flew in as one of the almost imperative accompani of the Thanksgiving table is not worth mentioning, as it is an incl dent so vague, That fowl, with mince or pumpkin pie as a part of the des ert of the time-honored dinner of the has for VOArs to be well recognized that it been urged the only for blazoning on the national « the eagle having Wb “skase,” and having missed both in this and tries In 1858 killed all that was killable throughout the In October of the previous year, will be remem bered by who ware children sud. denly blazed across the heavens, and ognized { ments long come has bird {| day, 8o as logical Gre been other he morning of June §, frost North entire 1 ns wall people then, the Donat! comet {fof months was one of the most beau tiful of spectacles, but, to the super stitious, fear and direful. When the was in the northwest In the early evening the “tail” dominated all other celestial phenomena far past the zenith, The presage of a great Clvil war to come in the alr and to those who were in the least nucleus low flowing was superstitious the comet was a sign of calamity at hand. The freeze the following June cl hed the sremonition, and in the fall of the yea: ¥ ‘ of the frost there was near of a quite general ly observed day of fasting and prayer It was this sort of recognition ef the omnipotence of Deity, solemn and pro found and utterly sincere, which in the earlier days of the nation gave founda tion to the origin of the days of t i giving for the good things of existence, and good as they when they were not as might have been, that they were no worse than they were Then the apart a day Almighty present whole custom of giving thanks to the grew gradually into that ingling of re ligious sr of families and frien feasting and general jolcing, even if the times were porten tous of adversity for some of the peo of this and other parts of the getting for benutiful interm ices, reunion re ds re ples worl It is peculiarly an American “insti. tution.” and our fat aud frivolous fowl of paradise is its fetish. It is in all American bird, dinner bird, essentially an Thanksgiving our yesterday the eagle cut of joint. Slow to Find Favor in South. In the South Thanksgiving day was practically unknown till about 1855, whan Governor John of Virginia urged the observance of the day in a letter but the idea met { to the legislature; { that it was a “New England supersti completely wiped out by the Civil war. Pessimist Always With Us, “Well,” said the cheerless person, “Thanksgiving is all right, but 1 be lieve 1 prefer an old-fashioned Fourth of July.” “Why?' "It's cheaper to celebrate. A pack of firecrackers costs ‘a lot less than a turkey.” i HANKFUL, each morn, for the bright light of day; Margaret G Hays GREECE'S HAND nic Kingdom Declared. Kitchener Tells will Do Unless Demands Are Conceded. King What Entente London.--The Entente Allies and fulfill her Serbia treaty {6s im press King Constantive that they mean to or demobilize, and the Hel according to dispatches a commercial blockade of lenic Empire from Athens An Athens di says it is spatch to the confirmed that have imposed Tes The alread) Powers Greek trade Allied added, have begun sear the Med teamers flying Gree) and the in that terran Macedonian Gates Fighting the ack next which is doomed OuUnirg in the 1eive wa Purp =e impressing the inion taken for with > . Ron military, ab i manians ACQUITTED OF KILLING FATHER. Virginia Girl Shot To Save Younger Sister. t.vnchburg, Va-—A jury in the Cir Court Irvington, Nelson coun has acquitted Miss Laura Kidd, who was tried on the charge of mur dering her father, Lucian Kidd Her curred about two months ago near plea was self-defense The killing oc Lowesville when the father was brutally whipping a younger child The elder daughter remonstrated, and during the melee she secured a shot. gun and shot her father several times at fy 40,000 CHILDREN GREET BELL. Pay Homage With Sunrise Prayer To Revolutionary Relic. Qt. Louis-—With a sunrise prayer 10.000 school children paid homage to the Liberty Bell here at 6.30 o"clock Sunday morning. Exclusive of the sosidents of St. Louis and surrounding towns passed before the bell during {ta seven and a half hours’ visit to this city. TO ENLARGE DONORA PLANT, U. 5. Stee! Corporation Plans Exten. sion To Cost $750,000. pittaburgh. - Extensions costing 750,000 are to be made to the Donora plant of the United States Steel Cor poration, according to an announce ment made here. Work is to start im- mediately on the extensions, which will consist of three additional open hearth furnaces and a 1,000-ton mixing furnace i i i IN SHORT ORDER LatestNews Happenings Gather- ed From Here and There. TOLD iN SHORT PARAGRAPHS 1. RH. Focht, the contractor, avr Nirdsboro a business meet of $15, id order Lo wipe out tho contribution providing members tribute $10,000 in debt the § The offer wai wou cons on 00 church building accepiad and $8,558 be Fochi bull the me subscribed Mr vears ago, chargix the ¢h five urch wholesale terial » Cameron when he threw fataily a match into a can of powder fo see was taken 1 ft explode. He Shamokin Hospital the Due to the big demand for coal by the Reading Company, slor ing big quantitice, the Tunnel Ridge mine idle for four months has resumed giving employment 500 men and boys. which is ¢ try Aaron Lehman, Cashtown, Cumber- land county, apparently has establish ed 1 new strawberry record, picking a quart of fine, wellgrown fruit from his patch during the past week Eluding Wallace W. Barr, warden of Northumberland county fail, leo Boney, Shamokin, a “long termer” escaped through the front door. He was a “trusty.” Jacob Zehner, justice of the peace of West Penn, was convicted of frau. dulently retaining money belonging to Willoughby Shelhammer, a farmer, for whom Zehner sold property. Joseph, fiveyearold son of William Dower, of Turkey Run, fell under the wheels of the Anthracite Furnishing Company's automobile truck while hanging on the rear, and was crushed 80 badly that death followed two hours later. County Commissioners will make a vigorous objection to the plans of eiti- gens and property owners of the ex- treme lower ond of Cheltenham Town. ghip to cut themselves off from Mont. gomery county and become a part of Philadelphia.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers