The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1897-01-14
TIME FOR REFLECTION.
SOME THOUGHTS ON THE OLD YEAR AND
THE NEW.
At Such Season Every Man Ought
to Be Brought to Himself, to the
End That he May Profit By His EN-
perience-Have We Improved Our
Opportunities AS We Should? II Not
Let Us Be Wiser i'm Future.
(Reidsville Weekly.)

Another milestone in liie's jDurne,
has been passed. Another page il
the reCn,d has been filled up. Ii We
We" lite from The standpoint OF III,
good Book, we are year nearer III,
gieat white throne, where We must
give an account of our SIewardSnlp
/ lne completion oi another year should
awaken IN Us the most serious rttlrc-
/ tons. 1t Is fearful thing To live a.
/ 10 die. \ great statesman was once
asked what WAS the greatest thought
that ever engaged his mind, and he
answered with dellberatlOn that i, was
the sense Of his personal responsibility
TO God. Another has sal that the
death bed brings every man face 10
lace with his Creator; that he may
live as a prince and a conqueror, but
he must die as man. SO ii is life
that concerns US most. How we spend
our lives determines the question
whether death comes as a baillff or a
messenger of peace.
The passing of the old year natur-
ally suggests his rend OF thought. 1t
ought to bring every man to himself,
to the end that he may profit by his
experience. What is The record? Are
We better, with larger views of life and
duN2 Have We improved the oppor-
tunItles for doing Others and our own
souls good? If not, lt, Us be wiser IN
the future.
We are prone 10 accept the days
that come to Us as a matter Of course.
Time is wasted as If it were a matter
of nothing. Vel wha; Will not the
rlch man give TO proiong his life 4
year when he sees his course is run?
Time may have been tedious to him
once, but how 1t flies now. "Oh if |
could but call back few years." is
often heard from those who have vast
ed their opportunities. Yet how i'm
patient is the youth TO bound over the
years and be man.
The same year that brought happi-
ness to some also brought sorrow to
Others. 1t brought manly strength 10
some and deepened the furrows and
sllvered the locks of others 1t dated
the birth of many and closed the lives
Others. So 1t will be with the new
year. Possibly many dear to us will
g. through il with US. A gracious
providence has wisely concealed these
things from lis. If we knew the
future, the present would be robbed Of
its pleasures. Not knowing, we hope
and press forward.
The old year IS gone beyond recall.
Most Of us can look back and see
where we have made mistakes. This
knowledge ought to be helpful TO us.
Reason as well as revelation tells US
that life Is school. 1t is absurd to
think that the wonderful world in
| which we find ourselves exists without
purpose. Creative power would not
| be put forth TO make a work and peo
pie it, with no higher object than the
qualification OF the appetlteS of It's in
| habltants. There must be something
higher and better in life than the
things that perish with the using.
"What is my misslon?" is a question
tina. every man should ask his own
soul. Is it to get wealth, fame and
sacrifice for these things, which satisfy
not. What Will 1t matte. to any of us
in few years whether the world Kisses
or applauds, whether we won or lost
these things of the moment? Would
that this thought could get deep down
INTO The consciousness Of men. 1t
would correct many Of the evils of life.
TO be right is better than TO be popu-
| lar
Now that the light Of a new year
| IS upon u, let US resolve 10 do our
duty in all the relations OF life more
faithfully. Let each feel his own re-
sponslbiIry and depend less upon
oilers i3r preCepi and example. SCI
pace iDr others If theirs does not SUI;
you.
AS people We should resolve 10
put politics aside as lar as possible
and devote our energies 10 helping
ourselves instead Of looking 10 Wash
lngton for relief. The IVeekiy ieeis
/ II IS jeillrg the truth without prclu-
! dlCe when it says there Is no hope
irYm leg ls!atlDn under present C!rcum
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