The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1913-01-02
"GOOD RESOLUTIONS"

One of the queer habits which some
weak minded people acquire is that OF
making "good resolutions to begin to
take effect on the first day of January, and
yesterday was the day to make them for
the year 1913. Why on that day rather
than on any other day can hardly be de-
termined by any reasoning which would
pass muster with philosopher, because,
in the first place, there is no satisfactory
reason why we should begin doing we'll on
the first day of any year rather than any
other day, and secondly, every day begins
a new wear. For convenience sake IN
keeping our accounts we have divided the
days required to make one complete solar
revolution into months and have happened
to set the dividing line between two Of these
periods at midnight on the day we call
December 31st, instead of on December
22d, like the ancient Greeks; or December
22d, like the Egyptians and the Jews; or
March 1st like the Franks, or September
1st, like the Byzantines. If one is dis
posed to turn over new leaf and behave
himself better, there is no good reason for
waiting until the first day Of January.
Still, most of US are governed by con-
venton rather than by common sense, and,
doubtless, it is better to begin reform on
the first of January than not to begin at all,
and possibly it is unwise, in the interest of
morality, to pursue the argument that there
is no special reason why we should select
the first day OF January as the date when
we will begin to be good. There are some
things of which mankind can be too easily
convinced. Probably it would be more
useful to dwell upon the propriety of ad-
herring to good resolutions whenever form
ed, which, after all, is the main thing.
When one of much mental strength de-
cides to turn over new leaf he just goes
and does it, and that is the end of the mat
ter. Possibly it does not occur to him to
make any ''resolution at all about it.
The fact, however, that we have besetting
sin is evidence to others, if not to our
selves, thatwe have no great moral robust
ness, but are forced, if we would escape it,
to squirm and dodge and try all sorts OF
tricks in order to evade or overcome it.
Old Samuel Pepys perhaps had as many
sins as most of US, as those who are familiar
with that unique record OF ones most in
innate thoughts are aware, but his intellect
was better than his morals, and he never
permitted any particular sin to keep the
upper hand of him if it were one calculated
to materially injure his position in the world
in which he lived, for one of his sins was a
most inordinate vanity. If, as frequently
happened, he found himself neglecting his
business to attend playhouses and flirt with
the damosels of the green room of the
days of Charles the Second, his desire tc
be thought the one reliable person con.
nected with the British Navy always i'm
PEELED him to make what he called ''vow .
to stay entirely away from that particular
form of dissipation for certain definite
time, which he carefully entered in his
notebook. Pepys, however. we'll knew his
own weaknesses, and lest the sin which he
was lodging might, in some ungarded mo.
ment, get the better of him he ingeniously
offset it by his love of money, which seem:
to have had a most powerful hold on him
His custom, therefore, was, when making
&" vow,' to attach penalty by promising
some amount-usualy 10 shillings-to b,
given to the poor for each violation of it
and, as he always gave his vow a squar.
deal, and paid up to the poor if he wen
astray, it kept him pretty straight. He die
not, however, wait for the first of January
or any other day to make his resolution.
He ''swore off, at any time when he hap
pened to think he needed it. At the same
time he was always careful not to put to-
great strain upon his virtue, for his period
of restraint were never very long. He did
however, prevent himself from going tt
pieces under the temptations of those times
and died with the King owing him lot o
money, of which his heirs never got
penny.
Perhaps Pepys' way is the best way
Swear off whenever you feel that you neet
to. If you are afraid that full year will
be more than you can stand for, make
less, but, in any event, fix a penalty which
will hurt a little for any violation, and the1
don't cheat, but pay up like man, if 20,
break down. But while it is not necessary
or even desirable, to wait for New Year
to come before ceasing to do evil, now tina
it is here we certainly need not wait TO
any other time, but should quit right now