The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1898-01-05
new YEAR THOUGHTS.
WHY THE DAY rs ALWAYS VEL
COMETOOLD AS WELL AS YOUNG.


Junius Henri Browne Says Superstition:
Faith and Home Are Caused by It, but
Do,io,,,+e,,1 1,ran-
Hop0
COMPROMISES
~. ,a..,.-a ,,oor,1, oil -, ,7e 1.-Two m
Lo-,o booaI,sa VOC aro mentally sustained
~ +1,,+ Nov, yooIs is AWAY.
~ 1870 - - tho ono dov Of the twelve.
49,, r,hriz+,,,as is chiefly for children
that arneals most TO men and women.
Nh IF i+g a+t,octivoness deDends. for the
,,,,-I+i+,,do an IFS nominal newncss. We
aro all familiar and weary with the old.
We ora ever siohing for the new, which
eoc,ne as if II wou]d bring a change of
mind and condition New Years is not q
whit newer for it's name, as every one who
thinks for q moment is aware, but names
are notent more Dotcnt often than things.
We like tn deceive ourselves and to accept
any sort of Dratcyt that will serve our pur-
nose A name is as good as anything else,
though there is nothing behind it.
1t is absurd and ludicr0us, philOsoph-
ically, to believe. unless for some specific
cause, that the coming year will be any
better more helpful or win 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 a 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 if it should
10,
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 we?
Have we not hope that we are unconscious
of? Is not the mere fact of our living
positive proof of this? Would not entire
absence of hope result in discontinuance
of our physical being? Is not hope essen
tial to the worlds perpetuity?
The bulk of us hold as much faith in
each New Year as if we had never expert
enced a New Year life We forget that the
past year was once the new and that we
had fond anticipations of what it would
bring Not only will the New Year as
we imagine, afford US improved circum-
stances. it will alter our mind. even revO-
lutionize our disposition recreate us
afresh We are as a rule positively super
stitious about each and every New Year,
for we really think, in effect. though we
would never make the admission. that if
will deal with us magicallv, that it will
actually transform us without active CO.
operation on our part We are suDersti-
tious, too, about other things, more than
we are conscious of or could be persuaded
to believe. If we laugh at such vulgar
superstitions as that Friday is unlucky,
or that breaking a mirror is a sign of
death. we fancy we have free minds Al
the samo time we may be abiectlv super
stitious concerning a hundred facts in
which superstition is not supposed to be
involved. While every civilized man claims
to be a reasoning animal, not one in so is
strictly SO.
1t NAV be that hone has more to do with
New Years than sunerstition has for hone
and faith are SO closely allied to if as to be
hardly distinguishahle. sometimes one
from the other SuDerstition is. under all
circumstances. haneful but hone Is com
monty useful. desirable, of particular adj
vantage to him who homes, nrovided it. he
not so excessive as to become visionary
ANY virtue NAV degenerate into an evil
may be carried too far, as faith, beautiful
in itself, frequently sinks into slavlsh, de
basing superstition and may commit afro
cious cruelties
1t seems sheer superstition for a mar
who is selfish, vicious dissiDated this yea
to believe that he will be generous, yirtu
Gus, self DENYING in the year to come IN
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 or exceptional luck or the close OBJ
| servanco of hygienic laws
1t is unadulterated sllperstitfon to thinI