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THANKSGIVING STUDIES
BY
LOVEDAY A. NELSON
A. FLANAGAN COMPANY
CHICAGO
Copyright 1904 by A. Flanagan Company.
PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
THANKSGIVING STUDIES
You often hear people talking of the President ofour country. Doubtless most of you know him byname. Some of you may have seen him.
You also know that once in every four years wehave an election day, when papa votes for the manwhom he thinks best for President. Then the onewho gets the most votes becomes our President forfour years.
If this man makes a good President, he is sometimeschosen again for another four years, or term,as we call it. But if he has not pleased the people,they choose some one else, anybody else, next electionday. We never know who will be our next Presidentuntil he is elected. One term he is a man from onepart of the country; the next term he may be onefrom a far distant part. In our country we thinkthat this way is best.
It is not so in every country. In some countries,[4]instead of a president there is a king, who expects tobe king as long as he lives. At his death his son becomesthe king. If the king happens to be a goodone, it is well for the country and for the people; butif he chances to be a wicked, cruel one, the poor peoplehave a sorry time as long as he lives.
When Sunday comes, John goes with his mammaand papa to the Methodist Church. Perhaps Marygoes with her parents to the Baptist. Gretchen mayprefer to go to the Lutheran Church, and Margaretto the Roman Catholic. In our country we thinkthis quite right. We like to see people going to thechurch that helps them most.
As it costs much money to build churches and paythe preachers, people must give money or there canbe no churches. John may want to give his penniesto the Methodist Church or Sunday-school. Marywould rather give hers to the Baptist. Gretchen’smoney is given to the Lutheran, and Margaret’s tothe Roman Catholic. In our country we think this,too, quite right. No one forces us to give money toany church. When we have any to give, we may dowith it as we choose.
Neither is this true in all countries. In some landswhere there are kings instead of presidents, thekings have sometimes said that all the people must goto a certain church, and that they must pay thatchurch money. Some of the kings