Rensselaer Union, Volume 2, Number 9, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 November 1869 — Thanksgiving. [ARTICLE]

Thanksgiving.

The good people of this happy nation should with gratitude render thanks unto God for his ordinary bounties. The past year has been one of extraordinary peace, health and plenty in the United States.— The rustic dwellers in this quiet village have a very unique way celebrating the nation’s jubilee. They generally perform their usual duties and observe the rule of “mind your own business.” We however was seized w ith an uncontrollable impulse to do something distinctive that would serve to make Nov. 18th, 18(19, noteworthy. We first tried to invite ourself to a “festal board” but none of our special friends seemed to notice our languishing. We denied our usual hotel fare and was quite sad and gloomy when np came a call from the school to attend a mass meeting of human underbrush at the temple of learning. We had a right to go for w e were Wrightfully invited. We went. We love fun. We have a fondness for lovable funsters wherever we meet them.

A laugh is a sacred thing ami it is gross sacrilege for one to laugh when one is not tickled. But it is thanksgiving day and let us be joyful. To be sure some crusty Pltarasees may growl ami hug a scowling phantom of sedativencss.

We met at ths school-room and a joyful assemblage it was in which thfe lads and lasses were in the ascendancy. “Coronation’’ was sung by a choral mass of earnest voices tuned to “harmonious discord.”— Then Prof. Smith gave a brief history of thanksgiving day from Adam to the Jew’s jubilee and in our nation from John Winthrop to U. S. Grant. At the cessation of the Professor’s speech which was encored we essayed in opr feebleness to tell why, when and how we felt thankful.- Being frequently cheered by the boys, we thought th>y were disposed to make light of our heaviest sentences and we soon made a period. Poor fellows! we did the best we could and ’tis a pity that those children whom God has blessed with many talents should make fun of dull chaps like us.— That is the kind of fun we can’t laugh at, because it ts -at our own expense. But we all felt thankful. We did not see any one whose angry passions had the rising inflection—all were merry, gay, and if the confectioneries had been supplied would have been festive too. We did scold a little but all in a good humored way. For encouragement to the youth we will say that we noticed quite a number who knew how to be nice and mannerly and we all felt thankful for that. There were s-very few whoso outward phiz showed over a half score of years who can neither laugh or talk sweetly and whose mouths are formed only to hide provender and belch forth ungainly sounds, and we all felt thankful for their feirnes*. There are many who have the native wit and zeal to be great and good citizens and we feel thankful for it. f We then “climbed up Zion’s hill” and were dismissed, and we all felt thankful that it was as well with u? as it was. We have bad our thanksgiving and are thankfqkjbr jt. X. Of course wood is taken on subscription at "this office, and so is corii, and pork, and sausages, and mon^y —when we it.

At the session of the Grand Lodge of Odd Fellow*, <>f Indiana, at InxlrrmapoW-, the following grand oili- < er'were chosen for tiiu ensuing year: Grand Ma-t' i', Janus A. Wihl--111.-UI, qT Ivoßo'rtlb. Deputy Grand Master, W. H. I)<Wolf, of Vincennes. •, Grand Warden, J. W. McQuiddy, of Madison. • Grand Secretary, E. 11. Barry,of Indianapolis. .f Grand Treasurer, T. P. Hnjughey, of Indianapolis. Grand RepresentativeG. L. U. >S., Titos. Underwood, of Lafayette. A 1 ternate <4 rand R epresen (a ti ve to G. L: U. S., Philip llornbrpok, of Evansville. ,