Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1911-01-11
HOUSEHOLD
MCMXI-A NEW BEGINNING.

Summer shares the fragrance of
spring and autumn the spleniors of
summer, while winter, close follow
ing, partakes Of the autumnal har-
vests, and there is no appreciate in
terval upon which one can place a
confident finger and say, Here
spring died and here summer was
born. FOR Here summer vanished and
autumn appeared" but when Decem-
Der lays it's weary head in the young
lap Of January all things seem to be
~hushed and stilled for a brief space
until men can say, one to another,
1.-The old year is dead. Hail the new
year.
At no other season Of the year does
the sense Of time impress one so WV
idly as something real, tangible, capa-
BILE OF being held in the hand while
one recounts the gifts of the past anu
the possibilities OF the future The
repr0bate staggering doubtfully
homeward on the stroke of midnight
the thirty-irst, Of December, finds pc
cullar satisfaction in pledging allie
glance to the white ribbon, so help him
God next morning while the petty
criminal, the thief of time and money
and love undeTgoes self willed mental
chastisement and promises to do better
tomorrow
Whatever the manner of faith the
oathmaker keeps, however temporary
and futile the resolution that he regis
ters, the moral effect Of the resolve
and the self analyz alton is good, just
as the Conscientious office boy finds
satisfaction in clean swept store
even as he realizes that dust and dirt
and CRIME will make it unsightly in a
few hours and he will have his work
to do over again.
There comes to US recognition of
Sundry faults, of minor or grave de-
gree, of vagaries and Inconsistencies
and misdemeanors which stand be-
tween human nature and virtue trium-
plant but the normal mind does not
dwell mOrbidly on past misdeeds nor
does it discourage itself unduly in
contemplating Of past failures or en-
gross itself in dead joys but rather. it
looks forward with the keen anticipa-
ton of youth or the firm resolve of
age to sweeter, cleaner. more FER
feet calendar of mopths whose days
shall not. be stained and blackened
with abuse and misuse. 1t is this an
tlclpatiOn and this resolve which give
zest to the dying year and which rob
the i1eeting Of time Of any suggestion
OF morbjdlty Oh sadness.
Though the new year brings one
nearer to the great unknown and is
therefore unwelcomed by him who is
full Of the love of life, though it robs
the heart of frients he'd dear and
cOmpanionships which were blest
while they lasted. it cannot be denied
that it also buries more deeply those
of q n iah nrl u
ing years can efface from the mind
and it is in this sense together with
the contemplation of that which it
may have in store in the days just
dawning that the new year finds
cordial welcome in every heart.
Someone has said that life is like
chessboard which some say is black
and some say is white but while the
chessboard is both black and white it
is neither black nor white. Once a
man in angry mood berated his friend
in no uncertain terms until, when he
ceased for lack of breath, the friend
said, MAN, | should think you would
be ashamed Of what you have said to
me- but his companion shook his
head. his anger still at white heat.
Il am not SO ashamed of what have
said," he cried, ''as II am thankful for
what I did not say" It is in much
this same attitude that the man who
gets the best ont of life must ap
preach it. He is not so bitter for
what has happened to him as he is
thankful for what has not May the
new year bring unto you peace and
such happiness as is made sweeter
and more deep by contrast with such
portion of pain or sorrow as is inevita-
bly, yours and may the youngster who
takes your hand confidently in his
own lead you into paths by still waters
where contentmenI abideth and temp
tation is withstood.