The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1866-11-28
A N NV ERSAR LES.

ANNIVERSARIES.
Written for the Democrat
Who has not felt the influence Of an a,
, nually recurring day which has beconl
J, dear or memorable to us by being connec
cd with some great event in our Tves7 N
. matter how cold or world-hardened W
may have become, the return Of that da
! will evoke soft recollections of by-gon
|, happiness, or fill our soul with sadness
according as the magic touch Of Memoir,
t shall "strike the electric chain wherewitl
i 1--we are darkly bound" We have Away
liked the custom Of celebrating birthdays
and Of keeping the universal festivals o
Christmas and New Year with somewha
Of pomp and good cheer. The first should
be especially dear and hallowed as til,
time when world redeemed received its
coming Savior, and angel voices sang glory
to God and peace and good will to men,
And the New Year, it seems to us, should
always rise on brave cheerful hearts and
spirits nerved for fresh contest with Fate
or Fortune. We have buried the old year
with all it's praises and penalties-with all
it's sorrows, its sins, and shortcomings the
new untried one is before us-let MS strive
to turn over a new leaf, and redeem in the
Future the faults Of the Past.
Years agone, ere the dogs Of war werelet
loose on this unhappy land, the Fourth of
July was the annual festival we most de-
lighted to honor. With what grand fan.
faronade Of preparation the day was ush-
cred in! What firing Of cannon-waving
Of banners-shouting of drunken patriots
and speechifying Of unfedged orators!
What feasting under green shady booths
on fat barbecued pigs, pound cake, apple
pie, and all the good things of all the good
housewives in the neighborhood who each
considered it q privilege to contribute to
Fourth Of July celebration. We remember
once in our enthusiastic youth getting up
before day light to see the morning break
on Independence Day. We thought it
would be something to Drag of that we
had seen the sun rise on that glorious morn,
whose splendor, we thought, far eclipsed
his brightness. Nowadays, we are not
quite SO proud ofit-nay, it is to our mind
associated with memories of inextinguish-
able bitterness as being the anniversary of
the fall Of Vlcksburg. Hereafter, let who
will celebrate the Glorious Fourth "-we
prefer to remain quietly at home, and
ignore it. The annual Catholic festival Of
All Saints has peculiar holy beauty in
our eyes. The custom Of every one visit
ing on that day the graves of their dead
and strewing them with memorial flowers
is lnexpressibly touching. Surely all who
enter that still sanctuary of the soul must
leave it with minds purified from the petty
strlfes and rancors and jealousies of every
day life-with hearts ennobled above the
sordid cares and vain ambitions of this
world. But besides these commemorative
days common to all there are MANY ami.
versaries of the heart known only to our.
selves-footprints of Time marked in our
private calendar, some with white. more
perhaps with black stone. One Of our
earliest recollections is Of a certain birth
day fete-the only one we believe ever or.
sanlsed IN our honor-at the mature age of
three; and which had most tragic term
nation. Somehow we got an inkling that
'undry festival preparations were in pro
sress, and in particular that certain iced
'akes had been deposited in retired part !.
u the garden to dry. The spirit of Eve
possessed her remote descen- {
liant, and we surreptitiously introduced i
'ur small self into the garden for the ex.
,ress purpose Of viewing near at hand
lese triumphs of the culinary art Of !.
which we had heard so much. How tempt :
ngiy beautiful they looked all spread out
long white rows! 1t was irresistible
earer and approached curious little a
myers and toes on their Grand Of inyesti- /
alton, and alas! both left indelible tokens Q
t their visit in the sullied and broken !
'hiteness OF pound cakes, sponge cakes, !,
rop cakes, and snow balls--the last No '
niger worthy Of their name which had b
ecome sad misnomer. Of the dire con- d
equences that ensued, when our. visit and b
Is dire consequences were discovered, we
'roear to speak the recollection is a sore !
ne even now. What pleasant recollec. n
ons cluster round the anniversary Of N
IT'S first ball! the long-anticipated al
vening when the young debutante steps d
nth on the stage Of life that is all gar. o
'nded with flowers, and whose scenery is - u
7erywhere coalear de rose for her. How q,
ten do her retrospective dreams both BY Id,
y and night bring back that scene-the v,
gifts, the flowers, the gay music, the bril- g
ant forms, her own not the least fair
MD the throng; and last, though by no " ',
cans least, the admiring partners. In 3; e
ter years Of womanhood's cares and sor. n
ws her world-wearied spirit flies back to
at night, and is refreshed BY sweet :.
aught from the sunny fountain of youth. j
and by comes 9 day whose annual re-
IN is to be always remembered and cele.
ated with rapturous joy and thanksgiy- t[I
git is the anniversary Of our wedding.
y. Brightly shone the sun upon that .
ldal morn, and If true theproyerb "Hap. e
is the bride the SIM shines on,n then NJ ~.
all our lot in life be blessed indeed y NJ
wv each return of that hlissfnl aor 81 ~, | on