Boon's Lick times. [volume] (Fayette, Mo.) 1840-1848, 1847-01-02
SATURDAY, JANUARY 2, 1s47.
A GOOD BEGINNING.

L car, Beute TcdueI! IlaNO you Pioh'Su
by the experience of the past? Have your
resolutions of amendment and reform been
put into practice, or have you only promised
"to mend your manners and i'm
prove your heart" without having endeav-
ored to make the promise good by perform.
ance, by deeds, conduct. andin your inter.
course with your felow-creaturesl But
perhaps you have only postponed the duty!
at u.s." in the language Of DR.. Johnson,
"much easier TO design than to PERFORM
One may propose schemes in state of alb
straction and disengagement, exempt from
the enticements of hope, the solicitations of
affection, the opportunities of appetite and
the depressions of fear, and yet be in the
same state with him that teaches upon land
the art of navigation, TO whom the sea is
always smooth and the wind prosperous"
Has it been thus with you! Have allyour
fine resolutions been forgotten or neglect.
edl All! how easy it is TO promise, and
how difficult to perform!
Doubtless, during the past year you were
guilty of many errors. You INDUCED at
times in unkindness, ill.will, petty jealousy
and malevolence of disposition. Nay, it
may be, that still more serious offences
were committed--thatf alsehood and SLAM
der were among your follies and frailties-
that you neglec ted the poor, turned deaf
ear to the complaints of the suffering.
were disobedient as child and tyrannical
as parent--in brief, that you were too
often governed by passion, prejudice and
selfishness. We make these indirect char
ges because we know the frailty of our race,
because we feel satisfied that nothing hu-
man is perfect, because there are in the life
time of almost every individual, moments
when the evil spirit acquires ascendancy
over the good-when even the naturally
amiable become vicious for the time, and
the weakness or the vice of our nature is
temporarily predominant. During the past
year, then, we all, no matter what our con-
dition in life, or however watchful of our
conduct and feelings, have been guilty of
derelictions, have either wronged by mad
vertence, by wilfulness, or from jealousy
and selfshness. 1t is probable too, that
some of US, on commencing the new year,
and contemplating the past, resolved to do
better, and in penitent and contemplative
spirit, mentally determined to guard against
this folly and that weakness, to avoid this
frailty and that error. But-we repeat
the questionable the good work been CON-
menced! Have we been acting since the
advent of the new year in the spirit of our
self examination! If not, further delay
will indeed be dangerous. "The crisis of
mans destiny is Now"
Let us only postpone the promised re.
form until the contemplative infuence-lhe
mental determination, to which we have
referred, shall have subsidized, and the prob.
ability is, that we shall become worse in
stead of better, more neglectful instead of
more attentive, more vicious instead of
more virtuous.
An animal period of time has just ter
minated. In one sense it is lost to US for
ever, but in another it is not. True, we
cannot recall it, we cannot live it over again.
But its influence upon US, its traces upon
the immortal part of our nature, upon the
mind and the soul, may and should be made
available to good. "To err is human" But
when, having discovered our error, and
determined to mend it, we still pursue the
wrong path, still persist in the violation OF
duty, we prove ourselves dead TO the ap.
peals of conscience, and false not only &c
our present life, but our hopes of the future
Shall we, then, benefit by the experience Of
the past year? or shall we prove blind to it.
light? Have we determined to watch .oul
conduct more sedulously for the future, anc
have we already commenced the practice o.
that determination! Perhaps we have no.
as yet had an opportunity in the outdoor
world. But let US look at home, at oul
domestic and social life, and see if we have
commenced the task of self-governmen
,, there. Has our manner been kindlier?-
G Have we endeavored to introduce peace
, contentment and happiness among tn
beings confided TO our charge! Have W,
been harsh and hasty, or mild and kindly
!. A word, it should be remembered, look, i
sometimes the cause of deep bitterness O
III IL L