The Xenia sentinel. [volume] (Xenia [Ohio]) 1863-186?, 1864-03-08

pebb.ed brOnk, these have n0t changed,
but We have, aud We stahd muFmuring
1 that she past days Of youth associated With
| this spot are forever gone. The birds are
tsinEiug jusse hey did years agoS aRd
fOur marx on the vail Of the sch,mirOom il
still there, but ne can't help thinking ns
We look on things around US, truly We
have gene NJ great way. since We ir-t
visitel this scene. Theirs is something
] rathrr awful implied in the fact that We
are having every day, and every hour, the
things that help to make up our life.
Watchfuinehs is brought to our sleeping
hours when We turn tn these pages Of the
past; 70 much foul for thought, amid the
ruins Of, past a>socisfIOna, past prom
ises, aud past resolves. But We have said
thrre is NJ guod to rome Of sad thinking,
And low many oE u turn these page,
without sadness? Yet. why not? Every
question has its tWn sid .s, an why not
l~ k a. we'll At the oRe side as the other?
We grow sad that the past was transient,
Why NOT grow cheerful that it existed at
ali? Berter that we thiuk Of the past as
the removal Of the spoiled paintings, and
feel glad that we en- Paiut ageinA In
our hours Of thinking, we're well If We
could slWays divide eur life into stages,
and then live e,ch stage in its proper
place. If We rurn ,ume lsiv IF life's
b,"k "ver that We nav. already pencile
on, We should feel content to ink that
was fmmer stag, a"d rhnugh we Gan
not tell how W. did it, vet the marks are
there aud We know W. did do it snmehow,
and perhaps it was the bert We eOui do
then. aud that IS enou.h. We have be-
gun life again since that. an W. should
know that even could we he hack now
where We we're ten years ago, it would not
suit us. nor cuul we suit that period.
Ten years ago was a difeFeht life, only
sui'ed TO u. as we. were aud if We do
wish sometimes in our thinking that at
this page or at that page we had done bet
ter, let Us not grow sad, sinre we might
have done much worse. p If We have hope
le>sly bIotted a page snmewhere in our
past life, let rs give that page up, reader,
and commence again. We may make
,Omething of new page, but We can not
make anything of the me we hav- spoiled.
D.ing things and repenting Of them, may
make up great PARTON -af our life in this
world; Iu' it. were far better thus, than
chat We should do such things as We do
and never repent Of them a. all. Think
Of the byegnne if you will, but instead of
tn mixing sadly be glad you are now on a
different stage Of life. Some people never
h. We but one stage; there is 70 second
ob.no,; th,.5 took the frst by-road that
lei tb.m from he real object Of life, and
there Is m wsy no,y but to go on and on
forever. There IS a way to pass from
ST, ge t. Stage of this life, AMI still be hap
py; aud IN our thinking, when we mark
the steady move which has "orHe US on-
war fron youth TO aye, we sh2uF9 feel
that If we are nearer orr end, we my pc
nearer our hume. It is a fatal mistake,
great delus,on ia think of the days we as
soeiated with other scenes and friends. AMI
grow sad brcause porahance thev may miss
uS from their circle. We are not long
mnurned in this word. Sunshine always
drives away the shadow. Our places in
common life are not long vacant the
moving crow soon c osa up their ranks
again, and We will nor : surprised in af-
tr years that we can't 6nI-nur place any
more. Get NICE away and you have soon
crossed the dividing line; you may ne7tr
re urn.
Y.umay still exist, great c., and
have heart warm as ever. aud be doing
battle in the great world, losing some
victnr:es and gainiug some, just as others
are; and all that, but itno longer concerns
those wi helped you fish in the brook, or
play in the N adow, ia the days of your
Sboyh"od. Do't grw sad that you are
thus forgotten, for you'll have found other
fri, nds, friends quite as good and true,
andSyou must know that SO have these
who onca We y urs.
Ifyou ar, thinkinc, and feel he ching
is great and daily gr,sTing greater, ever
rem, mber it m y b. only the r m n. e de-
parting, and you may not be so much
changed from other people after all and
as for the assoJiafes of other years, think
Of them if you will, tenderly if yu wish
to, bur doR't once suppose they, have not
long sincclearued TO do without you, or
that your place has not been filed. You
may have enjoyeI all these things in their
proper pace, and it was right; but you
have other things to erjoy now. and 50 you
II ay h We tom T ow, and tomorrow az
long as you live. .'t.
But we sometimes find thinkers whose
thoughts are ev taking cnlor from the
haps and mishaps Of others. A cher
ishcd lend has mt misfortune long and
bravely, and has, a. st gone down, not be-
cause he wished to, bu; because he could
not help it; and tuning to this
friend, such thinker would only re-
member his misfortune, and think of his
plunge, anil grow sad at the wreck, while
the bligh days of is f- are forgotten
We know that it is the end of ! fe that
gives character tn life, and he who can die
we'll has indred wellf ught the great bat
lie. and on the contrary all is changed to
darknessif the last day be dark, however
much # sunl ght al her days may have
had. But why add . gloomy picture to
our life's collection. one which can be but
fr the worsr. when we mi4ht think cheer
fully Of the bright part, and t ke cou'ago
. ! r a.