The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1914-12-31
JANUARY FIRST
By Sherlock

i
of the world or our own community,
the wish and the hope and the faith
are the same--happy new year! 1t
the long experience of mankind
seems to justify the feeling asthings
have been, they must be-" not less it
is true that experience has not ex-
tinguished a millennial hope of
which the human breast is the eter-
nal spring.
Happy new year is a wish that
imports that the year may be happy.
The unhappiness, the disappoint-
ments, the sorrow, Of the twelve
month that ends cannot destroy the
possibility. and with it the pleased
doubt and anticipation of the year
that begins. 1t is idle to say that
we befool ourselves with words, and
that the first of January no more be-
gins new year than the thirty first
of December. Every day begins a
new year, indeed; but no day III the
| year begins with the FEELING, the
thrill, the expectancy, of the first
of January. 1t is love that conse-
crates marriage, and not the words
of the priest. But none the less the
wedding day is of all days in life
| the most sacred, and whether love
becomes more or less, the day shines
as singular and fair as Venus in the
glowing west.
| If the charm of the day be the
result of the mysterious influence
called the law of association, what
then? A sagacious woman said
that she could not see how the
know ledge of it's latin name and of
delicate structure could make a
flower more fragrant or more beau
tiful; nor could she understand how
Linnaeus should enjoy a garden of
roses more than Haliz. 1t IS the
fact, not the reason of it; its enjoy
ment, not it's analysis, which is the
sweet spell of the morning of Jan
uary the First. The mind doubt
less is full of happy associations;
there are tender and pathetic mem
cries which 90 through the enjoy
ment of the day like the numbering
undertone of the Lorelei when the
bewildered Rip Van Wrinkle awak-
es upon the mountain. They are
essential parts of it's nameless charm.
But the charm is nameless, and
while it does not necessarily come
with other dsys, it comes always,
always when the happy new year
begins.
And it is not only a sentiment, a
vague emotion. How many young
men find themselves stayed in good
purpose by an outward form? The
Demon of Drink allures him with
the sweet persistence Of siren.
But If he can take the pledge, he is
stronger to resist. The pledge, in
deed, Is but his own purpose. We.
none of us, can be mite stronger
than our own will. But the fact
that public declaration of will is
more helpful than it's mere conscl-
business is indlsputable. 1t is an
other motive added to the knowl-
edge of wrong. II a young fellow
finds it harder to break the pledge
that he has given to others than
that which his soul has taken with
Itself, is the outward pledge useless?
If formal vows of constancy enable
man to oe more constant shall he
not take them because he aught to
be law TO himself? He must be
| law 70 himself, but his VOWS makes
| practicable.
The First of January is like the
first of February, insofar as 1t is
only another day. But the new
year inspires pledge of the soul to
itself which other days do not sug-
gest. On that morning how many
men do seriously engage with them
selves to turn over new leaf?
They turn it back again, perhaps,
the next morning. Yet not all. Have
you ever observed in a winter sun
set, a sloop lacking against battling
wind? With every turn the wind
and current seems to bear her back,
back, farther than before. But you
the observer on shore, who could
easily out walk her, noticed that she
pulled forward a little every time.
That Is like some men, they drop
wholly astern desbite their desires.
Others drift, but hold little more
closely to the wind, and slowly but
as surely warp ahead. They are the
multitude. But few sail bravely on.
New Years morning brings the