The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1899-12-21

meet to reflect upon the past anu
take stock of the blessings which
we have and enjoyed during the old
wear now nearly run its course. Inc
sands Of time are fast running out
and this Christmas finds rs that
much nearer our meeting with the
| male rider on the dark horse. Are
we better prepared for it than we
we're one year ago? Have we I'M
| proved our opportunities as we
shoulde Have the good deeds and
kindly acts outweighed the bad? Is
| the world better for our living in 1t!
Let US take reckoning with our
selves and see.
However far we may have fallen
short, and however Improbable our
lives may have been, as people and
as individuals we have much to be
| thankful for The world has dealt
kindly with us and God has been
good to us beyond our deserts. Let
US then at this season take stock OF
| the blessings which Heaven has
| bestowed upon us, and make an
inventory Of our own unworthlness
and lack of appreciation. Appro-
priating a part OF the Atlanta Con-
shtutiou's Thanksgiving editorial and
adapting it to the present occasion
we quote the following as both timely
| and excellent in season and senti-
| ment:
Things may not have moved as
smoothly with us during the past
| year as we could have wished and
troubles of one kind and another
! may have frcttEd us out of our stock
| of good nature; but if we will care
| fully adjust our spectacles and in
| vestigate our lots we will find that
| we have no reason to be sour or
| disgruntled whatever our veXations
and worries may be. If we have not
we have health and strength left with
which we can make another start in
| that direction. If we are not salts
fed with the way in which the politi-
cal affairs of the country have been
run we are still fortified and sus-
tanned by the faith that the God Of
battles who gave US victory at
Santiago and Manila will not desert
us in our national affairs, and that
| ritr in
the end if we are true to the princi-
plies from which the republic sprung.
If bereavement has crossed our
thresholds and made its presence
felt in that inner sanctuary where
| life's most sacred ties are woven we
are still blest with memories which
make us Drawer because of the ordeal
through which we have passed and
we are furthermore cOmfOrted with
newer and sweeter hopes. Heaven
| has become more real to us, and faith
has fixed our thoughts less upon the
sordid things of this earth and more
| upon the hidden mysteries of that
| life to which our better natures lift
us.
Whatever may be our circum-
| stances we can easily find some hook
| upon which to hang our grateful
recognition of Gods mercies and
favors if we will only brush aside the
cobwebs of morbid selfihsness which
interfere with our clearer visions.
One reason why we are ofttimes so
blind to our blessings is because we
selfishly lavish our thoughts upon
| ourselves when we ought rather to
lavish them upon others.
We need to come out of our shells
and to revel in Gods sunlight. We
need to feel in our lives the touch of
brotherhood and the sense of that re-
lation which we sustain to others.
When we take this journey into the
world around us life will Immediate
ly begin to brighten and we will
begin to realize that we are blessed
with more beatitudes than we can
number.