The weekly Placer herald., 1853-01-01
The Diving Year.

Auotner year mas gone down into the
voiceless chambers-a year full of events,
trials and strange vicissitudes; hoary win
ter with his frosts, SHOWS and floods is pail
bearer, and pitless blasts howl the re-
QUEEN of the dying year. How full of
admonition is the past! how rich in hope
the future. The last moments of the dy-
ing year seem to say to the desponding
soul: "Look not mournfully upon the
past, It can never be recalled; wisely i'm
prove the present-t is thine. Go forth
to meet the shadowy future without fear
and with manly heart"
Not as in its infancy does the dying
year speak now, but its solemn voice is
deep with the tones of warning and re-
buke. Acutely falls its utterance upon
the soul, in grave reproach for the time
mlsspent, for energies perverted, for op-
portunites neglected. 'Tis sad, sad that
voice of the dying year! SO gay and JOY
GUS in its infancy, so dreary now! How
fast tits fading into the dust of ages; vet
even as the old year dies away another is
sprInging into existence. Thus, ever
throughout life is the grave yard near the
1ont. One generation succeeds another,
and each succeeding one performs the
duty OF bearing the olympic torch of life
that torch keeps ever burning, but those
who bear II are continually changing,
The year which has Just ended is fraught
with no ordinary magnitude. The Anne
no h.,o,, r. 4
her brightest statesmen and most noble
citIzens-brllliant jewels in the diadem
OF our national glory. And with them,
as with the dying year, "the heart of the
nation Is throbbing at the portals of the
grave"
Recent events have transpired which
may result, In the incoming year, in events
OF the greatest importance TO the Ameri-
can people-as opening still another new
era IN its commercial Importance among
the nations of the earth, and in their ten
dency give still deeper root to the spread
ing OF free and enlightened Institutions
California is no longer problem! This
land OF gold and dreams, Of matter and
of mind-this phenomenon in the worlds
history, has taught to man new ideas of
his destiny, capacity and power. Who
can fortell the magnitude of the results
which the discovery of this lard of our
adoption has opened to the human mind
and human race? What vast amount
Of treasure have our golden hills and
valleys sent forth, and how many hearts
have been gladdened afar off, by the com
forts and pleasures which it has brought
to many hearth.stone.
But again upon our musings: AS the
wind at midnight sounds solemny in our
deserted streets, so comes the voice of the
dying year, telling us of dear ones far
away whom we may never see again. Ii
holds before us the grim record Of NOR
tality! Within that short period which il
has spanned how many that left their
homes in the buoyancy of promise, with
fervent p ayers following their departing
steps, have taken chamber in the silent
halls of death! Amid the hills or in the
deep ravines of this far off land they
sleep, until the sound of the angels trump
shall call the dead.
Gid Anew berth Of time with the light of the
,dawnng day was presented to the world
"Heaviness may endure for night but
Joy cometh in the morning." The heart
fountains will open again the hand OF
friendship will be warm and nervous ir
its clasp, then hail to the new born year
may it add to the circle of our pleasures
give ripcr maturity to our experience, anc
lead us to better things than the 70 lies anc
trifles amid which we have wandered fo
SO many years that have gone.
90 We have had another week of ba,
weather. On Saturday night last we wer,
visited with regular snow storm, cover
ing the ground to the depth of severa
inches, but the rain has since melted it,
We do not remember to have ever seel
SO much continued bad weather; even tn
memorable '49 is hardly comparison