New-York tribune., 1892-01-03
FEELTNG md ACTION.

1t is natural and usual 20 begin new year
with good resolutions The impulse toward
higher things is felt not alone and perhaps not
most strongly by those who are accustomed to
think Of themselves with more or less compla-
cency as amiabe. charitable and religious mem
bers of society. The capacity 10 be stirred by
generous emotion which is born in every human
soul fingers long and is never utterly extn-
guished. A book. a spoken word, an incident, a
recollection, is often quite enough to send a
pleasant thrill along the nerves. We all recog-
nize and enjoy the sensation. Even those who
would be ashamed to confess it Ill public are
secretly ffattelcd by the proof that their springs
of feeling have not quite run dry. There arc
many, indeed. who love TO cultivate their Sen>i-
bilities Emotion is their sweetest luxury. They
become expert in evoking il. They learn where
TO find the most favorable conditions. They
are apt at discovering and nvenng pathetic
resources. Tho church is their favorlte resort
Stained glass and dim Light, music, veStlnentS
and the litany supply an infallible inspiration
and guarantee perfectly delicious SuiiuSon OF
tenderness And sometimes even the supcria-
tive gift of tears is not withheld.
These professional SentimentaistS derive an
exquisite pleasure from their own softneSs' but
others have little to thank them for. Ii is to a
different and we hope a far larger, class thac
the world must continue II look for the cIys-
tazation Of feeling in action. To come back
to our text there are thousands who at times
and especially at the advent of every new year
feel a genuine desire to adopt new standard
Of living, or perhaps NithClt attempting quite
30 comprehensive departure as that, at least
TO do some ore useful thing that they have
never done before, TO employ little time or
money or energy in a new way, to surprise ana
encourage some cause or person by an act 0l
helpfulnesS. to be less absorbed in self than
formerly. and to take a personal share IN the
general diffusion Of happiness. surely such an
impulse as this is often felt where il IS seldom
manifested, and the reason is that, though 1t Is
recurrent and in a sense familiar ana even eA-
pected and welcomed, il finds It's subject prac-
tically unplepared to take advantage CT 1t. lie
would be glad 10 act de- well aS feel, but he has
neglected to choose in advance mode Of action.
and while he is debating what it Is best TO do the
imDul~c Gibbs away and there i no disposition
left to DO anything.
We are much mistaken if this is not one Of
the most familiar of human experiences. And
the most melancholy thing about it is that the
emotion comes so near TO being fruitful and -
constantly falls just short. For the loss is double.
The world not only has TO get along WITHOUT the
numbcrleSS helps which were imagined and al
most rendered, bur every such default makes
another more probable and robs the individual
soul There is the suggestion of Il remedy in
the old adage that the way to do a thing is 10
do it. Forcthought is good, but hesitation is
often dangerous. If you have not devised
course Of action in anticipation Of a sudden i'm
pulse u be better 70 yourself and 10 others thln
You have been don't run the risk of cropping. bur
DO something forthwith Commit yourself Make
a precedent, even though it s iT below yoW
aspirations. \ long line oi opportunities IS Wa.,-
ing behind the first accepted chance.