The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1856-03-06
The New Years NighI Of the Un-
happy.

An old man stood in the New Years
midnight. at his window, and looked with
the eye of long despair up to the immOva-
BILE always blooming sky, and down on the
STILL pure white earth. onwhich now there
was no one SO joyless and sleepless as he.
Then his grave drew near to himI it was
only concealed by the snow of age, not by
the verdure of youth; and has brought out
of the whole rich life nothing but the hor-
rors, sins and sickness, of an enfeebled body,
desolated soul, a breast full of poisons,
and an old age full of remorse.
His beautiful youthful days came back to
him to-day as spectres, and led him far away
back again to the fair morning, when his
father first set him out upon the highway of
life, which to the right, leads upon the SUM-
path of virtue, into a wide ami quiet land,
full OF light and harvests, and full of angels;
and which to the left leads down into the
molepath of vice, into black cavern. full of
dripping poisons, full of serpents ready to
dart upon their prey, and full of dismal,
close exhaltations. Oh! the serpents hang
around his breast, and the poison-drops to
his tongue. and he knew not where he was.
Besides, himself with and unspeakable grief
he cried out to Heaven:-'Oh, give me
youth again! Oh, Father set me out once
more upon the highway, that may choose
the other path!' But his father and his
youth had passed long ago! He saw ignes
faiui dance over the marshes, and 60 out up.
pom the graveyard, and he said, They are
my foolish days'
He saw star shoot from heaven, simmer
in its fall, and vanish on the earth. That
is me said his bleeding heart, and the SER
pent fang of remorse dug deeper into the
wounds. His glowing imagination revealed
to him tottering sleep-walkers on the roof
the Windmill raised its arms, threatening to
crush him; and mask, which had been left
in the empty charnel-house, by degrees as
sumed his own features. '
Suddenly, in the midst of his struggle, the
music of the new year flowed out of tower
near at hand, like the distant sound of a
church anthem. His mind became camer.
He looked up to the horizon, and out over
the white earth; and he thought on the
friends OF his youth, who, now happier and
better than he, were teachers on the earth,
fathers of happy children, and blessed of
men, land he said, 'Oh. might also have
slumbered. with closed eyes, on this first
night Of the year. i'll had willed it! Oh, l
might also have been happy, you dearpar-
ents, had followed your New.Year's wish
es and instructions!' .a.
Amidst these feversh "reminiscences Of his
youth, it appeared to him as il the mask,
with his features, stood up in the charnel-
house; and at last, by means of that super
stition which, on New-Year's eve, sees
ghosts and future events, it was changed in
to living youth.
He could look at it no more! He yelled
his eyes; a thousand hot tears streamed disel-
wing into the snow, and still he sighed, but
very low, beside himself, and grief-stricken,
Come again, only once, youth; come again!
And it came againj for be had only dream
ed SO bitterly. in the New ears midnight.
He was still young man; only his wall
derngs were no dream. But he thanked
God that he. still young could turn back
from the dark track of vice, and set out a.
gain upon the sunny path of virtue, which
leads into the fair land of harvests.
Turn with him, young reader, it thou
standst on his path of error! This fearful
dream will some time become thy reality;
but if once thou shalt cry, full Of anguish,
Come back to me, beautiful days Of youth"
ah, they will come back never ngain!--
From the German.