The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1897-12-31
PAST AND FUTURE.

Everything that man does must
have a beginning and an end The in
finite is beyond his comprehension. so
every civilization reckons from some
event forward. The Greek started with
the first Olympiad, the Roman from
the building of the city we from the
birth of our Savior, the Mohammedan
from the flight of Mahomet from Nee
ca to Medina. And each one has recll-
oned by periods of time called years,
and each one ushers in the New Year
with ceremonies of some kind, fire.
quently religious, but nowadays the
religious side is lost sight of. and with
MS the new year is ushered in with
merry making and good deal of
crackers, which we have borrowed
from the Chinese.
Though every day, if we look at it
in one light, has a solemnity about it,
for we know not what day may
bring forth, yet the entering upon a
new year. being longer space of
time, seems to have more of solem-
nifty. We cannot help, as we stand
upon the threshold of the untried
time before us, wondering what it
will bring to the world at large, to
the country we live in, to our near
ones and dear ones, and to ourselves.
We look upon the past time and see
what has happened. War and famine
and commercial depression have left
their mark upon some countries of the
world during the year 1897. But 9TH
ers have been prosperous, and one of
them made a great show of her pros
perity, her wealth and her power;
such display as has never yet been
made. In our own country we have
been peaceful, but we have and are
torn with doubt as to our political fu-
ture. Prosperity has smiled on us as
a nation, and 1897 can be marked as
a banner year in our great industry.
Each coterie of friends and families
can look round and see some one who
has been gathered from the unknown
of time into the greater unknown of
eternity. And as we journey on each
of us looks and wonders who will com
plete the NEXT stage, now lying before
us. To the weary and work-worn
there may come rest this coming year,
H. L., f,4
should continue the strife, while some
who are just dancing on the threshold
may be called, or the strong man, or
the Indispensable mother. 1t is all
there in the womb of time which most
of us will be thinking of tonight.
But if there are these possibilities,
fortunately the mind of man is TOO
elastic to be weighed down by them.
We look for happiness, and strive to
gain it, and strive earnestly to obtain
it for those whom we love. We there
fore look into the coming year with
hope. 1t may bring us greater sue
cess. 1t may join hearts that have
been sundered. 1t may give us the
opportunity of being better men and
women, less hard and selfish, more
truly charitable, in the higher sense
of the word. 1t is this hopefulness,
the most blessed attribute of the hui
man mind, which makes us wish each |
other-A Happy New Year. At Christ |
mas time we wish one another IA mer-
ry season. but we do not look into
the future. At the opening of the
new period of time, we do look to the
future, and we desire that the future
of all should be prosperous, and boun-
tifully supplied with material and 9TH
err advantages. So following the GUS
tom of the world The Star wishes to
all its readers prosperity, health, sue
cess, family love and affection, unbro-
ken friendship, and all those flowers
of hope which are contained in the
phrase
\ HAPPY NEW YEAR