Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-12-31
TURNING OVfH NEW LEAVES
GENERAL OBSERVANCE OF THE NEW
YEAR WITH FMRsH RESOLVES.
Characteristic Feature of the Cele-
bratiOn of the 9Day-Varfous
Modes In Favor.

| Considered numerically, the apocryphal
| leaves of Vallambrosa will not be cir
| cumstance to the new ones that VIII be
| turned over in the human volumes compris-
| ing the great library Lof life, with the ad-
! vent of the new year and the new century.
Every infant born to the family chronology
cal is greeted with the rustling in these
books of pages eff fresh resolves and as
pirations and determination to make the
coming chapters fuller of strength than OF
weakness, and more replete with joy and
happiness than with sorrow and misery.
When the newcomer, however, is of such
unusual stature the one which will be
born tonight as the last stroke of twelve
dies away it is but natural to expect that
the rustling in question will be more gen.
eral and more emphatic than ever before.
Its chorus will be sweied by those who
gather at watch meetings in the churches,
or by hresides, as well as by the legions
of individuals who will seek solemn yigils
alone with their consciences, and register
with prayerful emphasis the resolves that
spring from contrite hearts.
How many such leaves will be torn and
thumb soiled or forgotten in the brief
course the new year must run before 1t
joins in the procession Of the old ones, gone
before, Is problem beyond solution. One
may, perhaps, guess at the answer by put
ting himself through a rigid examination
and finding how many resolves he has fall
ed to meet or how many solemn self prom
1ses he has broken. In such an event, per-
haps, the result will be rather dubious to
even the most sanguine believers in the
efficacy Of New Year resolutions.
No Changes Probable in Styles.
They will probably take the same form
this year they have ever assumed. Count
less lovers of the libations that cheer and
likewise inebriate will deliberately deter
mine to eschew the cup and the glass ard
the bottle. Unestimated legions Of those
whose systems are surcharged with nico-
tine will give away remaining cigars or
cigarettes, throw old pipes out the Win
dow, pour tobacco in the gutter and de-
termine to never know the taste OF the
fascinating weed again. Millions more will
make up their minds to practice absolute
economy and start self account books in
which every expenditure is to be relisiously
recorded. The petulant wife will promise
herself to be less arbitrary in the family
and the high-tempered husband will regis
ter similar vows.
So the list could be extended Indefinitely
in the sentimental way and added to enor
mously in the substantial which, it is
scarcely necessary to say, comprises the
diary starting race, without which no New
Year could be properly inauguratei 1t
was a profound statistician who once de-
clared that there were as many New Year
resolutions kept for the entire twelve
months there were diaries kept for the
same period, and If his view was correct
the end Of 1901 will find a very large pro-
portion of resolvers reiterating their pres
ent resolutions. But many diaries are con-
tinued religiously by their beginners and
many newly formed aspirations are made
to become substantial improvers Of the
lives of those who make them, and If only
one man is made better or one home
made brighter as a result Of New Year
leaf-turning the observance will not have
been wholly in vain.