Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1835-12-31

else shoald remind him Of the transitory nature of
that existence, il is the exceeding swiftness
with which the wheels of time roll onward in
their uninterrupted and UNMARRIED course. II
seems 10 as, at this time, almost incredible that
the year 1880 has passed away. 1t vas bu, yes
'erday, as II were. that we hailed with sladness,
the advent Of the now dying year, and looked
forward to the various enioymcnts that our ar.
dent anticipations had pictured upon the sunny
surface of the future, yet we are now al its close.
The four seasons-the cheerful and inyiooratino
s~pring-the calm. tranquilizing SUMMERTIME de.
cay ing, mournlll autumn-the pure and stainless
winter, have, each in their turn. held their su..
'cessiVe reisns' and fed forever away, leaving,
win many, noaglit but their recollection. Tins
hath 1t ever been since old time sat ont uns, HE
journey, and thus will it ever be until his sands
snail be arrested in their course by the fla, of
Him who first sat them in motion. Moments ase
away imperceptibly as it were, and with little
OF no Importance attached to them, and vet
what mighty revolutions, what stupendoas chan
ges do they accomplish in everything which has
It's origin IN the inventions of tho human family
when we look upon the history Of the past
what do we behold nothing but the ruins Of
human greatness, DER which the connuerins
hand ottime has passed, and the eternal undying
freshness OF the works of naturc-nothinp In,
that which excites within US the stronpes am.
sa'ion OF our insiguifcancc, that teaches us the
vanity Of cur pride, the slight ground we have
i"r osientation and vain glory, and the abundant
reason we possess for extreme humility. We
1ehoid the hand Of the universal conqueror. hi
umPhant over The proudest monuments Of hu.
man art and human glory even imperial Rome.
she that was once named eternal" has boved
beneath the weight Of his power, and is now
oroken and half deserted along the shores of the
yellow Iibcr, whose banks the inyigora,iug
spring still fnds green and beautiful. We be-
h>ld the lofty trees waving along tho broken ar.
eAes OF the Coliseum, and gath erinr around tho
mould of ages. We look around from III. tow
CTS OF the " seven hiiled city" and survey the
uecaying relies of departed greatness. The
wide Campania still spreads in The distance
us extended waste, as in days of wore, while
Cesars chambers aAd the A~ugustan halls arc
last passing away. Where is T,rep Where
is Babylon There too, the glory Of man ,a.
vanished beneath the hand of time, but the
WORKS Of nature may be seen in all their pristine
splendor. The golden temples that once pave
back the sunbeams on the banks of the Eunbra-
tes' nave long since crumbled into dust. but tho
river aud its banks are the same az il, III, TO-.
oil SCmiramiz-tha curran. an -
shores that once resounded to the reioicings of
the Assyrian people Where is Ephesus2 ash
the lizard that inhabits her theatres and tem,lcs,
Once IT was the pride Of the wealthy Cresus the
liberal Alexander, and the gifted Ctcsinbon
But the city OF Diana has long since been a I'm
IN ana where are they, the wealthy, the lib.
eral, and the gifted? gone with the living chr.
rent that once swept onward through her po,e
which now stands like the ruined bridge Of an
exhausted stream, the tide that ages since
rolled beneath it has passed into the boundless
ocean Of eternity. But around all these mourn.
"a wrecks OIL human greatness, the silver Cay
ster still finds Its way, as it did in times when it
saw tphesus IN her meridian glory, around them
yet rise the mountains Of Prion and Corissus.
aud the distant hills Of Galcssus and Pactvas.
Let not these dcsultory thoughts be looked
upon as enthusiastic, but let the lesson thai is
taught by the contemplation of the rims Of
the past sink deep into the heart, LET il cbas.
ten the ambition Of the mind and the desire for
e"''"'y glory, aud 1T will be found an oracle of
truth, that, like the old woods of Delpbi will
breathe a balm TO the soul, while il will cavs.
oe paced upon cart hly fame and earthly hon
orS' 'ha' estimate, and that Only, to which heir
real worth entities them. Let the Aeetness os
''"e prove an admonition TO all to be up and do
i"s' TO be engaged in the performance of the du.
''eS 'hat belong to their day and generation ere
'u' tune 'or SO dong shall have fed beyond hope
u recovery For it is only in the performance
otthe various duties oflife, social, moral, and 70.
iisious' that peace and happiness can be enioyed
III inc present lie, or confidently expected in
mat which is 10 come. Let all, then. whose de.
r~eilc'ions from the path of duty have hitherto
leu 'hem only into trouble and anxiety, and filed
'"en WIN pain and disappointments, begin the
new Year with the fixed resolution Of M loroor
"es'ectlng the performance of those duties aud
remember, in the language of one of The most al.
oqueht and gifted men Of the present dav ,h,,
mere Is no eVii we cannot either face or fy
rom Out from the consciousness of duty d;sre.
garded' A sense ofduty pursues us ever. 1t is
omniPresent like the Deity, If we take TO our.
selves the wings of the morning and dwell in tho
u''ermost parts Of the seas, duty performed, or
uu'y violated, is still with us, for our happiuess
OF misery. If we say the darkness shall cover
u.s. IN the darkness as in the light, our obligations
arc yet wan us We cannot escape their pow
CT nor ny from their presence. They are with
US IN this life will be with u its elsss. and in
mat scene OF inconeeivable solemuity which i: !
yet farther onward-we shall find ourselves sur
rounded by the consciousness of duty. to pain US
Whenever ii has been violated aud ,onon.u.