The Monticellonian., 1915-12-23
A New Year N Message p
 By William s. Jerome

HERHAPS no better motto for the
 > new year can be found than that 0 which Longfellow pretixed to his
 popular work, Hyperion" He says he found a tablet in the church yard of St. Gilgen, in the Tyrol. bear ing this singular inscription:
 Look not mournfully into the past. It comes not hack again Wisely im- prove the present. It is thine. Go forth to meet the shadowy future with out fear, and with manly heart"
 Here we have a motto and message for the three divisions of time which mark the New Year.
 The Past.-It is natural to look "mournfully into the past" The look backward recalls so many mistakes and failures that the result is always depressing. What we have accom- plished seems small in proportion to what was desired and attempted. This perspective of time enables us to judge more accurately our life than we could at the time. It is not bad idea at the New Year to take account of stock" review the past, and seek to learn it's lessons.
 Yet there may be too much intro spection and retrospection. We should not neglect the past or fail to learn from it, and there is Q profound phi losophy in the apostles injunction to forget the things that are behind" Whether they are evil or good, the advice is wise. If the review of an evil past leads us to Encouragement and depression. the thought of good past may lead to standardization and content, and thus prove an obstacle to further progress. We can make no real advancement if we drag at each remorse lengthening chain" even if that chain be of roses, and the remem- brance of happy days and good deeds. Cultivate, therefore, a good forget tery." Do not let the failures and mis. takes of the days gone by prove stun. bling blocks in the future pathway. Do not let past good deeds prevent yet nobler efforts and grander achieve. ments. Whatever the past, it has gone 1Ci NfSis ANCiliCi Ci HUI ICai 1uI bring it back. Let it go. therefore; unload its memories, that we may bet ter run the race that is still set before us.
 The Future.-The "shadowy future" our motto calls 1t. The word is well chosen, for veil lies over the days to come, which Is not lifted till we reach them. We naturally shrink from the unknown, and not knowing what may be on the morrow, we therefore fear the morrow. But fear is not the same as wise forethought Because we do not know what the morrow will bring forth we are not to boast ourselves Of tomorrow or recklessly waste the days granted us. But fear of the future weakens us for life's struggles. and is unworthy of one who believes that Gods in his heaven; alls right with
 the world"
 The true attitude toward the future is that of encouragement and faith. The fearless. manly heart" does not mean rashneSs or bravado, or insensl- bility to life's seriousness and mean ing. It means the triumph of faith over fear, of courage over cowardice. It expresses exactly the right spirit in which to face the unknown. Trust no future, howe'er pleasant" fear no future, no matter how dark and mys- terious. For the future is made up of just such days as we have already had.
 The Present.-This is thine. There fore it is to be wisely improved. It is literally and really all we have-the present moment-"the inch before the saw" Yesterday, like last year, is gone forever Tomorrow may never come
 How urgent the call of the New Year, to spend no time in vain regrets or future forebodings, but to give our selves diligently to the work of the day! At this season we often say. "A new year has dawned" But. really only one more day has come. We have 1915, but 1916 is not yet here. and when it, too, is gone it will be too late to do anything in it. The recur- renee or New Years day does not really alter the ordinary conditions of life. We are prone to think that. with the new date and new year, things will be in some way different-duty will be easier and less distasteful. One who has wasted the past year is very apt to think that, by some magical influence the new year will bring new and more favorable conditions. But to think so is to deceive ourselves. Whatever new experiences may come to us, we know very well that the ordi- nary laws of morals or mathematics will not be changed by the change Of date. In 1916. as in the past, two and ~~-~~~-~~-~-~~~---~-~-~-~~~ EpUW