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Show nitgnty-' nnd Unit "He TuTs' SuiTleT) on our fields," are we doing more than Soslcles, the Greek tiller of the soil, over 2,1X10 years ago, who dedicated to "Demeter, lover of wheat," a few handfuls of corn "from the furrows of his tiny field," having reaped an abundant harvest nnd desiring nnoih- ! er year, by the same favor, to carry back his sickle blunted from his harvest? har-vest? Gratitude for these things? Yes. but with a consciousness of the obligation which that sufficiency brings and with no thought of. taking our ease in the earth or letting It go Its own way while we enjoy our goods ; in self-indulgent Isolation. One hundred fifty years ago our an cestors prayed for deliverance from restrictions upon their rightful lib erty. Today our prayer should also be for deliverance as well as In thanksgiving deliverance from the arrogance of self-sufficiency, from the pride of material power, from swag gerlng claims of superiority. We have learned to endure hardship, we have proved to Ihe world our uctlve and helpful sympathy for suffering wherever wher-ever it has come to mankind, we have demonstrated also our resourcefulness and Ingenuity In difficulty and our fearlessness In danger. We have known how to face adversity. Our prayer in the prosperity that has come upon us Is that we also should "know how to abound." Better Form of Prayer. It were better that we should Join all humanity In the simple thanksgiving thanks-giving prayer which Epictetus suggested sug-gested : "Ought we not when we are digging and plowing and eating to Sing this hymn to God: 'Great Is God. Who has given us such Implements with which we shall cultivate the earth ; great is God, Who has given us hands, the power of swallowing, a stomach. Imperceptible Im-perceptible growth, and the power of breathing while we sleep."" But the real things to be thankful for lie still deeper in the friendships of the spirit of men and of Dutions. in lit i : Wn 1776 In November of That Year American Cause Was at Lowest Ebb. y There was no Thanksgiving proclamation proc-lamation in November. 1776. Congress did. indeed, pass a resolution summoning sum-moning the people of the several colonies colo-nies to assemble, but in prayer for deliverance, not of thanksgiving. The American cause seemed at that moment mo-ment to be all but hopeless. Washington Wash-ington was retreating across New Jersey. Leaving Newark on the 2Sth of November with an army of 5.1XKJ that gradually dwindled, he crossed the Raritan with scarcely 3.500 starving starv-ing and half-naked troops. In New York, then in the hands of the British, Brit-ish, General Howe was issuing a proclamation proc-lamation which might have been considered con-sidered a proclamation of thanksgiving thanksgiv-ing for some. It was one of pardon to all who would renounce the Declaration Decla-ration of Independence. Twenty-seven hundred accepted. But this ODly augmented the ills of those who still stood out for independence, and Increased In-creased the jeopardy in which their lives and possessions were put. Nation's Early Sufferings. The Infant republic, surrounded by foes, for the Indians were rising, was also suffering frwn the condition which has lately been epidemic In Europe a depreciated currency. The news that American representatives had succeeded in getting aid from France in the way of uniforms and equipment for soldiers nnd other supplies sup-plies had not yet become known to the Washington troops, whose route as they approached the Delaware "was ensily traced, as there was a i little snow on the ground, which was tinged here and there with blood from the feet of the men who wore broken shoes." It was in these desperate days that Washington wrote to his brother saying that If every nerve was not strained to recruit a new army to take the place of the troops whose term of enlistment was expiring, expir-ing, he thought the game was "pretty near up." The flame of the camp-lires camp-lires about which those who remained faithful to the desperate cause were gathered furnished, however, a hope-! hope-! ful ray for 'nine's "times that try 1 men's souls." Now Blessed Above Others. It is with such a background of extremity, approaching defeat, that the country which these patriot souls j suffered to make independent comes i to its national Thanksgiving today. With a third of the wealth of the world in its hands, as has been estimated esti-mated and w-iih most of the gold with abounding crops aixl "much goods laid up for many years," w have collective material reason for gratitude beyond nny other people on the face of the earth. But in congratulating con-gratulating ourselves as a nation and individuals that we have passed an-l!li!Lr.-ienxJnl.lie. javor- gf ,tbe A1-. |