Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1912-12-27

olu dtaN weary anu u1llk. A new year
is at hand to crowd him from his
place. on the last day IL is not mere
habit. IL is a healthy and a natural
instinct. which bids US stand between
the old year and the new, between the
living and the dead. and listen TO
them as they speak 20 one another.
The Old Year says to the New Year,
Take this man and show him greater
things than l have been able to show
him. You must be for him a fuller,
richer day OF the Lord than / could
be The New Year says 20 the Old.
I viii take him and do for him the
best that can do. But all that
can DO for him viii be possible only
In virtue OF the preparation which you
have made. only because OF what you
have done for him already" Phil
lips Brooks.
Another great writer says: IT'S
sweet Ia talk with our past hours and
ask them what report they bare to
heaven"
The last days of this year of our
Lord are almost here. One by one
they have gone. Three hundred and
sixty-nve there we're originally. and
not seven are left us. Three hundred
and sixty-five opportunities to retrieve
our past. to carve anew the monument
that alone remains for all time. to tend
0AA AAAEAA&s MAN INFLUENCE our ENluUA-
try 20 those discouraged ones whose
past seemed to them 10 be beyond the
pale OF hope. Three hundred and six
ty-nve clean fresh pages to be called
memory after they are used TO be
Inscribed in loves glowing characters
or by envy. hatred and all unchristian-
ableness. What have We done? None
of Us can say that our life is OF no in
nuence. that IT doesn't matter how We
live. for nobody cares.
who knows what earth needs from
sarths lowest creatures? No life
Can be pure in its purpose and strong
in its strife
And all life not be purer and stronger
thereby.
Honest love. honest sor-
row.
Honest werk Tor the day. honest hope
for the morrow.
Are these not worth more than the
hand they make weary?
The heart they have saddened. the life
they leave dreary?"
How true IL is. honest work for the
day. honest hope for the morrow. b"
What is all that is required OF any. the
days work done honestly and with the
hope Of better things 10 come. How
many times a chance meeting, one in
cident in perhaps a bleak day, has
hcanged the life OF some one. If these
chance meetings mean so much 20 some
one what must be thy influence On
those whose eompanionship is close and
long continued?
Day BY day. as these three hundred
and sixty have left US they have woven
q web that reaches from earth tO-lst
US h0pe-heaven. If We see that it's
meshes are not clean and honest, il we
see that its Strands are false and I'M
stable. let Us cut 1t on right now. Bet
ter 70 enter the new year with just the
clothes on our hacks and outside the
circle OF those so-called friends who
helped TO spoil last year and this.
These last days should be holy-days, not
times Of drunkenness and its attendant
horrors. for drunkenness is the leader
OF q multitude OF evils.
II we knew for truth that this is TO
be our last occasion 10 watch the old
year out, would We not do so on our
kneesg To me- there is no service more
beautiful than watch night Last year
there were some present whose absence
viii be noted. Look about you and see
II all you associated with last winter
are ready for this occasion. It's not al
ways the old. the infrm. the bearded
grain" that you miss. and who knows
who may be the next TO go? II We knew
now 70 be our time we would probably
be more careful OF our words. we would
choose only those that leave pleasant
memories. nor would we mar these last
days with selnsnness nor idle dreaming.
We would try 10 do so many things that
in our hearts we have planned TO do but
have never taken time for Since these
may really be our last days. let us try
20 live from now on so that when the
summons comes il will find us ready.
How many pieces OF work have We
started and when our enthusiasm waned
We have put aside for that some day
when we expect TO finish all OF It.
Would you not be ashamed for all that
unfinished stun TO be fingered by loving
fingers even though they may be- Some
OF those pieces would have been appre-
ciated Christmas by friends who per-
haps received something that had TO be
purchased at the last moment My life
Is so uonotonous," we so often hear.
No life is monotonOus il lived at ones
best Reading our Bibles, saying our
prayers and not breaking the command
ments any more than we can help is not
all OF service. Sucn life is not, in my
opinion. worth much If ones daily du-
ties are neglected or done in a grudging
manner. We may be kindness itself TO
the parties living next door, but 1t
counts for little II We let our washer
woman come for her just dues and we
have failed TO be ready for ner-
This may seem a slight thing, but L
feel sure that Santa had to pass many
a poor little tot because that child's
mother had to~wait for a more conven-
lent season to be paid have known
little children that would have gone
hungry many a Sunday but for neigh
bors who knew the mother had failed
70 get her Just dues How would II
do TO die owing these so-called little
debts2 All matters involving others
should be attended to on time, then II
We should never more take up the INES
laid down nobody would be hurt.
And above all things. remember as
the day closes. 10 put anger out OF the
heart. Forgive us our trespasses as
mot anything else butt as we forgive
them that trespass against u.s. Lit
orally. IL means il we have bitterness
toward any one. God need not forgive
us. but treat Us as, or like, we treat
them. DO we really mean IL that way
Then we must cleanse our hearts before
asking God 10 forgive US
How about the blessings OF this
year-bountiful harvests. good health, a
better salary2 Have we selhshly law
fshed IL upon ourselvess Have We dis
appointed God when He gave us oppOr-
tunitfes TO minister unto His less FOR
tunafe2