Baton-Rouge gazette. [volume] (Baton-Rouge, La.) 1819-1856, 1844-01-27
THE PAST YEAR.

Like a bubble borne Upon tho stream Q
time, another year Of life has hoated by ant
ID genet
Another page ii the history Of man Is writ.
ton.
Time, IN his swift, and sure career, has
come, IN gone. yet Etfl III present, and uotetl
down each moment as 1t passes.
What changes, what Joy, or sorrow, has the
past year brought Perhaps wealth has been
made pnort whilst poverty and want have
strobe with time, and reached the goal oil
ailiuence.
Three hundred and sixfy five days ago,
we looked toward to the present,-@aa the fu-
lures and now we turn Upon those very days,
to seek for records of the pasti
Another revolution, and LOT tile present
fades from the view hs onward, with the
rapid march Of times We hold our journey, I'm.
hssiUd on forgot,
And what, though Fortune, ii her biltetost
mood nfsy east tho elohAs 81 eorfow o'bf our
pathf What though the merry taught u 10y
may find its echo iu the fhbnfnfHl cf3 Of cad.
ness Or of misery What though the tide "
Fortune, like the mighty oceans wayet shall
rise, and sweep roeistlesa over usF We are
mol conquered YET; our spirits still arg frees
we dash IT, bllghtiug spray aaldei and like o
Roodly gallant baFque, we breast The storm.
There Ii beaCop.ataf which burns with
undimned lustre, to light Us On our way.
There ID heavenly spirit, which beaeons
US still onward.
And lol high DER tho rampaFtg Of the wish
ed for goal, a Haunting flag is given to the
wind; behold thu talitlnanic words, inscribed
in living characters Of FIRE upon II, Hope and
Feiscyett.
Yes, hope, III all our cares and sorrows,
eth cheers Us on our way; hope 80 sweet,
that danger Is forgot, and sorrow flies before
Ite inspirations.
II whispers Ia our ears a charm 90 full Of
Joy, that life seems news and once more, we
launch our barqueg upon the sea of life, 70
tempt its storms and try itg winds again.
Thus comes, and goas, '0ld Time
Though empires rise, and pass Always
though sadness, misery and Joy be cofnpat
Nous in his train; though the green happiness
81 youth did flourish; though the seeds OF diss
cord spring; though poor beggary and squalId
want do pinch. Time stays not, heeds not.
The mind by passions tossed; the heart
that burned with strong desires; the bold as.
pirant, clothed with fierce anibiiion-whose
EtlnuMHlNR AEtu WOIhEF u SpiiGA itAtS N1gAes
would make earth tremble. and nations groan;
the good, the weIl-disposed Of men-whose
bosoms nourished the noblest and the best OF
human f~eelinga--who walked the path Of
righteousness, and found no greater happiness
than doing charities, and sheltering the op-
pressed: In this short space Of times one ain-
gle year! thousands, possessors Of such at
tributes, have persisted, scarce cared for OF
unknown.
As a leaf upon a tree withers, dies and
fails, so man with passions, perishes.
Man springs up, hpurishes, and ripensSS the
/ Old Reaper cofneth, with his keen and well
tried sickle, 10 gather ini bic harvest. Seat
ted on his ponderoha carr he swiftly urges his
melted and Iireless steeds on to eternity.
He hhrries through the living huhsan field,
To- cut its Tenants down.
Swiftly Cieaving the ittre1ehant air. bis
glittering blade falls q~uivering IN the thread
of life, and ID, sis ser9edf
Thus year after year goes he BY, bearing
in his train the hopes and Joys the cares and
sorrows Of man.
Iftears shall water our coufse, Old Time,
% he dies along, with a single flap Of his broad
wing, can dry theTDup.
Yet happiness too may be- broken and
scat,eredb By him.
Our brightest visions Of the future nay, TO
our awakened senses, take their real shapes,
and don the garb Of misery; whilst the fanci-
ed sorrows Of to-day may melt like noxious
vapors,' meath the genial sun Of fortune and
the sweetest imagery Of life;
The future! the unknown future! wisely
shut by an Almighty hand from our eager
foolish view, still undiscovered lies spread
before us.
Amidst our happiness i may burst forth,
like the brilliant Fb ofday, a light to cheer
us on, and bid Us see again.
Fhe future may have in its keeping go
bright a store Of love and joy and happiness.
that but To view it-e'en through the dim vista
the far-off coming years-will make the
sad heart leap for very joy.
Behold in tie year which is now COM
nenced another page in the history ofuan-
The clerk Of time stands ready, pen in
hand, to note our a%ctionss good or evil.
Behold, .inthe commencement Of the con-
inc year, the foundation of a mighty ni0nI-
ruenf Of Time. spriBging up beneath its tread,
ard rising highyas DAY On day Of bis strong
masonry Is added 70 The pile, Until the close
diff another year shall cap its,summiE
The fair unsallied pare has been uhrolled,'
Cd which our actions will be written: Shall
IL Be the record Cftime well spent, OF virtue
Stunned and 'disregarded! shall we hand the
nhdying page, foul and blotted by our acts,
TO posferity, whose legacy It is!.