Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1916-12-22
A New Year
q Message p
By William S. Jerome

AtW year can De lOuuu Audn Nhdt
which Longfellow prenxed 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.
II ome not back again. Wisely inn
prove the present. It is thine. Go
forth to meet the shadowy future with
out fear, and with a manly heart"
Here we have a motto and message
for the three divisions Of time which
mark the New Year.
The Past.-1t 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 a bad
idea at the New Year to take account
Of stock" review tho past, and seek
to learn its lessons.
Yet there may be too much intro
spection and retrospection. We should
not neglect the past or fail to learn
from 1t, and there is a profound phi
losophy in the apostles injunction to
forget the things that are behind"
Whether they are evil or good, the
advice is wise. II the review of an
evil past leads us to Encouragement
and depression, the thought of a good
past may lead to self-satisfaction and
content, and thus prove an obstacle to
further progress. We can make no
real advancement If we drag at each
remorse a lengthening chain ven if
that chain be Of roses, and the remem-
brance OF happy days and good deeds.
Cultivate. therefore. a good forget
terry" 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, Il has gone
forever. Neither prayer nor tears can
bring 1t back. Let 1t 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 it. The word is well
chosen, for a 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 forothought. Because we do
not know what the morrow will bring
forth We are not - 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; all's 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 insensi-
bility to life's seriousness and mean
ing. 1t means the triumph OF faith
over fear, of courage rel cowardice,
1t 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-
t%eTious. 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 N 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 OF 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 diherent-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
two will make four; the law of gravit.
will operate %irreyocably and certainly
and whatsoever a man soweth thai
shall he also reap" Now is the time
therefore. says Norman Hapgood, "tC
pitch in and achieye-now, nOwl Re
member, my friends, the present is the
future from which you shOped 90
much" Unless We wisely improve
the present" wo shall find ourselves