Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1857-01-21
For the Spirit of the Age.
"esPecvaly inscribed to the Social Circle.
New Years Eve, IL o'clock. IA.

ne" Years Eve, II o'clock, '56.
For the last two hours I have been
ofeamlly gazing into the curling, dancing.
yet gradually dying flames Of INV fire.
Images OF the past sixteen years have ar
rayed themselves before me, figured awhile
10 the 6laze Of their glory, then passed
away to make room for others. Ia the
snort space of two hours, | may say the
panorama of my life has passed before
me. From the prattling, inquisitive and
mischIeyOus boy Of six summers, with run
OF elder and wad of tow, popping away at
everything that attracted my attention, |
nave followed step by step, each incident
OF my life up to the present time. Alas /!
how many sweet, noble, AMI smiling faces
have peered out of the dim visa Of the
past, that long since have mouIiered into
dust. And now the memory and image of
one OF my school mates is plainly before
me. George Morton was my Intimate as
well as confidential friend. He was all
that my fancy could conceive of, to make
a man. Even now, l fancy / can see his
large dark eyes fixed kindly upon me, and
the smile OF pure friendship wreathip1 his
tp. But tbs only my fancy the once
noble and generous youth, now sleeps be-
meath the blue waves of the Atlantic.
| was aroused from my revery, by my
faithful Romeo putting his paw upon my
knee; and looking up at the clock upon the
mantle, to my establishment it wantel but
a few minutes to twelve o'clock. In a few
moments, thought /, and another year will
have passed away. In a few moments, and
the clock of time will toll with solemn VI
b~rations, the death knell of fifty six. And
now, "Old Father Time" with his gray
locks streaming in the wintry wind, stands
with one foot upon the reccding pedestal Of
the present year, his other advanced to
meet the coming, with uplifted scythe is
IN the act Of severing the last remaining
link. There It's done it's past Tie
last breath of the Old man Fifty Six has
famed our checks and lifted our locks for
the last time. | hear his sad requiem in
the brcathings OF "Kabiboncca' through
the ~leafless branches Of the old willows, 10
the coarse hooting of the duskey owl, and
the low but prolonged howl of the watch
dog. In my own heart, too, | feel that il
has gone. feel, that with it a long &C.
OF transgrcssions have been borne
above, and ere now are registered in the
archives Of Eternity. We, too, are pass
ing away, and in a few years, or perhap,
months, days or even hours, and the frsil
thread of life will be severed. We will
pass away and be forgotten. "The places
that know US now will know us no NOR,
forever" An hundred years hence, anC
who will hear Of him who now ~silentl,
pens these lines, or Of the beautiful, tn,
gifted, and the gay of our land, who are
now with e~xulting step treading gaily tn,
fowery paths ofyouth I? None. "Anoth
er race Of beings will have sprung up il
the interim and perhaps our very name
will have passed. into oblivion.
January l2th, lS57.-At the conclu
sion Of the last sentence I laid down m,
pen to Po@e my fire, then leaned back il
moments, but soon passed into a gloriou
state of obiici0a known in these region
as sleep. And in that sleep | had a shor
but vivid dream. | thought [ stood in
beautiful grove, where the air was ladeI
with the delightful fragrance Of the mag
nolla. The songsters Of the forest wer
singing their sweetest airs, and / though
that nature had arrayed her SELF in all he
loveliness for my particular benefit.
Upon looking around l beheld a feinal
form approaching; upon her brow was tn
laurel wreath of Fame; a wreath of mos
beautiful flowers eRcircled her neck il
her right hand she held a pen, and in be
left a scroll. AS she gradually neared m
and each feature of her face became NOR
distinct, | started to meet and welcome hel
exclaiming -"My ideal fancy, Gertrude
Perry - Inan instant the vision changed
and IN her stead stood an old man, ben
down with the weight of years. Instea
of tn. laurel, a wreath of snow e~ncircle,
his brow and instead of the wreath .
flowers, a huge beard of sharp icivles hun
down over his bosom. In his right han
he held a staff that seemed ready to breal
with the old mans weight, and in his lei
a scroll and hour glass. addressed BIZ
az Venerable Father, and requested to knov
the meaning ofwhat saw. Saddle, "youtt
am the last Of my race. In a few mC
ments, and the last grain in my glass wi
pass through, and | shall depart forever
In this scroll is written the record Of til
past year. Be careful to improve the fu
ture.' The last words were said with hi
face close to mine, SO that l felt his col
breath upon my cheeks, and so cold tia
it seemed to freeze the blood in my vein:
The vision changed and ! awoke shiverin
with cold.
Since that night | have been so muc
engaged that [ have not had time to fms
this letter, nor did l wish to, until we ha
heard from the gifted Gertrude. | shout
lIIe very much, Miss Gertrude, to see qoa,
walking, living, personifcation of a bacht
loriu "Propria Personoe." Ihave no dout
he would be a cougenial spirit. BIRD
ola feather, flock together" is you know
an old saying, and a true one, l believe.
do not exactly understand you, when yo
say | disposed of your pictures in tw
brief sentences" l presume that it Wa
into the "blue above of yonr iivias
'eaAijng bachelor, that you took a peer
and for probably the ostensible purpose
giving the race generally, a rap over N
knuckles. | am afraid that if did not fame
you, both young and beautiful, l shout
say something aacfuI about ladies of a ce,
tan age. | guess / had better stop an,
how, or | will have the whole female fet
OF the Circle bearing down upon me wit
full sail. | hope, Dear Gertie, we vii
hear from you very soon. Wishing 70
and e1ch mambnr af tho Hirola n H.,