Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1857-02-04
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1857.

"Loos not mournfully upon the Past. 1t comes
not back again. Wisely improve the Present.
Go forth to mees the shadosy Future without fesr
and with a manly heart" HYprpIox
Another Old Year has died, At the mid
night hour its long funeral train Of MOURNING
seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months
and seasons swept across the starry heavens
into the Land of the Hereafter" The Ola
Year thus passed away with its old, weary
arms full of blasted hopes. dead affections
broken vows and ruined lives. A fearful
sheaf of sin, misery, outrage and wrong has
it laid down at the par of an infexibIe trim
nal
But it carried precious treasures with II
too. From a broken home circle in the east
in the west, in the south and from all mart,
Of the land, it carried new angels to a better
home to sing with the first angels the ever
new song Of Heaven. And upon the great
record it has caused 10 be written many good
deeds that ''the right hand' knew not Of
and they await IAN exceeding greatreward."
Whether thy deeds have been good or evil.
kind reader, thou hast done with the ola
year f~ore0er; and soon Its eft written ciphers
Will be forgotten, and those at the head of
our present article will be as the face of a
familiar friend. So b is with all things SUR
rounding u.s. Love, friendship, hopes, afec-
tions-alas +! over these we are compelled.
soon or late, to write with an aching heart
and tremi ling hand-"GoNEp
There can be no harm in eastipo ON. lin
germg look back upon the old year, even if
we look after it as we would upon the shin
bearing our loved ones away over a great
sea. The losk may touch the soul with sor.
row and subdue the harshness of the heart
But it is not well to grieve over the Past and
forever turn the eyes to its din distances
Whatever follies and errors NAV have been
committed, they have Hoated away beyond
our reach and we cannot grasp them back to
correct them-thev are of the Past and with
the Past. The Present is ever with us, and
we may SO embellish it with good deeds and
| generous acts, that its splendor may dazzle
} and conceal much of the dark record beyond
our reach. To day, re must improve fer
to morrow never comes. 1t is ever ahead
and no man can lay his hand upon it and
say, this is nine stay thou with me y"
Wisely Improve the Present" The
!, Future is an unwritten history, yet in it the
hopes Of mankind are anchored. A graa,
mist hangs over it, eonceaiing it shady
0 v%aflies, its aowery dells, its sunny plains and
its rugged, thorny paths. The realities n
the grave and the glories of the world r.
. come are somewhere away in the shadow
ruture. Go forth to meet what NAV be tby
I lot without fear and with a manly heart !
Ehe Past Is buried and is to us as stbe
years before the food" Let us Lot fold opI
}, hands over Its grave and idly N ourn. Their
e Is a great harvest at hand. Let as so laho
D mat the New Year to come may find as bette,
and happier than now, for the reason that Y,
nave made other hearts lighter and OF he
faces brighter here and Their in the ,ncaa,
passes of the path of life. Let ns ca Tra a.
when the bells ring cut the death of a,,oths
! old year, we may sing over its bier with RI,
r Poet = VAN III
h nm out, wild bells, to the wild sky,
e The flying cloud, the frosty light:
Inc year is dying in the night;
hing out, wild bells, and let him die.
o Klng out the old, ring in the new.
hlng, happy bells, across the snow.
The year is going, let him go
Alhg oat the false, ring in the true.
ring out the grief that sap: the mind.
For those that here we see no more.
v Ring out the feud of rich and poor
aing In redress to all mankind.
Ring out a slowly dying cause.
ana ancient forms Of party strife.
Ring in the noblor modes Of life
With sweetsr manners, yurer laws
"Ring out the want, the care. the 81,
The faithless eoldness Of the fines.
e hlng cut, ring out NY mournfuI rbypo.
And rlng the fuller minstrel in.
Ring out false pride in place and blood.
The civil SANDER and the spite:
y Elhg IN the love of truth and ripbt
ring In the common love of good.
ring out old shapes Of foul disease.
hlhg Dat tie narrowing lust of gold.
hlhg ont he thousand wars of old.
hihg In the thousand years Of peace.
ring IL the valiant men an d free.
1ne ISFgeT heart the kin dl Ter hard.
e King ost lie darkness e the land.
hlng In the CBRIsT that is to be-"
HAS living we may always, Will. the Co.
! Master wills US to ati2e on the earth -.
. the Old year adien with fewer regrets an,
welcome the New with . lighter heart
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