El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-12-30
TO-DAY-A DREAM OF
NEW YEARS EVE
The Herald's Daily
Short Story

houses Of shame and sorrow, but none
was visible. All the men seemed glad
and every woman bore smile OF re-
freshing cheerfulness.
own land and these are my own peo-
pie. This is the land OF which /
dreamed long ago The evils Of the day
in which lived have disappeared, ana
the progress Of which I often in agony
despaired has reaped this glorious har-
vest"
Tell me" I said. "what/Iength OF
days was needed for this happy con-
summation"
But the angel only said: Wait. -
and pointed to the picture once more
And as I looked 1 beheld that the
work was not yet done. saw the
names Of women and men whom I re-
membered. emblaZOned on many Of the
greatest buildings. There were the
names Of some whom my contempt
raries had hOnored. but there were
and whose influence had been despised
by the wise ones Of my day At many
Of the buildings women, mon, and even
children still worked. and far away
from where the crowds gathered I be-
held solitary ones, studying all their
lives to perfect one new suggestion
for the improvement Of the race.
would have spoken again TO the
angel. for my heart was full to see
how little each could do, and yet how
great things We're accomplished, out
the angel had dismissed the picture
In its place I beheld a vast library
filled with nobly bound volumes In
Vulnerable students sat writing, ana
as / looked at one small shelf 1 saw
the titles OF some books 1 once mad
longed to write, but had given up.
OverWhelmed with the immensely OF
the undertaking.
looked at the tables where the
students wrote. and I saw before eacn
of them a sheet Of paper all but blank,
al IN lot ~ Nv n
til he had succeeded in spelling sin
gle word, or until he tired Of attempt
ing 1t. Some seemed to have been SIT
ting there for years. Many had spoiled
sheet after sheet before the work came
right. Some sat & the desk until the
angel of death summoned them TO the
throne of him who holds life's dtcuon-
airy. When a word had been spelt the
students entered 1t in a book, which
when filed, Joined the others in the Ii
brary. And all the world might read
the books. and mostly those who de-
sired to add their single word searched
diligently the things already written.
waited thOughtfully for the last
picture to disappear, hoping the angel
would then speak. Laying a hand upon
my brow, he addressed me IN tones
Of sympathy and sweetness.
Brother" said he. this is all thy
vision doth mean Thou hast vast
dreams, thou eagerly deSirest the good
Of thy race: but thou art impatient
of the enthusiast The road thou hast
TO tread can only be trodden a step
al a time
"Impatience will bring WEAKNESS
without the happy assurance of work
accomplished Losing the peaceful
smile, despair will overtake thee. The
temple thou wouldst build is the work
Of no individual. Thou canst only hope
to erect a single stone in thy day. In
stead of dreaming Of the mighty church
that thou wOuldst build, arise and lay
thy stone today.
The land thou lowest must remain
wild and rough if there are not those
who viii devote their life to the fill
ing up of a solitary ditch. The hope
of the future demands thou shOuldst
fOrego the dreams Of writing great
books. Take thy pen now and learn the
word the author Of tiny being meant
thee to spell Life is short. Dreams
are rObbing time Of his harvest. Arise,
and work until at least thou hast ac-
cOmplished something"
Overcome with a sense of my past
idleness, L dared scarcely to murmur
Good angel tell me thy name before
thou depart" The angel answered with
a smile. My name is called Today
And I awOke. Through the still night
the bells were ringing in another year.