Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1850-09-18
Translated from the German.
REFLECTIONS OF AN OLD MAN ON NEW
YEARS NIGHT,


that it is from the pen of Jean Paul Richter, the
chaste simplicity and vigorous life of whose writ
ngs no one who is able to appreciate any thing a.
bove the 'syellow covered lterature'' Of the day,
can fail to admre.-Ths Translator.]
1t was mIdnight-,he first midnight Of
the year. And old man stood at the win
dow, and with a look of deep despair, cas-.
his eyes up to the eternal, the ever blue
heaven, and then down upon the still, white
earth where now there was no one so friend
less and sleepless as himself His grave
could not be far of, for he was decked with
the SHOWS Of age,-not with the verdure Of
youth,-snd from all his rich life he brought
nothing but errors, sins, sickness, a wasted
body and cankered soul "a breast full of
poison, and an old age full Of remorse.-
Now the fair days Of his youth return to
him, as ghosts of the departed, and carry
HIM back to that holy morning when his
father frs. placed HIM upon the high road
fields of the virtuous, in broad and quiet
land, full of ligh. and Of rich harvest-to
the land where angels dwell. But alas! he
had taken the left hand road, which leads
by the blind ways Of vice to dark hell of
corruption, full Of serpents and Of noxious
vapors.
Now the serpents hang around his breast,
the drops of poison are on his tongue, and
he begins to know where he is. In the
deepest sorrow and despair he cries to hea-
ven-"GIve me back my you,h-O, father,
place me again on the hig gh road from which
! have vanderbilt
But his father and his youth had long
since departed. He saw the will-o'- -lhe-wisp
from the meadow dance before him, and
then disappear in the graveyard, and he
sale, ,-"That is the ghos, Of my foolish
days." He saw a star fly out of the hea-
vens, glitter in its downward course, and
melt upon the earth. "This am l." said he,
and the serpent-tooth of remorse pierced
deeper into the wound.
His burning phantasy drove him out of
the house to wander in the fields, when the
windmill raised its threatening arms over
The peni.ent man, and a ghost from the
house of spirits gradually rose up before
his face.
In the midst Of his agony there suddenly
burst upon his ear strain OF music, usher
ing in the new year. It came from the
church tower, and sounded like sacred
hymn. He began to be moved He look
ed around the horizon, and over the broad
earth, and he thought Of the friends of his
youth, who had become happier and better
than he; for they were now teachers of the
people, fathers OF happy children, and wor-
thy men-and he exclaimed-"Oh! ], also
as we'll as you, could close my eyes un
mois,ened by tear and in quiet sleep, this
night, had ! made the choice ! yes, ye dear
old men, should be happy now, had
needed your New Years advice and in
struc,ions 20
This came up before him in the feversh
recollec,ions of his early days; when, final
ly, the ghost, which, through the supers.i-
tions that on New Years night see spirits
and future events, had become living man,
now vanished and departed to the land of
shades.
He could see it no more--he covered his
face thousand hot tears fell from his
eyes, and were CONCEALED in the snow -
comforlless and despairing, he sighs forth
in tones of agony--"Oh, come back, my
you,h,-come back !"
And it came back; for on that New Y ears
night he had only had dream. He was
still young man. His wanderiDgs alone
were real. He thanked God that he was
yet young, end could turn from the dark
road Of vice, and again place himself on the
high road Of virtue, which leads 10 the rich
land Of happy harvests.
Turn back with him, young reader. il
thou standest in the path Of error, where
he stood. LIE. this frighlful dream be thy
monitor. Blu. if thou shalt ever in thy sor-
row cry, "Come back, fair youth ~ remem-
Der thy cry will be in vain
MopEsTY's CHARM-There was once
10 be meeting Of the flowers, and the judge
was to award prize TO the one who should
be pronounced the mos. beautiful. "Who
shaI have the prize ?" said the blushing
rose, stepping forward in all the conscious
ness of rare beauty. "Who shall have the
prize ," said the other flowers, advancing,
each filed with conscious pride, and each
imagining it would be herself "l'll take a
peep q. those beauties," though. the violet,
as she lay in her humble bed, not presum-
ing to attend the meeting, 'rll see them as
they pass" but just as she raised her lowly
head to peep ou, Of her hiding place, she was
observed by the judge. who Immediately
pronounced her the most beautiful, because
the most modest.
REIeNING BY Observation-Disclosures
the addresses presented upon the accession
Of James l., was one from the ancient town
of Shrewsbury, wishing his majesty nigh.
reign as long as the sun, moon, and stars en-