Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-05-28
OUR YESTERDAYS
By H. Arlington Bruce

BY H. Arlington Bruce
is very foolish thing to live in the past. But
it is a very wise thing to mediate Oh the
past occasionally.
That is one VI the purposes for which we have
been given memory.
The man who thinks overmuch of the past
blocks the way to future achievement. So does the
who seldom never thinks OF the past at all
Almost every man has past-particularly the
past of youth and early manhood-rich in 1nsplr-
ing memory-images
He has memory-mages of parents, teachers,
and friends who loved him and believed in him.
He has memory-mages of boyhood chums, and OF
places associated with happy moments in his early
life.
Above all, he has memory-images of youthful
ideals and aspirations. He can recall if only he
will make the effort the dreams of his waking
hours in that bygone time when his career still
yelled from him in the mystery of the years
to come.
He can see himself as he used to be, bare
foot boy perched on the top of the old log fence,
staring across the fields of golden grain with their
background Of verdant wood lot, and wondering,
WONDERING.
Or he can see himself lounging in the cool of
those woods quiet Sunday afternoon, lulled by
the drone of the little folk of the forest and pic
turing fine things that he shall do in after years.
Again he can glimpse himself driving the COWS
home from the distant pasture. 1t is the time of
sunset and the air is still Suddenly out of the
silence thrills the song of a meadow lark. The
barefoot boy that he once was stands mouonless,
dreamfully listening.
Also he can recall active scenes of high hope
and endeavor in his poisoning days of boyhood,
scenes ofaardent competition with other boys, of
Joyous emulation, of blissful content and conf
dence.
But there are other memory-images not so
pleasant episodes revealing character defects rec
objections of punishment deserved, "reminiscences
of youthful follies and
1t may be these have multiplied as the years
have mounted. One does not willingly think OF
them One would put them out of remembrance.
Many men do put them entirely out of remem-
brance They no longer give them moments
thought. But neither do they give any thought to
the pleasanter memory-images of the life that was
theirs in the long ago.
They feel-at all events, they act as though
they feeI-that the present gives them enough to
think about. Why trouble to think of the days
that are done?
For many reasons Not least to help them at
tack more intelligently the problems of the pres
ent and to aid them in facing the future with
more assurance.
Perhaps they still are in the thrall of early
shortcomings which they have made no real effort
to shake Off
Perhaps they have allowed themselves to chill
the hopes and deaden the ideals of youth, thereby
hampering their efforts to steer their ship of life
to the glorious isles of success.
If this be the case with them they ought to know
it, And they know it only through frank,
thoughtful comparison of the present with the past
Which alone would make it well for them-as.
in truth for all of us-to bark back at times to
old dead days
Never, of course. should we bark back in a
spirit of vain regret Our motive should always be
elf-heIp through meditative scrutiny of the pic
lures In the wonderful art gallery OF memory
which we ourselves have painted.
Copyright 1918, by The Associated Newspdpers)