The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1904-12-31
ESTABLISHED 1850.
NEW YEARS WISHES.

1t IS pleasant CUSTOM at tnlS sea-
son of wishing others happy New
Year. This custom is more singu-
lar than our familiarity with it sug-
gests. While there is nothing more
general throughout the world than
wishing, there is nothing more sim
gular than general custom of wish
ing happiness to others-indeed, the
extensive observance of this custom
is a significant mark of our Christian
civilization.
People 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 ORR
ent. wherein fair virgins make little
boats with sails, place on the top
of lighted candle, and put on board
a cargo of wishes. At evening twi-
light these frail barks are launched
on the doubtful current of the river.
Anxious eyes watch them as they one
by one float away, for if the boat sail
out of sight without overturning and
the candle burns without dying, then
will her burden of wishes come true,
and the dark-faced maiden will hap
PLY wed. Too often, alas more Oft
en- than otherwise, these wishing
boats and their cargoes come to a
fateful end and disappoint the hopes
of those who risk them on the treach-
erous 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 cup, always had full
purse, but that purse proved the ruin
of himself and his sons, a result not
uncommon 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 wish
es for December as we'll as May, for
May as January.
We wish that good which is ulti-
mately good, not that present sweet
that turns to bitter, but such fruit as
grows sweeter with ripening pros
perity and never knows decay.
We wish happiness, but mean more
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
please the taste, indeed, many tlaings
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 than the out
ward 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.
Happy are the pure in heart.
There is picture in one of the
galleries of Europe representing the
final judgment of all men. Among
the many figures on the canvas is one
surely meant to be conspicuous. He
evidently is not a saint, though he
reveals the fact that instead of be-
ing happy he is wretched. He is now
seeking to get out of that heaven
into which he formerly crowded him
self. Then he was sure he would
be happy could he but reach the
place. Now he has learned that hap
piness is not a place, but state.
Eden must be in the heart, if the
fruits of Eden are to be in the life.
Let us wish others happy New
Year, but such an one as is here in
dicated.