Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-09-13
Sunday Morning Talk.
The Real New Year.

AS our business and professional life
is now organized we are presented dur
ing the circle of the months with two
opportunities for starting anew. Time
was when the summer vacation was a
privilege confined to a very few. hut
now the custom has become so general
ly established that a large majority
of laborers have at least q short breath
ing spell somewhere between the first OF
June and the advent Of autumn.
AS I watch during these early Sep
TENDER days people returning from their
good times here and there in God
beautiful world realize what an epochal
month September is and how 1t may be
said to mark the real beginning Of the
working year. In January the division
between the years seems purely artificial.
We go on doing January 1 just about
the same things we were doing December
81. There Is no such general resumption
of labor after a period Of change as we
witness in September. The latter month,
therefore, becomes the starting point Tor
fresh and larger endeavors In the nome,
school, the social circle. the office. shop
or factory, the church and, most OF all,
in ones personal life.
1t is not always easy to look forward
instead of backward. especially II the
backward glance takes in series OF
dom from restrictive rules. merry COM
radeshps and the various diversions
that go with holidays, and especially
when the forward look sees chiefly the
treadmll Of duty, stretching on for at
least another ten or eleven months. con-
finement to certain places and duties,
with comparatively little in the way Of
freedom. Nevertheless. thousands are go
ing back to work at this time. who in
their heart of hearts are glad that the
school bell or factory gong Is sound
ing, or that responsible duties in the
household or in the community are again
putting an iron hand upon them. Said
minister to me the other day: Il am
glad vacation is over. I've had enough OF
tia mighty good time, too. But L want
to get in the harness again" I overheard
a mother remark to the father Of the
family the other day: II tell you what is
the matter with the children-they have
had a little more vacation than Is good
for them. and the last week or two nave
been really FILTERED away, even from
the vacation point of view. How 1 wish
the summer vacation were little shorter,
the school year a little longer and the
pace little less rapid when school
keeps
Accept, then. the fact that for healthy
persons with any spark of ambitfon
work Is better than play for most of the
year This will give an impetus for the
coming season that ought to carry one
more easily over the first few days, when
1t is so hard for many OF us TO buckle
on the harness and get down to routine
labor But the spirit OF resignation is
only compromise. after all. Far more
inspiring is the thought that this Is In
very truth a new year. and that we are
not going to repeat last years record,
but to better 1t. Surely we have no other
use for another period Of time than to
employ it in such a way as TO De con-
yao 6iy,ac
efficiency and in all the qualities that
mark the really growing man or woman
Perhaps we have slid into our old seats
already and taken up the familiar tasks
without SO much as thought that we
were at the gateway of great oppor'
tunity But for the sake OF our own
souls let us abhor the idea OF becoming
merely routine men and women; OF golne
along from year to year, just earning
our wages and not gaining in capacity
in the vigor of our grasp and the range
of our ambitions.
Even those whose work is essentially
monotonous and to some extent menla
can grow Whose work Is more tedious
ard unremitting than that OF motner
and yet what person In any CONAN OF
human life grows so much as does the
true mother? She is possessed with the
ambition TO do more for her home and
for her children, to be more TO them ano
her husband and, If possible. to the out
side world as the years go on. 1t all de-
ponds on ones self. You can be grow
ing person whether your task Is the az,
nistratton Of great business or q
subordinate position in that business
Happy new year." Let us say TINS &c
one another as these golden September
DAYS come. as well as the first OF Janu-
ary Happy new year. Let us WlsL
that each of our acauaintances may clint
the ladder a little higher this coming
twelve months. Let us labor and lone
to make for ourselves fresh attachments
i'm the field Of character and OF service:
III WV ~ THE PARSON,