Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1905-01-04
THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR.

comes a DAY Whon people pause In
their accustomed ways, and take
an account of what they have been
doing for three hundred and sixty
five days, and plan for the next
three hundred and sixty-fve. New
Years day begins back with the
figure 1, and is different in this res
pect from any other day. All the
other holidays are merely breaks
for a day. They do not mark any
thing andithe year goes on again.
But Saturday was the end, and
Sunday was the beginning of a new
measure Of time.
1t is time for taking an account
of stock and flor seeing what side
of the account has been growing
faster. 1t is good time for a man
to look himself over and to compare
himself with what he probably was
year ago.
1t is the time when mon say to
themselves: This year will / do
thus and so; this year shall be a
better year than l have yet lived.
1t is good time to make good re-
solutions and the coming days will
each present good opportunity
for keeping them; because they will
be full of inducements for forget
ting and neglecting.
1t is good tune of year for men
to open accounts with themselves,
first taking inventories, in review
ing theilaccount of the year just
closed. A man might we'll give
himself moderate credit for what
ever is worth a credit that he does,
and make a debit charge-not too
great, for fear of balancing
the account, and bringing himself
out wrong at the end of the year,
for the year is to show more of
good than of bad. 1t Will be bet
ter for the account if it is charitably
kept.
1t is not a time especially cal
cnlated for breaking off bad habits.
Swearing off" on New Years day
is a think for jests; and a man who
has chung to habits he knows he
ought to leave, until the end of the
year, is apt to treat his resolu-
tons very literally pretty early
in the year. Swearing off does
little good. If it is on account of
smoking, let one smoke only in
the future what is good for one.
There is a limit If it is drinking,
then limit that to the point when. it
begins to harm. A man is a fool
who permits his habits to injure
him, and should be sent to an asy-
lum where he will be safe from
them.
1t is good time for boys and
girls, who have no bad habits, to
start in, if they have not already,
to form good ones. Nothing else
is of equal Importance to the young
as good health; and the rules of
health are so we'll understood now
that it is sinful to disobey them.
Get the habit of good health; keep
proper hours, take proper exercise.
get proper food, eati properly, and
gain the esssAA6al physical strength
for the struggle that is coming.
There is no young person of ordi-
nary health and strength who can
not improve his condition 80 that
the improvement will be marked,
before the end of the year just open
ed.
1t is a good time for people,
young and old, who have not done
it already, to begin 10 cultivate
habit of regular daily reading of
such books as will educate and
strengthen them. An hour dav
is not much and there is nobody
who cannot give an hour to it.
An hour day means AL DAYS of
hours in a year. One such year
will accomplish much. Think of
what can be done in ten. Anybody
can get books, and of the best. The
public and circulating libraries
make them as accessible to the
poor as to those who can afford to
buy all they want.
The first of the year is a good
time for people of all ages to re-
cO1ya fbof fhor1 xx,;Il III o~...a -.