The Portland gazette. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1818-1824, 1822-12-31
THE OLD AND NEW YEAR.

As stand on the verge Of the old and new
wear, looking upon the past and present, and at
tempting 10 discover what lies in futurity,
thousand Interesting subjects of contemplation
crowd upon the mind When review the past
year-a period Of existence, which seems to have
gIided away, even while | was thinking what
were good to be done in it cannot but observe
how numerous the rents are, which have been
made in the patchwork of life. The hand of
time hath fallen heavily upon many friends -
the angel of death, with spirit that cannot be
glutted, hath taken from among Us some, who
seemed to have had long lease of life, in the
vigour Of their constitutions, and who bad double
s.ale-hold in it BY their virtues and accomplish
ments: lover and friend have been put far a.
way, and our acquaintance into darkness" As
gaze in melancholy retrospcction, | perceive
many vacant spots, which once were animated
with health and hope and JOY, and look around
IN vain for some, to whom paid, on the last an
niversary of the new year, the accustomed sau-
tations; but they are now not living TO re-
ceive them, and the places which then knew
them, know them no more forever" During
the brief year, have beheld the light and hope
of the domestic circle put out, when its beams
appeared to be most wanted, TO guide its charge
through the doubtful passages Of this ftlul state
and seen those, too, who we're in the scar
leafof age, fall into the grave, which sullen!y
closes over every age and rank, alike over the
proud and the humble, the virtuous and de-
PRAYED.
But while retrospecton fills the mind with
sadness, it furnishes it with fruitful subjects Of
admon. ton. The year itself, with its varying
seasons, reads us lecture upon human life. The
spring is youth it is the preparation Of the heart
and the understanding as is the seed that is
sown, so is the fruit. Gaiety and innocence
then breathe around their fragrance, and the
soul is filed with the abundance of its own warm,
& delicious conceptions. The summer brings to
maturity our virtues or our vices, and the au-
tumn exhibits the rich harvest of good priBci-
pies and happy cultivation Of the intellectual
powers, or the blighted and widowed and heart
less fruit of corrupt education-of neglected
or vicious culture Last of all comes hoary
winter, when our happiness depends upon the
resources which have already been gathered in,
when improvement ceases / had almost said
enjoyment and usefuiness-but not so, for tue
good old man who has been visited by the suns
and the storms Of years, spends the evening OF
his days in calmness and serenity and passes
quietly away from the scene Of his troubles and
his labours in Joy ful hope, leaving a bright ex-
ample and the recollection of accumulated vir-
tues "Nothing in good mans life becomes
him like leaving it."
Standing on this point Of time, and changing
our view from the past TO the future, the clouds
seem TO dissipate, and the prospect brightens.
Hope, is the msgician,s wand, which bids
happy scenes to rise, and opens vstas Of ANNA
ting contemplation. Here plays sunbeam
there lies refreshing grotto; subjects of hap
piness are obsequious to the Imagination, and
start up at its call on every side. This ii is
which bids us welcome this anniversary. We
behold tie scroll of time u1rolling, and trace
there, by the kind influence of anticipation, as
the fortune teller discovers in the palms of our
hands, lines sure to indicate nothing but Iappi-
ness. Thus toe future is gided, arc all the scene:
which rise before the mental eye, as il gazes ia