Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1898-01-08
NEW YEAR THOUGHTS
WHY THE DAY IS ALWAYS WELCOME
TO OLD AS WELL AS YOUNG.

JunIus Henri Browne Says Superstition.
Faith and Hope Are Caused by 1t, but
Hope Most OF ALA Delightful Pban-
tom-PromIses.
It is because nearly all OF rs live on
hope, because we are mentally sustained
by expectations, that New Years is always
welcome. 1t is the one day OF the twelve
mOnth-Christmas is chiefly for children
that appeals most TO men and women.
Much Of its attraCtiveness depends. for the
multitude, on its nominal newness We
are all familiar and weary with the old.
We ire ever signing Cor the new, which
seems as IL IL would bring change Of
mind and condition. New Years is not q
whit newer for its name, rs every one who
thinks for moment Is aware, but names
are potent, more potent often than things
We like TO deceive ourselves and to accept
any sort of prctext that will serve our pur-
pose. A name is rs good rs anything else,
though there is nothing behind IL.
1t is absurd and ludicrous, philosoph-
ically, TO believe, unless for some specific
cause that the coming year will be any
better, more helpful or will make us any
more contented than the last year has
done. Nevertheless it is natural TO so be-
lieve, for belief is but hope intensified,
full matured. Few OF us can reach philo-
sophie height, and it may be well that we
cannot Philosophy may make us strong,
but the majority OF us would rather be
satisfied, would rather enjoy the prospect
of something desirable, even II it should
never be reached. And this feeling can
not be had without hope, and without
hope life is not worth keeping. Could any
Of us live deprived OF hopper Some of us
think we can and that we do. But do wei
Have we not hope that we are unconscious
Off Is not the mere fact OF our living
positive proof OF thisY Would NOT entire
absence Of hope result in discontiDuance
OF our physical being? Is not hope essen
/ tial TO the world pcrpetuityi
The bulk OF us hold as much faith IN
each New Year as IL we had never expert
4 enceda New Year life We forget that the
past year was once the new and that We
had fond authorizations OF what it would
bring Not only will the New Year, al
we imagine. Afford us improved circum
stances, - will alter our mind, even revo
lutionize our disposition; recreate III
afresh. We are as a rule positively super
EtitiOus about each and every New Year
FOR we really think. in effect, though We
would never make the admission, that II
will deal with us magically, that it vii
| actually transform us without active co
/ operation on our part. We arc supersti
tious, too, about other things, more thar
| we are conscious OF or could be persuaded
TO believe. II we laugh at such vuIga
superStitiOns as that Friday is unlucky
or that breaking a mirror IS sign o
death, we fancy we have free minds. A
the same time wo may be abjectly super
stitiOus concerning a hundred facts II
which superstition Is not supposed TO b
fnxvolvaH NNhiln aft
TO be reasoning animal, not one in DO i
strictly SO.
1t may be that hope has moro to do witt
New Years than superstition has for hop
and faith are SO closely allied to 1t as to b
hardly distinguishable, sometimes on
from the other. Superstition is, under al
circumstances, baneful, but hope Is com
monty useful, desirable, Of particular ad
vantage TO him who hopes, provided IL b
not so excessive as to become visionary
Any virtue may degenerate into an evil
may be carried too far. rs faith, beautiful
IN itself, frequently sinks into slavish, de
basing superstition and may commit afro
ciOus cruelties.
1t seems sheer superstition for a MAJ
who IS selfish, vicious, dissipatcd this yea
J to believe that he will be generous virtu
Gus, self denying in the year TO come un
less he has resolved to reform thoroughly
Just as he Is not likely, being poor in purs
: and in health at present, to be mOnetaril
independent and round Of body within
few months because there will have ush
cred in another year without rigid econ
omy OF exceptional luck or the close OF
servance Of hygienic laws.
1t is unadulterated superstition to thin
that ones fortune or nature will chang
as soon as the clock strikes midnight o
to- oh. - IL
dom sudden. But IL one seriously reflect
in October, November or December tina
his surroundings are not as he would hey
. them or that he is not performing his du
ties TO his fellows there is fair chance {
his material and moral betterment in Jar
uary, February or March.
Apart from this, hope is ever stirring I
the human heart, and if things go i'll wit
US one season we are supported by an in
ward suggestion that they will go bette
at later season, which is generally asst
ciated with the New Year This inwar
suggestion is the voice of hope. 1t is hear
in the darkest hours, In the most depres,
ing moods. and IL is more grateful tina
the music of the spheres. 1t is the grea
est blcssing-many regard it as the sol
blessing-of humanity, for while It cor
stantly cheats 1t always comforts Dant
was just in representing the punishmeT
of the inferno as the total surrender
hope 1t is at worst delightful phantom
New Years is u grand. an inspiring o,
casiOn, for it is always saturated wit
hope We are wont to scoff at and derid
It as day when men make good resolI
tiOns only to break them; when they tur
over new leaves, as IL is called, merely I
: turn them back again. They want, the
hope to be better. and but few Of them al
so. They determine to advance, and
they do advance they slip back. The
failures are many, are continuous. an
often excite laughter. But it is worth,
to determine and decline TO hope and /
, disappointed, than not to determine or hOI
at all Determination and hope add TO OF
/ contest, or at least diminish our discOr
tent, and they are born OF New Year
] The great need OF human life Is conten
never attained, never attainable. An
through New Years we are deluded int
b belief OF it's possibility. Therefore we
? come be New Year 3, not for what IL give
but for what 1t promises to give.
JrNlTS HENRI BROWNE