Show III g i s g Observance of 0 of f Thanksgiving i s mini III limn I I lit T HE tiE celebration of ot Thanksgiving Thanks Thank Thanksgiving I giving day has a long and curious history la In which It Is the province of ot a woman to pia play no Inconspicuous part The Th earliest aspect of ot th the day takes take us UI back to th the chronicles of ot the tha Israel Israel- ites among amon whom there Is I. menn men men throughout the Bible of ot days set apart for tor special thanks thanksgiving unto the Lord Later the custom was not uncommon In England before the Reformation and was taken up and continued b by the Protestants after atter- ward Thus It was that at Its It Inception there was waa no regularly appointed time Ume for tor this celebration Sometimes it U would be observed once a jear year sometimes sometimes some some- times twice and then perhaps a year or two would be skipped skipped according according In as reasons for tor thanksgiving presented themselves or not Among the colonists colonIst it t was customary custom ar ary for tor the president to Issue luu a proclamation proc proc- proclamation recommending that the peo pea people pIe sa cea-sa cease from their ordinary ordinal occupations lions and observe e a day dal of at thanksgiving lug ing with proper proper ceremony at some specified time but It was usually left to the governors of ot the various states to determine whether there should besuch besuch be bt such a day and when S e S e e o Tills This Irregular course courle and unofficial unofficial- like treatment of ot the observance might have continued In n vogue Indefinitely but for tor th the well-directed well and strenuous cue ous efforts of ot Mrs Sarah J J. J Hale ed itress of ot Godey's Lady Book Dook She Shi realized perhaps more forcibly than others othera at the time that the celebration lion tion of ot Thanksgiving as II then observed lacked character and impressiveness which could be remedied only by the adoption of at measures bringing the people people peo pea plc to concerted participation on this occasion Therefore she assumed and devoted herself herselt to the task of ot writing to all the governors of ot the different states and territories urging upon them the propriety of ot a national thanksgiving and suggesting the last Thursday In November as the day for such celebration She continued ed to write these letters year after otter year and was finally rewarded for tor her efforts effort by all the governors excepting two granting granUn her request However er the peoples people's response was wai not enthusiastic and during the Civil war especially specially In the South the custom custom custom cus cus- tom lagged Immediately after atter the battle of ot Gettysburg Gettysburg Get Get- Mrs frs Hale wrote Lincoln Inclosing a copy of ot Washington's Washing tons ton's Thanksgiving proclamation and suggesting that he also proclaim a dalot day dal of ot national thanksgiving The President Ires Pres ident acted upon her suggestion and Issued a proclamation for tor the observance ob servance ser of ot Thursday August 10 HI as a day of ot national thanksgiving praise and prayer From that time on the celebration of ot the da day lost Its local and varIable character and took on the fitting dignity dig of ot a na national and It stable able cere cere- mony Lincoln's successor appointed the last lat Thursday In November a DB as Thanksgiving day and sad the date has bas continued unchanged ever since Thanksgiving da day Is II a legal holiday In every state territory and possession posses posses- lIon sion except Utah where it Is I. observed though not ot on the statute books |