Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1853-01-10
.: yna VI NUMBER ll4
SELECT TA5I.E.
THE NEW YEARS N1qHF.
,lH5 tFrom the German of Richter.l


An man stood athis sWindoU at twelve O'Clock
of the night which ushered in the New-Year, and
gazed with look oflong despair up into the fixed
starlit heavens, and down upon the still, clean.
white earth, wheTeon nowstherewas no one so ioy-
less aud sleepIess than he. For, his grave stood
close by him, only. .concealedby the snow of age,
not by the green ofyouth; and he brought withahim
out OF whole rich life nothing but errors sins and
weakness, body iniruns,, desolate soul, breast
full OF poison, and an old age full of remorse..
His beautiful youthful days retuInetto- himnoB
as spectres, and brought him back againto that fE
morning on which his father placed him tthe di-
verging point in ifes road which to- The rghtIeads
upon the sun-path ofyirtue into a-wide and quiet
land full Of light, full af haEyests, full of angels;
and which to the left leads down into the mole
tracks ofvice, into dark cavern full of dripping
poison, full of serpents ready to dart on their prey
| and full of dismal; close 7exhalations.
Alas! the!serpents hung around his breast, and
drops of poisonwefe upon his tongue, and lle knevr
not where he wns. @ :Tar
Madly and with unspeakable gnef he called out
to Heaxen, "Give me my youth again. Place me
again at the diverging point, that may make a
different choic6F'gJ sffa;i q s3fS its sfe et
But his fatherand his youth were past long sgo.
He saw will -wiSps dance upon tho marshes
aud become extinct over the burying ground, aud
he said, "They are my foolish days" He saRa
star shooting from Heaven, glinnering in its fall.
and vanishing as it reached the earth. "That
am, said his pleading heart, and remorse sunk its
serpent fangs deeper into his bosom.
Hisdsordered imag nation pointed out to him spec
tres walking upon the road am the mill raised
had been leH in the empty charnel house gradnally
assumed his own features.
n'the midst of the conflict, The music for the
New Year suddenly flowed down from the tower
as church hymn heard in the distance His mind
became calmer, he looked around the horizon, and
over the wide earth, and he thought of the friends
of his youth, who now; happier and better than be
were teachers oftie earth, fathers of happy chill
dren, men whom the world called blessed, and he
said, t0h! could also have slept this first night of
the year with dry eyes, you do, if had wiled it.
Alas, Il could have been happy denr parents, had
I fulfilled your New Year wish and teaching.''
Amid these fevensh remembrances of his YOUTH
it appeared to him as If the mask which had as
sumed his features IN the charm 81 house stood up,
and though that superstition which on New Years
eve sees ghosts and future events, It was at last
changed into living gyouth.
He could see no more; he covered his eyesS I
thousand hot tears stfeaned forth, disappearing in
the snow, all comforless and despairing, hesished
gently, .sCome again, my youth. come againl'',
Andit came againl For that fearful experience
was only dream of the New Years night. He
was still a YOUTH his errors had been only dream.
But he thanked God that he, still young, eopA
turn aside from the filthy courses of vice, and enter
upon the sunny path which leads into the bright
land of harvest. ..ss,..-5 esg5.1z. W
Turn with him, young reader, if thou standest
upon the error road. This fnghtful dream will one
day become thy Judge; but il thou shOuldst Ones.
full Of anguish, call out Come again. beautiful
youth remember i. will not come again.