Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1907-12-20
i 9O8
Time to Think About the
New Year.


OF this year but ten days remain to
US. Let us talk of plans for the year
that is soon to begin.
But, first, let us make up our minds
to do the best that we can with these
last ten days of 1907. The best way to
prepare for the next year, the best way
to make up for any disappointments or
failures of this passing year. is to use
the next ten days as well as we know
how.
We ought to plan for next year. We
ought to determine that we will not be
among the failures, among the broken
promise men, when 1908 is finished.
The best fights are won at the end.
Victory comes to one or the other side
at the end of every battle. The last
few minutes of an all-day fight settle
the result very often. The last few
days and hours of this year may re-
trieve the year if it has disappointed
us. In any case, many, steady, deter
mined efforts now, today, tomorrow.
will prepare us to carry out earnestly
the plans for 1908 and the other wears
ahead.
A week from next Wednesday we all
open new page in our lives clean
page. In proportion to our abilities.
we can write on it what we please. We
can't all of us write greatness on the
page. But, if we will, we can all keep
from writing miserable failures. We
can keep from writing down the break
ing Of resolutions, the self indulgence
that have made other years sad, and
that to many of us make the good res
olutions of this year seem almost a
mockery.
There is no failure if a man does hon.
estly his very best. There are certain
things that every one of us ought to do.
and can do, if we will make up our
minds to do them. Every one of us
knows the thing that he ought to give up.
We should get ready for the wear
that's about to begin, ready for another
plucky effort, as man gets ready for a
race or battle, with careful prepara-
tion and training.
The whole of each mans life as an
individual depends upon his ability to
conquer himself. Our usefulness and
place in the world depend on what we
actually accomplish. We may shout
with the mob, criticise one man, admire
the other, but nothing counts for us or
against us, except what we ourselves do.
What are You going to do with this
New Year? Think it over solemnlv
every day for the next ten days. Try
not to deceive yourself. Don't invent
excuses for yourself. Don't try to un-
load your failures or your disappoint-
ments on other peoples shoulders. You
are responsible to yourself, responsible
to those that depend on you, response
bic to the world that expects every man
to be credit to his father and mother
by using fully the power inherited.
If you were going to write a book,
you would think carefully over the be-
ginning. And you would plan out a
long time in advance the various chap
ters. You would not undertake to write
a book in Greek if ignorant of Greek.
You are going to write new book
in 1908. 1t will be one of a few vol
umes that make up your life. 1t will
be very important year to all of us.
Every year is important, but it may
safely be said that the year just COM
ing will be unu sually full of meaning,
full of opportunity for the determined
man, full of disappointments and sor-
rows for the weak man who will not
keep on struggling. Look hopefully
ahead. The man who wins fight is
the man who feels that he is going to
win it. The man who expects defeat
is half beaten already.
Study yourself, study your defects.
criticise your performance in the year
that is closing. Begin this new year
with good resolutions, and with all your
will power behind them.
Don't be ashamed of good resolutions.
don't be laughed out of them, no mat
ter how many you may have broken.
The will becomes strong by repeated
efforts.
Try, clinch your teeth, remind your
self every day that nothing counts ex-
cept honorable success: no matter how
many times you haxe fallen or failed
makeup your mind that this time you
will get up and stay up; keep stiff
upper lip.
Think over your resolutions, sift
them out; don't make too many. but
hold fast to those that you finally choose,
and good luck and success go with your
| effort for 1908l