The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1906-01-05
NEW YEAR THOUGHTS

And a selfish life Is merely mean ex
isrence.
ITS from high life high characters
are draw. A" Gays Pope 'Tis from low
life low characters are formed, he
might have added. Tbs year VIII
give to every man the oppartunltv to
redeem his character from the low
level of his past, to the high level OF
noble living.
"What miVnty contests rise from
trivial things :" saws Pore. A hasty
word may sever lifelong friendship.
or wreck happy home We do not
often mesn to he unkind, but nag
ing censure from those we love, is
more cruel than the bludgeon in an
eDemy's hand,
Flew Sous attain the praise of their
crest sires, and mos their sIres dis
grace" says Pope and Shakespeare
saws, ''how sharper than serpents
tooth it is, to have thai less child. -
Aud to have an uugrateFul, thankless
wife. or cold nnsvmpathetic husband.
is quite as bad. What profit is it to a
man or woman or child. if they gain
the whole world. and wreck the hap.
piness of their own homer
LET your reason with your choleI
question what 'tis you go about F" ed
vises Shakespeare. That is. think
before you speak harshly. and ques
tion If the game is worth the candle. !"
before you contend for little things,
or selfish desires
Shakespeare How use does breed
a habit in a man. The immortal
bard was speaking In the generic sense
and meant woman as well An IT.
ritsble, drinking husband is no worse
than peevlsh, fault.tindipg. scoldlng
wife.
Lest men suspect your tale untrue,
keep probability IN view." says Gay.
That IS warning against exsggera-
ion. which If it docs not lead to actual
lying. ofttimes weakens the character
and destroys reputation.
The fact to keep most in mind IS
that we all have our faults; and the
best resolution we can make. is to cor
rect them. We are too mush gwen.
all of us, to condemning the faults that
others have, and condoning the ones we
ourselves possess.
St. Paul tkens life to race. And
1t is; a race from the cradle to the
grave; and We are all greatly handi.
capped not only by our faults and
Weaknesses, but by our environments
God pity the patiert mother who sews
and mends for thankless, wayward
child. God help and comfort her who
staTves and prays and waits, and shud-
ders when sne hears the staggering
steps of her truaut husband late at
night: or she who receives for all her
pains, moToseness and i'll temper
God give courage and ST. ength to him
who nohly does his part, and when the
day is done goes to home where
neither love nor cheer nCr gladn
greets him. II our hesettting sins
would but stop with us, it would not
be half so bad; but they make environ
ments which wreck the happiness and
destroy the souls of Others
But Life is not gloomy picture.
There are happy hours, and happy
people, aud happy homes. And this Is
New Year, and we need not take
our SINS and gloomy retrospect into 1t
Whatsoever the past. now is the time
TO begin TO redeem 1t. 'Our fate IS
but the common after of all; into each
cup some rain must fall, some days be
dark and deary." But he who Will
break away from his own bad habits
this the beginning of the year 1906,
will find at its close that OLD Father
Time has been kind to him. If he
would rise above untowaId circum-
stances and had environments, he
must strip himself for the struggle of
hat sin or habit which doth most
easily beset him. and the effort will
not be in vain.
Have we courage. have we hoie,
shall we try? Yes, let us try Not
In our strength alone. but trusting in
Him who has promised to he an ''evar
present help in the hour of trouble. p"
Good resolutions are good things.
Make them; even if you break theul,
If you break them. make them ovel
again; and again, and again. Strength
comes from struggle. The race is not
to the swift nor TO the strong; but t.
him who endureth to the end.
At an informal meeting of the new
Board Tuesday night. Mayor -elec
Guest made square and fair talk t.
4hosa nrasent outliuinQ in brief hi