State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1831-1836, 1836-02-29
From the American Monthly for February.
NEW YEARS EVE or AN UNHAP-
pY MAN
rnoM TIE GERMAN OF JrAN PAUL


FROM THE GERMAN or JEAN PAUL.
AN old man stood at his window on
New Years eve, and gazed with an eye
of settled despair on the inmoveable, eier-
nally blooming, heaven above, aud The ST.
lent, pure white earth beneath him, upon
which, at that moment, there was 10 beng
50 joyless and seepess as himSel.-FOr
his grave was nigh at hand-it was hid on
ly by the SHOWS Of age, not by the verdure
of youth and he brought to it; out OF his
whole richly gilled lie, nothing but errors,
crimes, and diseases; an enieebled body,
desoate soul, heart full of venom, and
an old age full Of remorse. The lovely
days Of youth came back upon him like
spirits, and led him away To the bright
morning OF his days, when his father first
placed him at the turning point Of human
life, whence the right hand road leads by
the broad Sunlit path of virtue, to a wide
and peaceful region of clear light, rich lrea-
sures, and heavenly inhabitants while the
left hand one plunges down through the
ho!lows OF vice into dark depth, disllling
with deadly poison, full Of Kissing serpents,
and the damp, sulry vapors III the tomb.
Alas ! the serpentS were even then cling
ing TO his breast and The poison To his
tongue, and he knew where he was.
In despair and unspeakabIe torture he
cried out 10 heaven, "Give me my youth
again Father! place me again at the
tuning point, that ! may make another
and 0edtr choice y
But his father and his youth were both
long gone by. He saw an ignls iatuus
playing over marshes and expiring in the
church-yard and he said, "Behold the
days Of my loy!" He saw star fall from
heaven and melt into darkness upon the
earth. "T'is myself" said his bleeding
heart and the Serpeni's teeth Of remOrSe
fastened more sharply on his wounded Spr-
it.
While he struggled with these feelings,
the song that announced the new year floa-
ted down from the watch-tower like dis
tant church music. His emotions became
softer; he looked around on the horizon
and abroad over the wide earth, aud thought
of the friends Of his youth, who now, hap
pier and better than he, were teachers of
the world, parents OF happy children, and
blessed by Providence and he said "a
las had but wlled it, too might have
SIumbered through this night with fearless
eye. Alas beloved parents ] too migh
have been happy, had but followed your
new years advice and new years wishes"
While this itverish thought ofhis youth
iul days was upon him, il seemed to him as
though a skeleton in the neighboring church
yard rose slowly, and put on his likeness,
till his superstitOus fancy saw in il Il living
youth, and his own once blooming youth
full figure danced before his eyes in bitter
mockery.
He could not bear TO look upon it; he
covered his eyes, thousand warm tears
lell in the snow ; he could on y sigh heavi-
Iy, hopeless, and almost scnSeIess; Re
turn, my youth do but return J"
And she returned, for his new year eve
was but a fearful dream; he was still young.
Only his errors were no dream; but he
thanked God that he was allowed, willie
yet in his youth, to turn aside from the foul
by-vavs 0r vice to the sunny path which
leads 10 The land Of purity and huppness.
Youthful reader il thou, like him, ART
upon the road oierror, turn like him. This
fearful dream will one day be Thy Judge
but when thou shalt excaim in anguish,
"Relurn, my youth !" it will not return.