Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-12-29
FWytDayofHe Year, P G. wodehousc

was June the twenty-first The ancient Ro-
mans picked out January the first, but the
medieval Christians were solid on the twenty
fifth of March. This sort of conflict of ideas
makes it very difficult for conscientious man
to do the right thing. He starts out simply
and straightforwardly enough by sallying forth
on the last night of December to his hundred
dollar reserved table, with the laudable inten-
ton Of parading the streets later on with tin
horn or q cowbell and registering appreciation
OF his blessings by making as much noise as is
in his power.
But mark the sequel. As March approaches.
doubts begin to assail him. ''WaS right?" he
begins to ask himself "Those medieval folk
were shrewd fellows. Who knows whether they
may not have had the right dope in this im%
portant matter of the start Of the New Year2w
The only way he can square his conscience
Is by going out and celebrating on the night Of
March the twenty-fourth. Scarcely however
has the doctor left his bedside with the state
ment that he is all right now, when he begins
10 brood on the fact that the ancient Phoeni~
clans, who were no fools, favored September
the twenty first as New Year day.
BY this time he is so uncertain that he feels
the only safe course is to hunt up all the data
and start celebrating every New Year that any
nation or collection Of people ever invented.
with the result that he has only Just time to
get In on the festivities on December the thirty
first, the now fashionable date and ioin his
unthinking fellow citizens In their revels Many
young man, in the Springtime of life has
wasted great deal of time simply through
reading the New Year article In the encyclo-
pedia. AS matter Of fact, my own perusal OF
it has left me with grave doubts and I had
better be closely watched on the eve of June
the twenty-first, as am beginning to come
round to the later Greek view.
!!
NO mention Is made In the encyclopedia of
the modern custom Of New Year resoIu-
ions. This Is strange, for it surely cannot be a
purely twentieth century fashion Are we To
understand that the ancient Romans never
vowed that from the start Of the year they would
keep diary regularly, and that Shakespeare
never soDered the New Year eve revels at the
mermaid Tavern with his simple dignifed--
count me out, comrades, for gadzooksl
nave quit We stuff for keeps!" Surely not New
year would not be New Year without its reso.
buttons: and, what Is far more important .hu-
morouS literature could not exist without them.
The ancient Phoenicians must have had some
sort OF comic hterature-carved doubtless. ON
stone slabs and stacked at your door from q
truck. In that case, they must have made
New Year resolutions. It would be extremely
interesting TO have the views of some arcIeO-
logical expert on this important point.
/ have little more to add. If any word of
mine enables my readers to approach New
Year eve In more thoughtful frame Of mind.
I snail be amply repaid. If, when dancing at
your favorite restaurant, you pause for a mo-
ment TO say to yourself, even so did the an
cient Egyptians dot" or 81 bet Henry the EIGHTH
was whale at this sort of thing!" and as you
knock over the last remains of crockerv and
glassware you feel passing pang for the DAYS
tnae are no more, my labors win not have been
in vain. I thank YOU
Copyright, 1899