The freeman. (Fremont [Ohio]) 1849-1850, 1850-01-19
NEW YEAR,s DAY.
BY FRANCEs D. GAGE.

BY FRANCES D. GAGE
This-is New Years day. Oh! what host Of
sad and merry memories come rushing ike The
autumn winds, bearing the sere and yellow leaves
Of other days over my spirit Would that ] could
trace with ready pen all Of the past that has been
interesting, instructive or amusng-a that is laid
up in the store house of memory Of the rich Jewels
which Times hand has torn from the brow-the 5
thoughts the feelings the joys the grieis the loves.
Of the last feeting year
Would my tale be song Of joy or dirge Of
sorrow, or close intermingling of the plaintivc
and the gay? / could tell of Friendships and
seemingly sincere, of sweet communion of mind
with mind thought answering to thought. and eye
beaming to eye But ahi while the words were
yet failing from my pen, dark shadows Of sadness
and estrangement fit before me.
/ could weave tale of merry ehild<-her peal.
ing laugh, her dazzling eye, and her snny hair
her innocence, guilelessness, and glee. But ere
she is mirror'd to mine eye, the image is crowded
away and pale and dropping invalid. with sunken
eye and moaning voice. begs me for a glass OF
water.
/ could tell of Love- in all its freshness and yer-
dure gliding the dark places of life with pfsnatic
hues, bidding its votaries fall and worship, and
while has radiant wing is yet wooing amid the
brilliant lights of his own creating. Distrust and
and Jealousy show their hdeous forms, throwing
gEastly glare over all the beauty and brightness
Shall sing of the beautiful, the graceful, and
the accomplished Oh, there was one lovely as
the tints of summer, and sparkling as the clear
waters in the sunlight But when look'd again,
she had vanished away. Man, in his pride and
strength, has stood before me, boasting of his
mighty power of unwearied energy land while the
sound of his voice was yet echoing around me, the
closed eye, the folded hands, the shroud and the
coffin tell that "al of earth is passing away"
And is there no verdant spot in all the past
| AIz
the spirit may drink and be refresh'd9 There are
those who would answer me, nay--those who go
mourning all their days because the one flower
they loved has w;thered, and suffer the thousands
that still bloom around them, 20 pass UNDECIDED
even to wither and die, when friendly hand might
nourish and cheer. 1t is true, friendship have
grown cold, childhood has withered, love been
wrecked. and beauty and manliness sgoue down
to the dark valley and shadow of DEATH :" But has
all the frindship childhood. love, beauty and
nanliness departed? No They are with US and
around stilltheir beautiful Footprints our
path at every turn, cheering US on in the way OF
duty.
l have seen the smile of beneyolence light up
the care worn brow, as the hand parted with its
gift to ease the bitter lot Of another ssF
/ have heard sweet music--sweeter than the
harp or the cymbal-made by the lips of hnmani-
ty speaking comfort and forgiveness to the broken
ana the iatlen - xsszsfEs5 -
have seen the soft hand Of sympathy wiping
away the bitter tears from eyes that have grown
dim with weeping have seen it holding the
cup of. hope to the desponding, and pointing the
eye to that promised land, where sorrow and
sighing shall be no more" / have seen the good
man, struggling with adversely lifting up his eye
cheerfully amid heavy trials and deep affection.
Aye, l have seen, too. the giant intellect grasp
ing the hidden things of sience and philosophy.
and searching out the mysteries Of fnature as with
/ lighted torch and bringing them forth to the gaze
of the astonished multitude, that they, through
them, might grow wiser and better.
And, more thrilling than all hare seen man
proudly conscious of the right, and spurning the
wrong though it offered his weary limbs bed of
down, and boldly battling for truth, even as the
lion battleth for her young; treading oppression
and wrong beneath his feet, and crushing the
serpent head of fraud and deceit beneath his heel
These things have / seen, and they are pleasant
and greateful to the heart These are they that
make earth beautiful and light the FIRE of the spirit
in the soul, that burns and brightens on forever
For every cloud in life there are thousand sum
beams. Oh, let US not bring the cloud SO near as
to shut out all the sunbeams, for they teach the
free and joyous heart stall to "eye to live and live
to love-" sssa
MouNT AIRY, Jan. I, 1850. IS -
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