Daily independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 188?-1915, 1897-01-30
KEEPING A HOLIDAY.
How Shall We Plan to Get from It All the
Good It Can Givo1

Good It Can GiveF
What is sure to make it a red-letter
day2
What is the very best way to spend it2
How shall we plan to get from it all that
it can give2 To make the very most of
single day, holiday, day that we
are at liberty to spend as we like, may
be something of a puzzle.
1t suggests the question-what do
you care most about doing with all
your time? Time is the stuff of which
life is made, and just to be sure of what
we care most to do with it is worth
thinking about.
Most young people, and in fact pretty
much all persons, have some favorite
occupation OF study, or both in one,
some special direction in which they
are strongly drawn, that lies outside of
the daily necessary routine of work.
For those who have ordinarily but lit
tie leisure (and in this busy worl1-a-day
world this includes the majority, the
indulgence of this private liking is 4
capital use for at least a part of the
holiday. It may lead to important re-
suits or it may not-the thing wc are
most eager to do may be a mere amuse-
ment of which we soon tire, or it may he
the thing that we were made to do,
the real serious business of our lives.
which circumstances have seemed to
put beyond our reach, yet which per-
severance will enable US to achieve.
However that may be, there is no
question about the pleasure of doing
the thing one likes best. It may be
rlusic or history, or football, or wood
carving, or what not-there is certainly
n very keen satisfaction in following
ones own personal taste. And the
chances are that if you are enough in
earnest, something worth while will
come of it. Too much is made of the
motive of making money. 1t is we'll to
remember that there is another kind cf
satisfaction in good work, in every kind
of employment, done for its own sake.
It does not make much difference what
the work is. Any kind of useful or
beautiful thing done, in the measure
in which the heart is thrown into it,
doing ones very best for the sake of
seeing it we'll done, is good and satisfy
ing. Time spent in this way is we'll
spent.
If there is any such thing as secret
of happiness, it is surely this-make
others happy. And all good work is
an antidote for selfishness. Not only
that, but it is one of the surest, most
lasting and rightfu1 sources of con-
tinual happiness. To talk about work
as the best play-the best resource
for enjoying a holiday, seems on the
surface q contradiction. But the best
play is not idleness merely. To be
worth having, it must be some kind Of
activity, and to be really delightful. it
must be something loved. Tomakc the
most of holiday, then, it is quite fair
| to do the very thing that you care for
personally, however unimportant it may
appear to somebody else.
Something is due to the day itself.
Is It Thanksgiving day? Are we not
more ready to give thanks in sincerity
| for material blessings, for abundant
food and rich dress, prosperity in the
! shape of money, houses and lands, than
for better culture and richer gains in
building up our own characters and
! lives? Yet these are worth more.
Is it Christmas? Do we think Of it
MS time of gifts, Of merry making, Of
unusual gayety and self-indulgence, or
do we care first for its higher mean
ings? Do we make it a time Of good
will toward ell, time for earnest
thought and generous deeds to pro-
mote the welfare of those whom we love.
first, but also, so far rs we may, OF all
our human brothers and sisters?
Even on n holiday, and perhaps most
on holiday, when our time is free from
ordinary claims, little honest discus
sion with ones self Of the very best
uses and objects to which we can de-
vote little Of our time will not come
amiss.-Country Gentleman.