The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1864-01-01
The New Year.

nc NJ" 4oals
As we stcpped from our Office door yester-
day we met bright little lad, who, calling
us by name, said, al am going away to-mor-
row, mayn't I wish you happy new year
now" Taking him by the hand We could
but say-Yes. my boy the same to you
every year of your life till tho close, and the
last, the happiest Of them all And so. to-
day, instead Of writing, We would be better
pleased. could We take the hand Of our read
ers, scattered as they are in every northern
State except Oregon. and earnestly repeat
the words Of yesterday.
"Stcp softly and speak low, for the old
year lies a.dying." Dying-and dead Gone
with oil its freight Of care and sorrow and
with oil its joy. Gone with all its records
Of noble or ignoble deeds, its historic pages
whereon brave men have written their names
to DO forever glorious, and whereon disloyal
men have written theirs. scaled up until the
last. Gone with all its share OF blessed mem
cries or regrets, our longings for "the far of
unattained and DIM" and the roll of lost
opportunities to return to us nevermore.-
The reckless and the careless, the vain and
the inglorious, the ambitious and the cruel,
may not now heed the loss; but in the fu-
ture the waves Of :heir recollection may cast
up at their feet bitter wrecks Of misspent
years, to trouble them. withal.
To us there is always peculiar feeling in
doing what we know we shall never do again;
"a serious feeling in passing over road we
knop we never shall repass. 1t seems as
though something wasgliding from our grasp
forever, causing that feeling Of sadness
(which Is not akin TO pain.
And resembles sorrow only.
As the mist resembles the rain"
It is worth our while to pause often in our
course and ascertain our latitude and longi-
tude, how far we have travelled, and whether
there is anything to learn from the map Of
our every day life. Hero and there along
the great highway we place marks of our
journey. From these we date forward hence
forth. The old man dates from the birth or
death OF the love in his heart; the Jews
commemorate the fight of Israel from the
land Of bondage, calling it the Passover /;
England dates her greatness from the time
the Magma Charta was wrcsted from King
John. Thrice and four times happy they
whose way.marks arc white lsttcrcd days in
their memory, birth days Of noble resolutions
and worthy motives, when the individual is
lost in tho good the individual has accom-
plished.
The first Of the year is ono Of those days of
examination, while il is, also, tho Oldest day
of celebration which authentic record has
transmitted to our time, and still observed.
The Roman aamcns, together with the con-
suis, on this day, assembled to offer their
vows for tho prosperity Of tho Empire. after
having taken tho oath Of allegiance On
this day the Romans laid aside old grudgcs
and i'll humor, and took care not to speak so
much as one harsh, or untoward word. We
can in part proftably initiate their customs.
Wherever in tho past we have failed to fol-
low the light, follow il in tho future. wher-
ever in tho past we have failed to urge men
to right actions, the present. at least, is ours
to improve. And il that past has failed to
reveal tho "hidden mysteries" of better life
than ours, We may yet compare ourselves
with that Standard declared two thousand
years ago. There arc wrongs to be righted
and redrcsscd, predjudices to DO overcome
and i'll will to DO forgotten; there are charl.
ties to DO bestowed, the cause Of the Cypress.
cd defended and the sway Of Freedom every
where advocated and acknowledged. Per-
haps some time VIC shall all do this, for so it
is promised. II may not come in our day,
IL may not come for many generations. but
come it will. To hasten it we have only to
do our duty, and be sure before we die to
work the work Of men. And then, how can
il be but that We "shall have n song, rs in
the night when holy solemnity is kept, and
gladness of heart as when one goeth with a
pipe to come into the mountain OF the Lord. "
.Ring out, wild bells. to the wild sky,
Tho flying cloud, the frosty light;
The year Is dying In the nights
Ring out, wild bells, and let him die
RIM out the old. ring In the new,
Rims. happy bells, across the SHOWS
The year Is going. let him go,
Ring out the false, ring In the true
Ring out the grief that saps the mind
For those that here soc moro;
Ring out the feud ofrieh aud poor
Ring In redress for all mankindl"
SALE or REBEL PRorERrr.-At st. Angus
tine, Fla, on the 2lst ult., the Government
sold large lot OF real estate under. the In,
ternal Revenue law. Tho sale realized about
SOS 900, nearly all Of which passd into
the hands of our soldiers, OF Yankee capital