Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this file which includes the original illustrations. See 47520-h.htm or 47520-h.zip: (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/47520/47520-h/47520-h.htm) or (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/47520/47520-h.zip) Images of the original pages are available through Internet Archive/American Libraries. See https://archive.org/details/ourpilgrimforefa00nel OUR PILGRIM FOREFATHERS Thanksgiving Studies by LOVEDAY A. NELSON A. Flanagan Company Chicago Copyright 1904 by A. Flanagan Company. Printed in the United States of America OUR PILGRIM FOREFATHERS THANKSGIVING STUDIES You often hear people talking of the President of our country. Doubtless most of you know him by name. Some of you may have seen him. You also know that once in every four years we have an election day, when papa votes for the man whom he thinks best for President. Then the one who gets the most votes becomes our President for four years. If this man makes a good President, he is sometimes chosen 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 election day. We never know who will be our next President until he is elected. One term he is a man from one part of the country; the next term he may be one from a far distant part. In our country we think that this way is best. It is not so in every country. In some countries, instead of a president there is a king, who expects to be king as long as he lives. At his death his son becomes the king. If the king happens to be a good one, it is well for the country and for the people; but if he chances to be a wicked, cruel one, the poor people have a sorry time as long as he lives. * * * * * When Sunday comes, John goes with his mamma and papa to the Methodist Church. Perhaps Mary goes with her parents to the Baptist. Gretchen may prefer to go to the Lutheran Church, and Margaret to the Roman Catholic. In our country we think this quite right. We like to see people going to the church that helps them most. As it costs much money to build churches and pay the preachers, people must give money or there can be no churches. John may want to give his pennies to the Methodist Church or Sunday-school. Mary would rather give hers to the Baptist. Gretchen’s money is given to the Lutheran, and Margaret’s to the Roman Catholic. In our country we think this, too, quite right. No one forces us to give money to any church. When we have any to give, we may do with it as we choose. Neither is this true in all countries. In some lands where there are kings instead of presidents, the kings have sometimes said that all the people must go to a certain church, and that they must pay that church money. Some of the kings have forbidden the people to have any other churches.