The sea coast echo., 1905-12-16

An editor friend of mine was asked
if they turned out much work in her
office. 20, yes" she said; we don't
think We just typewrite"
On the eve of the New Year let us
be old-fashioned once more; look back
into Time, and look forward. What
has been the loss the last twelve
month, what the outlook for the
twelvemOnth to come. Let us take
stock. What resolutions should We
venture on?
Weary of present materialism, we
will look to character first OF all.
What retrOgression here the past year?
| Have we grown a shade more selfish,
lax, unsympathetic? And do we hypo-
critically call our selfshness the
proper looking out for oar own inter-
| ests?' Do We look with increased
pride on the laXty and term it "tol-
erance," an advance in worldly wis
| dom? Are we satisfied with the mar
rowing of our sympathies and do we
speak Of this as more philoSophy?'
Quite likely.
And now comes the contemplation
How far do we want this to 80 on?
Shall we let self-interest. a le ting
| down of standards. unsociaIism 20 on
to an old age ruled by mercenary mo-
| lives. marked by low principles, by in
humanity? Heigho, just this calling
of things by their right names has
brought us Up short; we tremble
|
Of that unsavory old age. Maybe it
would be We'll on New Years Day to
old-fashionedIy put up some old-fash~
| toned notices:
For selhshness is death
Il had a very unpleasant couversa-
tiOn with my conscience
Every man takes care that his
neighbor shall not cheat him. But
a day comes when he begins to care
| that he do not cheat his neighbOr.
Then all goes well. He has changed
his market cart into chariot OF the
| sun"
| Let us go on taking stock. How is
| is with the health of the body? Has
that been neglected, has it been over
considerations evil no less than the
ether? Have we jealously guarded the
share of sleep its due not stolen there
from in mistaken ambition, mistaken
pleasures? Has the daily generous
gift of air and sunshine and flying
cloud and fair sky been unregarded;
| the world too much with us?' Have
we been neglectful, with gross care
| Iessness paid no heed 10 building up
wasted tissues; expended energy at th0
price of health? Or have we been in
| temperate Of wine and meat?-the one
evil no greater than the other, Have
we thought and talked nothing but
symptoms. been wholly concerned with
| the carnal? So many Omiss,O ,Ons. SO
many over-anXieties we may have been
guilty of. Let us put in prominence
on New Years Day:
"A sound mind in a sound body
The pest part of health is fine dis
position Ii is more essential than
talent. even in the works of talent
Nothing will supply the want of sun
shine to peaches, and, to make
knowledge valuable. you must have
the cheerfulness Of wisdom
Have we been cross, irritable. irritat-
| ing? Let a man practice tAe minor
virtues" Have we been inaccurate,
untruthful? In all the superior peO-
pie | have met, | notice directness,
truth spoken more truly. as if every
thing of obstruction, of maIformation,
had been trained away"
Have we been hermit, or frivolous;
one extreme or the other? Have we
shut ourselves away from mankind,
lived a life Of selfish seclusion. un-
troubled ourselves with civic and go
ciaI responsibilities, got ourselves into
state where any reminder Of the
great seething life outside seems un-
Dardonably intrusive, unWarrantably
impudent? Look out, LOOK out. Hang
these words where your eyes may light
upon them oft in the New Year:
He prayeth best who lOveth best
All things both great and small
And the oyer-frivolity. What has it
all amounted TO; the late hours, the
night-of-it piled upon nisht-of-it? No
| hooks. 70 thGughtfUlness, 40 time for
| charitable deed. for hunting up neg
lected friend. for the kindly homely
duties. True, We must have society,
We cannot spare variety but like
wise true we must have some variety
from Society. Body and soul need
ouiet. repose. an escape from jar and
fret. And what is the New Year guide
for this laundering?
'Tis the fine souls who serve US,
and not what is called fine society"
Have We been lonely, thought il not
possible TO find a friend? Take heart
from these words:
Nor scOur the seas, nor sift mankind,
A poet or a friend to find.
Behold, he watches at the door,
Behold his shadow on the fioor,"
Have we been too busy, too hurried
to be kind, gentle, responsive; have we
exalted business" underrated friend
illness? Let US hang this where the
light will shine on it full and bright:
Life is not so short but that there is
always time for courtesy" Have we
been unrelenting; unforgiving, retail
iatory? Dare we so continue, so be-
little ourselves? His heart was as
great as the world but there was no
| room in it for the memory Of a
wrong"
Heigho! All the walls of all the
rooms will be covered with motto;