Happy Thanksgiving from Mr. Dooley

I often use a holiday as an excuse to send messages back to my friends and family back in the good 'ole USA. Usually, I will fill the text with sentimental thoughts that are sparked by some quote I research or find in my internet readings. After all, these quotes are made by people a lot smarter than I am, and if I can have a little of their smartness rub off on me, well, it's better for my readers. At the least, it starts me to think and that' s a good thing, isn't it?

So, with this Thanksgiving Day upon us, and as I'm getting nice messages from my American friends here in Sweden, I resort to Bartlett's Quotations for a nice quote to pass along to my pals. Now, here comes my point. I discover Mr. Dooley and his opinions. Written by Peter Finley Dunne, Mr. Dooley's Opinions was published in 1901.

The fictional Mr. Dooley expounded upon political and social issues of the day from his South Side Chicago Irish pub and he spoke with the thick verbiage and accent of an Irish immigrant. I think when you read this, that Mr. Dooley would fit very nicely in your Thanksgiving get together today. I have taken the liberty to update the writing so you can easily read this post. I have included the original text after.

Happy Thanksgiving, Everybody! Here is Mr. Dooley on Thanksgiving -

“When I was a young man,” said Mr. Dooley, “I often heard Thanksgiving Day alluded to from the altar as a pagan festival. Father Kelly doesn’t think so. He says it was founded by the Puritans to give thanks for being preserved from the Indians, and that we keep it to give thanks we are preserved from the Puritans. In the beginning, Hennessey, it was a religious festival, like dividend day in the synagogues. You see, the Puritan Fathers, whose descendents mostly live in Kansas, now, had such a devil of a time introducing religion and slavery among the savage red men that they found hunting wild cranberries in the neighborhood of Salem, Mass., that when the job was completed they set apart a day to thank the Lord for His opportune assistance in their work in reforming the world and with a few frills added in the way of food the custom’s been kept up to this very day. In every city of this fair land the churches are open and empty, the fleet anise seed bag is pursued over the smiling potato patch and the groans of the dying resound from many a football field. We’re giving thanks that we’re preserved from hunger, from thirst, from free silver, from war and pestilence and famine and each other. But don’t you forget it, Hennessey; it’s none of those things we really give thanks for. In our hearts we’re grateful for only one blessing and that is on Thanksgiving Day we get the first good crack of the season at the Turkey Bird and his running mate, old Uncle Cranberry Sauce. You betcha!