The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1903-12-25
New Years Resolves
Better to Make and Break Them
Than Not to MAKE Them at All

COME facetious individual has de-
fined New Years day as "a time
when men make good resolutions
in the confidence of breaking them as
soon as possible" But he has much
to learn to his own profit who sneers
ut good resolutions because some men
break them. To resolve to do right
does not mean necessarily that one
Will keep the promise, but such pur-
pose, whether outwardly expressed or
inwardly understood, is proof that the
individual is conscious of abiding SIN
of some sort.
1t is the self-righteous individual
who is in danger. Good resolutions
are born OF repentance; and repent
ance when genuine Is cardinal vir-
tue. The self-righteous fellow does
not resolve to do better because his
vanity tells him there is nothing
wrong in his makeup He may go
along committing hlunders every day
and doing NO end of mischief Such
fellow is beyond redemption. Like
Ephraim of old, he is Joined to his
idols and should be left alone
Doubtless there are many thought
less and some insincere good resolves
made on New Years day. Neverthe-
less it ID good thing that many
men do begin the new year with re-
solves 70 strive after what is higher
and better. 1t is marked and glori-
fled improvement upon the custom
once SO general but now, thank God,
obsolete. of men going from house to
house paying calls and guzzling wine
or stronger drink until before the
round was completed they were hope
lessly drunken.
1t is great deal better for a man
to resolve a hundred times and fail
in each resolve than to go along con-.
tented with his lot of sin and shame
There is hope for man just as long
as there abides in him desire for what
is better. 1t is well to enter into argu-
ment with ones self only after due
elaboration, but broken pledge 20 do
right is far better than no pledge
at all
There is nothing strange in associa-
ton of good resolves with the dawn of
a new year. On the contrary, the oc-
casion is one that suggests just such a
general practice. The old year has
ended. Its memories suggest s.sins
committed while conscience slept"
practices that degraded the moral man.
follies that brought shame and vices
that weakened body and brain. But
memory is not all. Body and mind tell
the sensible man that such practices
end in physical wreck and moral de-
cay
The year is new and clean. The sun,
just risen, looks upon it for the first
time. Men of business close up their
pages for the year ended and begin
new and fresh ones for the new year
that has dawned They figure out ac-
,urately their losses and their gains in
the old year, subtracting one from the
ether
AS the merchant begins his year
anew, why may not. the moral nature
Of a man be renewed if the memories
of the past year and the physical
shortcomings of the present suggest
the need of a striving after what is
higher and better?
That the practice has been abused
is no argument against it's USE That
some men have made good resolutions
only to break them is not evidence
that reform is impossible. Striving
after what is right is Godlike One
may raise his standard so high as not
to be able to attain it, but there is
virtue in every attempt to make better
ones life. Indeed one may find at the
closing of long life that he has tried
but to fail, and yet his very efforts to
do right will be counted to him for
righteousness.
The objection is, if it can be called
an objection. that men are too mich
influenced by special occasions fo1
special efforts. There is no more VIZ
tue in New Years Day than there Is in
All FOOLS Day. 1t would seem fool
ishness to wait for any such time or
season for starting period in right |
living. The present is tn. time for
action, and one day is as good as an
other in the sight of God. as well as
of men.
But the man who has put off the day |
of resolves to be good until the dawn |