About one year ago we had supposed, for reasons quite satisfactory to ourselves, that we had entered upon the Twentieth Century. We were entirely satisfied, as a matter of mere personal choice, with this arrangement. We had no objection to the dawning of the new century at that time, if it were the proper thing. So far as we are aware we should have enjoyed, the past year. the same measure of happiness in the first year of the twentieth as in the last year of the nineteenth century. We know of no reason why we, and all our friends and co-workers, should not be as near the consummation of our dearest desires in the one case as in the other. The goal of Harmony is neither more nor less remote whether the true method of computation requires the inclusion or exclusion of the first year of the first century.
We wish to be understood as here indicating that human methods of calculating time are of no real importance, so far as our spiritual welfare is concerned. Hence, on further consideration, we are as well content to have the twentieth century put in its appearance at midnight of the last day of December, Anno Domini 1900, as to have had it usher itself in one year prior to that date.
If we felt called upon to make an apology for our seeming change of base, we might sum up our reasons for so doing somewhat as follows:—
