Eaton Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1843-1856, 1856-03-20
The New Years Night of the UaAappy.


An old man stood'in The New Years mid
night, az his window, and looked with the eve
OF a long dispair, up 10 the immovable always
blooming sky, and down on the still, pure
white earth, on which ,now there was no one
so joyless and sleepess as he. Then his
grave drew near to him; il was only conceal
ed by the snow Of age, not by ihe verdue of
youth ;.and has brought Of The whole rich life,
nothing but the houors, sins aud sickness, of
an enieehled body, desolale,. soul, breast
fun of poisons, and old age full Of remorse.
His beautiful youthful days came back to
him o-day as spectres, and led him fer away
back again to the fair morning, when his
Iatkeua.st set him out upon the high~ay Of
life, which io'the right, leads upon the sum
path Of viriure, into wide and quiet land,
full OF light and harvesis, end full OF sngels !;
and which TO the left leads down into the
molepath OF vice, into black cavern, full OF
dripping .poisons, full of seTpen:s ready to
dart upon their,pTey, and full of dismal, close
exhal.ations. OIL The serpents hang around
his breast, and the poi.on. drops to bis tongue,
and he knew not where he was.
Beside himself with an uhspeakable grief
be cried out to Heaven: -"Oh give me ,yon lh
agnn! Oh,Father set me out once more upon
But his aher and his youth had passed long
ago! He saw igaes fatui dance over the marsh
es, and out upon the grave yard, and he said,
They are my foolish days =
He saw star shoot from heaven, simmer
in IT'S fall, and vanish on the Earth. That is
me- said his bleeding hear, and the serpent
fang ofremorse dug deeper into his Wounds
His glowing imag inaton revealed TO him tot.
teTing sleep walkers on the roof; the wind
mill raised lis arms, threatening 10 crash him:
and mask which had been left in the empty
charnel' house, by degrees assumed his own
! features.
Suddenly in the midst Of his struggle, the
music OF the newyear flowed out OF tower
near a: hand, like the distant sound Of a
tchuIch anthem. His mind became calmer =
He looked up 10 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, fniherS Of hap.
| ny children, and blessed of men, and he said,
oh, might'also have slum5erea with closed
eyes, on the first nigh, Of The year, if had
willed it! Oh, might also have been hap
py, you dear parents, had lc!owed your New
Years wishes and instructions!
Amidst these feveriSh remjniSce noes Of his
youth, 1t appeared 10 him as if the mask, with
his features, stood up in the charnel-house
and at last, by means OF that superstition whrh
on New Years'S eve, sees ghosts and future
events, i; was changed into living youth.
| He could look al il no more! lie veiled his
eyes; thousand hot ttears s,reamed dissolving
/ into The snow, and still he sighed, but very
j low, beside himself and grief stricken, Come
lagsis.s oiliys2 r19ssA sgaia
Andiit CANE again; for he only dreamed SO
biiterly,in the New Yeor's midnight. He was
still a. a.young man: only his wandering were
no dream. But he thanked God that he still,
young could turn back from the dark track o
vice, and set out again upon the sunny path
oI virtue, which leads uio the fair land o
| harvests.
Turn with him, young reader, iftbou stand.
est en- his path of error! THIS fearful dream
! will some time become thy reality; bnt thou
shalt cry, full Of anguish, Come back 10 NE
beautiful days of youth = ah, they will come
back never again From the Germcn.