The Nome nugget., 1902-12-31
NEW YEAR REFLECTIONS.

It is customary with newspapers we'll some men, review the year it closes and take stock as were of the times and of themselves Now this may be pleasant task, but we do not sec it in that light Rctrospection is not always pleasant, though 1t may be profitable and wholesome to the mind and understanding There are many things that we would forget; there many others that should be remembered and treasured, but are prone to remember what we ought to forget and forget what we should remember
 Nineteen hundred and two years have passed since the dawn Of the Christian The world in which we live was old and gray even then The height of wisdom Cor what considered such) had even then been attained. Wisdom cried aloud and uttered her voice in the streets this day. There . civilization which regarded as supreme. The people whom pleased to term the arcients had tasted to the full the cup of know nledge Their lawyers formulated and executed laws the like of which for justice and mercy have not been seen in modern statute books; their philosophers mparted knowledge which latter day truths have surpassed; their poets sang the sweetest and grandest songs that have lived in history. There giants in those days, intellectual, as well physical and their works, notwithstanding the crumbling hand of cen turies, live after them
 And yet we are accustomed to look back upon the ancients of couple of thousand years ago with pity and disdain. In these modern days Wo are prone to think that we are the people and wisdom will die with us. Net we not ''the people" and wisdom will lift up her voice in the streets two thousand years hence, as she lifted it thousands of years ago. We have learned, and have forgotten; we shall con- 'tnue to learn and we shall continue to forget. The lessons of the ages do not always bear fruit for the simple reason that in self esteem and in our own worldly wisdom fail to the need of apply ing them to the present. This is, however, consd erable reflection upon ourselves: 0rbears did like wise; they thought that they were the people," vet they ran their day; they did their work-good or evil and then lay down with princes and the strong of the earth.
 We apt to boast of our civilization and the progress that we have made during the past centu- ries. We have progressed, have become more civ- lized but 1t to that that fact should not be marked up to credit. If we have not progressed in civilization and tho like, why should we have lived? Those who live in the twentieth century should be wiser than those who lived in the tenth. And few are. The world has expanded is expand ing, and will continue to expand. There ie indeed, no more wisdom today than there was centuries ago, but knowledge has been more widely diffused and the area of mans intelligence has been broadsncd greatly. His mental horizon takes in the world and he IS able to note the progress made by mankind Knowledge comes but wisdom fingers, because our wisdom of today is not whit broader deeper or more extensive than was the wisdom of the ancients h. deed perhaps, it has been crcumscrbed great d-al through the ages.
 We are told that the Lord made man upright, but he has wrought out many inventions. That is to say his wants, once few, become more and more as time passed and experience increased, and his inventive faculties were called upon to supply deficiencies which were necessary Cor so it was hough) to his ssrial welfare. And to mans inventive genius do ve