Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1856-01-02
LADIES' DEPARTMENT..
wrislen ror the spirit Of tho Age

Yearl did | say? Yes, true again they
are come, and with the joyous, do they not
bring some sad thoughts.
Again has Time, with unerring precision,
marked upon tho page Of the past, the record
Of another dying year A few more days
and tue last expiring breath Of another
twelvemonths will have taken its Eight, Its
annals viii have been rccordcd-a new page
will be tarncd for a new year. Yes, gone,
nearly gone, stj!l may we not gather some
thing fron z, with which We may profit our
selves and those around us. Though it may
be forever passed from us, Memory still lin
gers-still remains to solace and to comfort
still hoyers near to ayenge the injuries OF
the passing %yesr-still points to i as a land
mark Of guidance and word Of monition-
still il remains to lash the guilty and the
Maynard. Memory ) enduring tablet passes
not away with the years hight-it skulks not
behind some darkencd screen, but stands
boldly forth, a testimonial Of praise and re-
ward to the ia Z and Innocent, and p scourgo
10 the conscience Of the evil and guilty.
Reader, how is Il with you? Is memory's
tablet spotloss with you? Does thy con-
science read with delight its truthful record
ings Of your past year? Or does it turn
away with terror and dismay, from the hid
eous, yet truthful picture there engraved !
Or is thy conscience scared over as with q
hot iron," 50 that it yet delights to murmur
stilling lullAbys for thine own destruction
Bewarel reader, remember there is an all
seeing eye;" there is n God-frcm whom you
cannot hido-whose judgement is sure and
mighty. Thee beware, o! beware, how you
slight the faithful counsel Of pleading Mem
DRY.
Reader, will you not with me read 4 few
impressions memory's tablet bears? Will
you not with me Gull a few dew Jesprinkled
flowers, to deck the hallowed influences
which tile minds good genius has bloomed
into life, ond which its guardian angel has
warmed TO vigor? l say will you not help
me to weave q chaplet Of pure, fadeless flow
ers to honor the few good influences we
read in this tablet of the past year? And
will you not MD to dethrone every evil one
produced by our many, very many unworthy
deeds, there portrayed-and with thetrophies
Of the dethronel erect n mausoleum, where
with VIC con say thus they die, thus dies
their powerf"
Have we been diligent, faithful, honest
stewards Of the talents committed to us
have we toilcd for filthy lucre, or "digged il
tho earth and hid cur Lords money? Uav,
we suffered the poor, needy and desolate t
pass by, without a plying eye-without Low
ing hearts to comfOrt-open hands to reliev
them? Have we ontreated the cvil-doer an
the maynard to desist the ills and follies the
ever and anon pcrpetrate-have we warne
them Of their comingwoe-have we prompte
them to that "recompense of reward tbo
must surely be meted out to all? Let meme
rvs tablet speak!
Have we cntreated our once noble, higi
minded, gifted fellow creatures, now besottc
Ivy the wine cup, and threading their wa
down 10 a drunlsard's hell-have we entrea
ed them to touch not, taste not, handle not
the tempting poison-havc we attempted
inslill into their minds the awfulness of the
position-hayc we inspired a hope, q certain
ty Of recovery if they will desist?.
Have 70 p~rofcrcd them the enchantin
blood stained bowl, or offered them Il
cleaning, purifying shield of Love, Puri
and Fidelity, +" under whose protection th'
may reclaim themselrcs-may reposo in sal
ty, bidding defiance to an insidious foe? Do
the widows lament and the Orphans C
tipgle in our ears unhecdod-does it fit
as n breath Of autumn wind to leave us L
nerved with not a greater sense of imper
tive duty?
Are we so blinded with avarice and ga
rs not to behold with terror the immedi;
presence Of the foe lin most horrible form
our very thresholds, threatening destructic
death and eternal woe to the fondly loy
ones around us?
Do we forget that We still exercise an
flusnco 10 u great extent by our cxampl
by our preeepts, aud that VIC WELD the de
ny Of those spon whom those examples, tn
precepts cling? Let memory's tablet spe
1t WILT does!
Then, dear cirsle, kind reader, MS the ,
sent passes away, and rs we begin a l
year, let us begin it with the true spirit,
p~oper motives aud the unrelaxing enc
deserving moral creatures. Can you,
you not, as the old year passes forever Fl
your grasp, still with its tablet of endur
memory looming up before you whisper
6esecching, commanding you take warn
take courage, learn wisdom from the thong
words and deeds, the passing year has
pressed upon that tablet?
Are we not more than fortunate thu
have some opportunity to atone for our IN
omissions, to make amends for the many
deeds we have committed, and rctrace
steps from every evil and unsightlE wall
have so blindly entered2 Do we claim
as a dcsert2 Can we? No; but let us
1t as a high privilege unworthily granite
Then let us nerve ourselves with detern
resolve-arm ourselves with weapons
and true-fOrward to the battle with n
that brooks no denial and as we WAC,
war oflifc, bearing aloft banners emblaz
with the Golden Rule we shall fea
the numbers Of our foO-shall not heed