The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1897-12-30

On the whole it is a good thing that
New Years day comes around with bus
inesslike regularity once year. Man
being by nature weak and stumbling
sort of n creature, prone to stumble over
obstacles that he ought to be able TO
step over with ease, the coming of day
when he can oil his rusty conscience, and
begin life with a new lease full, of good
resolutions, is distinctly benefit to the
|&ace. OF course everyone knows that
1the new year will be as full of falls as
the old, and the road to a certain inferno
will remain, now aud forever, paved
with good intentions, but still, as was
said at the beginning of this. il is
good thing on the whole to have New
Years day.
1t is a day in which everybody finds
some particular charm. To the oldest
inha bitant it is the banner day of the
year, for "reminiscences are not only per-
mitted hit welcomed and acknowledged
to be sin, larly appropriate to the sea.
son. To the man who begins to realize
that he is only mortal after all, and that
Il even a constitution of granite will not
stand continual alchohOic ravages. it is
day of stern resolve, which, if nine
teenth century customs could be changed
might stand better chance of being
adhered to. To the young man. and in
cidentally to the young woman, it is in
spite of the efforts of some to obliterate
ancient landmarks, a day to be looked
forward to with much painstaking re-
gard for. personal appearances. The
custom of making New Years calls
may be dying out as some assert, but if
it is it dies hard and mas surprising
amount of vitality still
The custom of making day of cele-
bration of the first day of the year is as
rold as civilization. There have been
differences of opinion regarding the man.
ner in which the day should be celebrat-
led, as well as varied opinions regarding
the date on which the year properly be-
gins, but there seems to have been al
unanimous understanding among the an
.cient nations that New Year.
day was the day of all days
when business should be entirely sus
pended while the world made merry
The ancient Romans chose to begin theil
year in March. Christianity, famous
from its birth for overturning the estab
lished usages of time, retained the ide,
of making distinct break between thu
old and the new year, to be signalizet
by solemn services but so widely sep
arated were the leaders of the new reli
gion. and so difficult was it in thost
days to get together to arrange the re
ligiOus almanac that there continued t.
be great diversity of ideas regardin!
the exact date when the New Years in
auguratioG should begin. 1t is fac
that New Years day has been solemn
lied on Christmas day, while so miXet
were the leaders of the ancient Chris
tian church regarding the proper tint
to begin the year, that it was celebrated
variously on Easter day and on March l
1t was not until the Sixteenth century
that by universal consent New Years
day was fixed for January /.
New Years day has always been
high holiday, in spite of the efforts o
certain stern old fathers of the church
notably Chrysostom Ambrose, Angus
tine, Peter Chrysologus, and others t.
make it day on which fasting or pray
er should take the place of hllarlty. y
compromise was affected by which par
of the day was given NJ TO feasting ant
part to prayer. and this has prevailed Il
the present day.
The reason why all efforts have rance
to make the day ole devoted eNcluSlVel!
to religious exercises is that the genera
character of the occasion, the ending OF
an old year and the beginning OF new
lends itself so readily to celebrations u