San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1886-12-31
Turning Over a New Leaf.
For the San Antonio LIGHT.

For the San Antonio LIGHT.
The first day OF new year Is an i'm
portant epoch In the life of mOrtals,
whether they be In the prime Of life, or
totterIng down towards its western
horizon. Ii may chance TO be the last
year OF their earthly career-death may
entwine his icy fingers among their
heart strings between now ana 1883, and
there 10 no chance for reformation and
amendment in the narrow precir cts OF
the cold grave. Nor Ia there any chance
OF repairing the wrongs we may have
done, or of unsaying the unkind and
harsh words we may have uttered.
Death terminates our earthly lIves-and
as the tree falls, so must 1t lie for all
eternity.
How many, who entered upon the
year Of 1856, in robust health, with bOuy-
ant hopes ard brains full OF schemes.
now repOse in the tombP That may be
the fave Of all of us.
Rational creatures should never be
satisfied except when they are moving
forward in the path Of Improvement.
That is what our reason was given TO us
for; and We misuse il, unless we turn it
to account by self-improvement. When
ever man, or woman improves him or
herself, the influence Is felt, In widening
circles, of u purer life and better ex-
ample, and this unthought Of influence
may extend itself through generations
to come. mo man lives TO himself'-he
Is bound to exert an influence either for
good or evil, upon those about him
and the mere thought OF such thing
saddens q conscientious person.
"Hell is said TO be paved with good in
N
may be true, but that 10 no argument
against good intentions and good resO-
lulions. There Is wide gulf rolling
between good intention and n bad in
tentiOn, between q good resolution and a
bad resolution, even though the former
happen TO bear no fruit and perish by
the wayside. THE spirit 10 willing, but
the flesh Is weak" was the confession OF
the apostle, Paul. and IL Is the confess
sion Of honest men 10 al ages, tor hu-
man perfection is, "A faultless monster
the world never saw"
have no faith in sinless human crea-
lures and ssiBts in the flesh. have known
many genuine Christians, not only In
D. anne and In creed, but in sincerity an
rruth-in humility, charity, love and
fnith-hut they were not saints, nor
blessed with sanctiticaTion or sinless-
ness. Nor did they lay claim to exemp-
ton from the intirmities inherent in
man.
We have all made resolutions Of
amendment, and when temptation way
laid us and seized upon us, suddenly, We
yielded TO the temptation with deep re-
greet and poignant sorrow, not unmixed
with sharp twinge of self abatement.
Habit is in truth sort OF second ma
10 tn
overcome. This is no reason why we
should decline TO make an effort 10 over
come vicious habits, that mar our hap
piness and derogate from our usefulness.
But we have often resolved ana re-re-
solved to discard and lay aside some
vicious habit, and were sincerely in
earnest in doing so, and flattered our
selves that We were able 10 act up to
our resolutions; but. alas, temptation
melted our resolution Ms the sun dis
solves snow. and now we fear to make
any more resolutions lest they, too, shall
be broken.
Never mind what your past short COM
ings may have been, take fresh start
turn over a new leaf, with the advent OF
the year 1887, and use your best efforts
to enter upon a purer and better life.
Ii Is something to aspire to reach
higher plane Of existence and to snap the
chains of vicious habit and to correct
personal defects, to endeavor to
"Move upwards.
Working OUT the beast; let the ape
and the tiger die"
But there are sins of omission as well
as commission. Slavery to vicious
habits is degrading to manhood and
should be thrown Off-but the lack of
benevolence, kindness and charity are
infinitely more hurtful to society.
Covetousness produces more misery
than almost all the vices combined, and
yet society seems to regard 1t as q mere
venisl fault.
Let us all start out 1887 with the de-
termination to do our best to render
those about US happy and to do as much
good as lies In our power, to the poor,
sick and needy. Il. F.