The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1894-01-04
OLD YEAR REFLECTIONS.

The closing days OF the year can
not be devoted to better purpose
than a retrospective view of the
preceding twelve months, made with
the purpose Of obtaining guide for
the future. The year, though an
arbitrary division of time, serves
good purpose in providing a stopping
place from which to make observations
and a new departure. Men have
become SO accustomed to making
these divisions of time that they think
of them as real. Though time rolls on
in an amending cycle without inter
ruption, we can scarcely accustom
ourselves to the idea; by the force OF
custom 1898 is set apart from 1894,
and at the close of 1898 it is we'll to
look back upon ones individual
history during the year with the pur-
pose of applying the lessons of expert
ence to 1894. 1t requires some
courage to take this interpretive view
fairly, nothing extenuating, and yet,
unless we can bring ourselves to look
upon personal faults with an I'M
prejudiced eye, we cannot hope to
correct them. What have we done
during the year that upon review we
would be glad to have left undone?
And to what defect or fault of character
or disposition may we ascrlbe the
wrong doing? These are questions
which if truthfully answered in our
own minds may bring correction.
And what, also, have we left undone
that we ought to have done? With
many good men and women this list,
if fairly compiled, will be longer than
the other One must have vice of
disposition if he can be led to do a
positive wrong he may be only weak
and self-indulgent and yet neglect to
do positive good that is a duty.
Searching for these faults in ones self
is excellent discipline. 1t teaches
humility, for the best Of us can not
fail to find that our better qualities
are limited in their expression by our
carelessness, indifference or selfish
regard for our own ease. If we are
rich, or even we'll to do, it requires
little sacrifice to make the minor gifts
to charity which are sufficient to
establish reputation for generosity
But how do we act when the demands
of some unfortunate require a real
sacrifice of our ease and comfort
when money will not relieve distress,
but we are required to leave the
pleasant freside and 60 out into the
wind and rain to succor the afflicted
The real tests of mans disposition
come when he is called upon to make
a sacrifice, not when he is asked for a
few dollars which he does not value
SO at the end Of the year, when we
look back upon its events, we may
find that though we have been just anc
liberal, have given of our means te
charity and have fairly earned {
reputation for uprightness and gener
osity, we have shirked the performance
of some serious duty because it involved
the sacrifice of little modicum of ou
ease and comfort. Continuing the
self-inquiry, What have we done
during the year to degrade or uplif
humanity? 1t is assumed that WI
have violated no laws of God or man
but what example have we set 70
others beyond that of negativ,
influence? Have we pursued our owl
purposes, with no sign of regard TO
others, or have we actively assisted il
the promotion of some positive good
These and similar questions shoult
come upon us at the close of the year
when we are casting up our owl
private accounts to see how we stant
with this world and the next. An,
the answers, if honestly given, ma
serve as guides for the future. w
are all naturally selfish, nor is certain
degree of selhshness to be deprecated
for it is the main spring of endeavol
but the social state requires tina
egoism should be combined wit
t altruism. If we would be noble an
ennobling men and women, we mus
care for others, as we'll as for ourselves
, and at the dawn of new year on
best and highest hopes should be tina
we may conquer the faults develope
in the year that is dead and end tn
: new year with the consciousness tia
: we have advanced our own standar
of goodness and done something fc
the promotion of the goodness
Observation-Disclosures Sun.