Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1853-01-01
THE NEW YEARS NIGHT.
[From the German Of Richter. |

An old man stood at his window twelve o'clock Of
the night which ushered in the New Year. and gazed with
look Of long despair up into the xed starlt heavens
and down upon the still, clean, white EARTH whereon
there was no one oyless and seepess he For his
stood close by him. only concealed by the Of
age, not by the green Of youth and he brought with
him out of whole rich life nothing but errors SINS and
weakness, body in ruins, desolate SOUL breast full
Of poison, and an old age full of remorse.
His beautiful youthful days returned to him now az
spectres, and brought him back again that fair morn
ing which his father placed him at the dvergng point
in fes road which to the right leads upon the sunpath
Of virtue into wide and quiet land full of light full of
haryests, full Of angels and which to the left leads
down into the mole of vice. into dark full
Of dripping poison full Of serpents ready on their
prey, and full of,dismal, close exhalatons
Aasl the serpenss hung around his breast and drops
q poison were upon his tongue and he knew now whsrs
Madly and with unspeakable grief he called out "a
Heaven, Give me my ycath again Place me again at
the dvergng point that may make different choice ~
But his father and his youth past long ago He
will ohe wisps dance upon the marshes and become
extinct over the buryng ground, and he said They
my foolish days" He star shooting from heaven,
gimmerng in its fall and vanishing Us it reached the
earth g That am I!' said his bleeding heart and re-
morse sunk its serpent fangs deeper into his bosom
His dsordered Imagination pointed to him spectres
walking upon the roofs and the windmill raised its
threatening to crush him, and mask which had
been left in the empty charnehouse gradually assumed
his own features.
In the midst Of the conflict the music for the New
Year suddenly flowed down from the tower as a church
hymn heard in the distance His mind became calmer,
he looked around the horizon, and the wide EARTH
and he thought of the friends of his youth who now
happier and better than he the teachers of the earth
fathers of happy children, whom the world called
blessed and he sad 0 could also have slept this first
night of the year with dry eyes, you do if had only
willed it. Alas could have been happy, dear parents
had fulfilled your New Years wish and teachings"
Amid these everish "reminiscences of his youth it ap
peared to him if the mask which had assumed his
features in the charnehouse stood up and through that
superstition which on New Years ghosts and
future events it at last changed into living youth
He could see no more; he covered his eyes; thou
sand hot streamed FORTH disappearing the
all comfortless and desparing, he sighed gently Come
again, 0 my youth, come again!'
And 1t again 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, could turn aside from the filthy
Of vice. and enter upon the sunny path which
leads into the bright land of harvest.
Turn with him. young reader if thou standest upon the
error road This frightful dream win one day become
thy judge but if thou shouldst once full of anguish
call out " Come again, beautiful youth" rememberit will
not come again