The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1900-12-29
NEW YEARS WISHES.

1t is pleasant custom at this sea-
son, of wishing others happy New
Year. This custom is more singular
than our familiarity with it would
suggest. While there is nothing
more general throughout the world
than wishing, there is nothing more
singular than a general custom of
wishing happiness to others-indeed,
the extensive observance of this Gus
tom is significant mark of our Chris
tian oiviiisation.
Peoples of all lands wish. They
wish by the moon, by the stars, by
the clouds, by almost every phenom-
enon. With some it is at certain
periods in the year, with others it is
a daily enjoyment.
Not every wish comes true, just as
not every seed that is planted ma
lures. There is a pretty custom
among uncivilized tribes in the orient
wherein fair virgins make little boats
with sails, place on the top lighted
candle and put on board cargo of
wishes. At evening twilight these
frail barks are launched on the doubt
full current of the river. Anxious
eyes watch them as they float away,
for if the boat sail out of sight with
out overturning and the candle burns
without dying, then will her burden
of wishes come true, and the dark
faced maiden will happily wed. Too
often, alas, more often than other
wise, these wishing boats and their
cargoes come to fateful end and dis
appoint the hopes of those who risk
them on the treacherous stream
such is the end of many a wish.
We wish always for things that
are good, but not always do the things
that seem to us good turn out to be
SO. Perhaps no greater calamity
could come to us than the getting of
every wish. In an ancient Italian
fairy tale Fortunatus, by means of his
wishing cap, always had full purse,
but that purse proved the ruin of
himself and his sons, result not un-
common in real life today.
We wish happy New Year to
others, not for its opening days alone,
but for all its days and all its hours,
even to when the year is dying;
wishes for December as we'll as May,
for May as January.
We wish that good which is ulti-
mately good, not that present sweet
which turns to bitter, but such fruit
as grows sweeter with ripening pros
perity and never knows decay.
We wish happiness, but mean nfers
than amusement, and even more than
pleasure. To be amused is the need
of children, but the high intelligence
of man needs more than amusement
for its satisfaction. So pleasure, if
we mean that which pleases, comes
far short of our best wishes. A child
is pleased with fire, and some poisons
pleases the taste indeed, many things
that please also harm, and things dis
pleasing often bring ultimate bless
ing. Happiness is more than amuse-
ment or pleasure. 1t reaches deeper
into the inner life and is far more
abiding. Inward conditions deter
mine happiness rather the outward
touches. To CAD about in search of
happiness is like doctoring a blood
disease by skin applications. The
source of health is in the soul. Hap
py are the pure in heart.
There is a picture in one of the
galleries of Europe representing the
final judgment of all men. Among
the many fignres on the canvas is one
surely meant to be conspicuous. He
evidently is not saint though he re-
veals the fact that instead of being
happy he is wretched. He is now
seeking to get out OF that Heaven
into which formerly he crowded him
self. Then he was sure he would be
happy could he but reach the place.
Now he has learned that happiness is
not place, but state. Eden must
be in the heart if the fruits of Eden
are to be in the life.
Let us wish others a happy New
Year, but such an one as is here in
dicated.