St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1881-01-01
A Happy New Year to You.

The most tbotlelltless OF mortal beings
usually pauses OH the threshold OF the
period of time we call the New Year,
and casts a retrospective glance on the
days and hours, consigned to the grave
of the Past. Perhaps he finds little
change from one year to another. He
has sorrowed or rejoiceG-he has known
triumph or defeat-he has buried his
dead, or hailed the coming of some new
life, and in the monutonOus round OF
human cares or human enjoymcnts he
has had his part At the first glance he
will think and say: "The New Year
can give me nothing that | have not
already experienced. 1t is only a
monotonous mile post which brings me
one stage nearer my journeys end
But it is not so. Subtle changes have
been wrought in the man himself during
the twelve months, and he is one year
nearer a good life or an evil one than
on the last anniversary. Each mans
life makes q moral tradition for his
individual self, as in the words Gcorg.
Eliot 1.-The life of mankind at large.
makes moral tradition for the race,
and to have once acted greatly seems
strong leason why we should always be
| noble"
So to have done kindly, unseliish and
helpful acts in that Old Year. is a pre-
cedent and an assurance that these acts
will be repeated in the New. To have
been harsh, pitiless or to have given
full rain to evil passions or vices yes
terflav, has broken down thesafeguards
of to-day, and the man has Travelled
not only one stage nearer his death, but
one long stage nearer his hopeless moral
! deterioration. There can be neither
moral nor physical stanlstill. Each
New Year finds us better or worse than
it's predecessor. We are creatures of
habit. and every day strengthens its
! letters, and either takes something
| from our will and motive power or
strengthens them for good or evil.
This century is wonderful in its in
ventions and discoveries. We have the
railroad, the telegraph, the telephone
and audiphone. Distance and time are
conquered by the two first. Iou can
! hold Il familiar conversation across the
space of many miles with a friend, and
the telephone not only repeats his ia
mIiar voice, but holds the tones as long
as the instrument lasts, to be awakened
at pleasure. The deaf are made to hear
through the modern inventions. A care
for the physical well-bcing of the
human race is daily on the increase.
Hygitnic laws are better understood
and enforced. and charitable associa-
tons and institutions multiply all over
the land. But in spite of all this pro-
gress we are at every turn brought face
to face with the unsolved and moral
Problems which have wtaiied and per-
picked humanity from the earliest dawn
of civilization. Nor are we with all
our material advancement any nearer
their solution. If the candid truth
must be told, the spirit of the age is but
IA dumb oracle where the real welfare
| of the human race Is concerned.
This Age that blots out Life with question
! marks,
This nineteenth century with its knife and glass,
That makes thought physical, and thrusts far
| off,
The Hrayens so npighhoriv with man of old
To voids sparse sDwn with alienatcd stars
But leaving the problem of the spirit
! f,f thu, hIlrnan m
those whose business it is to deal with
that question, we touch another which
has drawn near our doors, and which
is assuming portentous dimensions.
Even in New Orleans the war between
labor and capital has been inaugurated.
In this country it will never reach the
proportions that it has done in Europe.
but it is going to prove fruitful source
Of dascDsion and trouble, in the coming
months. 1t ia no longer the ignorant
masses against the monopoies of wealth
but labor, intelligent, ambitions and
with INSCRIPTIONS leaders, who wish to
rae the very foundations of society, t
. build impossible castles on its ruins.
Bet we will leave these enigmas alone
and we only alIude to them to show
, that 1881 is in many things on par witt
the year Of grace 1900. There are ont
! or two things that are unchanged and
| Interchangeable until time shall be M
more. They are the best things too
| that life has to offer us
Think truly and thy thought shall the world
famine feed,
Speak truly and thy word shall be a fruitfu
i. seed.
Live truly and thy life shall be great ant
noble creed.
y And SO to all our friends and reader
xrr, xx.;S(, q h.,nuv Na0, Year