Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1881-01-01

Z 1u114uc1Pu1A 11mcos
A friend Of ofhumanity finds much to en-
gage his consideEate attention in the Gus
toms prevalent at this gladsome season Of
the year when the ages turn over new
leaf and things generally take fresh
start. There is, to be sure, somewhat OF ar.
bitrariness in the lapse and renewal Of
time which we are wont to describe as the
ending of the old and the beginning of the
new year. A simple savage-a gentle b.
ing reclaimed from the depths of q bloom
ing wilderness-brought within the con-
fines of our civilization would view with
amazement our formal celebration of an
event that to him is inappreciable. Nor
can it be denied that the arbitrariety and
furmality which arc q part of the sub
structure of New Years day enter largely
into the constitution of those customs for
which especially the day is marked.
Theoretically, New Year day is much
gladdened by hearty display Of loving
kindness between man and man while
also it receives graver, richer quality in
that men since time immemOrial have
seized upon this season of ending and be-
ginning to lay away from them their be-
setting sins and take up, in the place OF
these befitting virtues. In an earlier stage
of the worlds history. when there was
more of simplicity in the hearts of men and
less of guile, the manifestations of
friendliness at the New Years time prob
ably were informed in all cases by con-
siderable sincerity of purpose and it
may not be doubted that even now the
solemnly proclaimed REIMBURSEMENT Of
sinful habits and of reprobate tastes-0f
which there assuredly will be good deal
to-day-is for the time being absolutely
sincere. But age has stalled and custom
withered the kindly usages of New Years
day. Of old the dear ones Of the family,
and of the circle of close friends, gave and
received New Years greetings, which
scarce needed to be passed over the lips,
SO well were they understood in the utter
ing and receiving hearts. It is this Gus
tom that survives in our present system OF
New Years calls. Somehow, though. a
little of antiquarian research is required
to discover of its everything layers Of con-
| ventiOnalsm the tender feeling in which
the formal practice has its root. The
trimly-dressed young men who breezily
kDresent themselves to the five or ten
score danes and damsels of their acquaint,
ance, glibly make their speech Of cOmpli-
ment and then whisk onward do not seem
very we'll to embody the sentiment that
prompted the hearty hand-shake, the
hearJier "God bless you and give you .
happy new year!' of long ago. These
visits, and the equally meaningless indis
criminate dispatch of New Years cards te
all the people on our visiting list, suggest
some sort Of odd rudimentary survival
interesting in showing that the species
once possessed other and different powers
OF New Years resolutions it is scarcely ne
cessary to speak, for the term almost has
come to be synonym of all that is irresO
Lutte and vain. Whatever of real purpOs'
may prompt them, they are pretty certain
to disappear with the January thaw.
1t is mistake, however, to urge tina
because these changes have taken plac'
in its two most important New Years Gus
toms humanity has degenerrted. It j
not reasonable to suppose that the goot
resolutions ever were better or worse KEEP
than they are now and the fact must b'
observed that there is still a vast deal o.
New Years greeting that springs truly from
tine heart. What the friend of humanit
will find worth noting is not SO mucl
that real loving kindness is dead as tina
an affectation Of it is most surprisingly dill
fused not so much that the irresOlute re
solves Of New Years day continue to b.
broken as that, being the day SO notOri
ously breakable, they continue to be made
And on the whole, he will find in thes
formal arbitrary customs of the day a!
much to surprise him as the simple savage
finds in the like qualities apparent in tn
constitution of the day itself.
i