The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1867-01-26
THE ALMANAC.


nae, that wonderful chroniclSr Of days and
years. With its quaint engravings ofthings
imaginable and unimaginable, its data of
remarkable events ever since the time OF
Adam down to the days of ANDY" it's
stray bits of poetry and odd maxims
from Sages and men oflore. A good old
fashioned Almanac of the time of our
foTefathers and mothers, when tallow can
dies reigued supreme and the ca pacious
fireplace bid defiance to air tight heaters,
was truly calendar Of worth. Il vas con-
suited as an infallible oracle by speclacled
spinsters and supsrstiIious grand -sires,
and preserved with almost religious rever-
ence on the mantel shelf with the great
family Bible. No one ever had tsmerity
enough to queslio it's somewhat ambig-
uous prophesies of the weather. The
school master invariably transferred it's
well knOwn proverbs to his copybooks, and
truhnt school boys who told pale lies or
lOitered on the way to school were sure
to End the stereotyped Honesty Is the
best policy" Representation is the thief
Of time" staring at them from the writing
book. But times have changed, and Al
manacs too, alas The world rolls on
with greater rapidity. aud cars aerial and
terrestrial, steam chips and steam presses,
ocean and land telegraphs-in fact ma
chimes Of every description, good bad and
Indifferent, have supplauted the old fashion
ed institutions. The fireplace has smoul-
dered away in silent and awful wrath at the
approach of the stove, and the tallow
candle melted into tears decidedly greasy,
at sight of Petroleum and gas fixtures.
The world is climbing at rapid rate up
the ladder of progression. and Young
America" stands on the uppermost round.
waving his hand aud de6snuy challeng-
ing others to come on. The grand moth.
ers and fathers, when, amid the hurry and
din. they do get time to draw . long
breath, sometimes sigh over the degens-
racy of the present generation. Alas for
US in the grand rush forward We have ret,
regarded in some respects. Our good
strong common sense caienders have near
y all been chsmicslizsd into apothsca-
RES signs, quack doctors advertiser snts,
with torturiug from unknown psrsOnages
possessed of divers diseases. The very
leaves of these modern denominations ga
vor of nauseous drugs, blue p ills and cal
omel. The other day / saw one of the real,
substantial old fashioned Almanacs. Will
you hear about it? On the very first
page We are g:eeted with = line from
quaint old Chaucer "TEe days feet by and
exc the years." and in the same setting
with this duet -covered precious stone are
gems from Milton, Shakespeare and Spen-
ser. Turn over the leaf. The author
seems TO have been unable to resist the
prevalent opinion that an Almanac should
be a species of walking advertisement,
and yielding to the tsmpter. has inserted
sundry N Oldest suggestions to the literary
public recommending certain valuable
books. However, We can pardon this
slight depression; firstly, because he
hasn't once mentioned drug store; second
ly, on account of the rich feast be has
otherwise afforded US. Here is q picture
of December, with the old zodiacal goat in
the center surrounded by cloud and storm
and tempest. He gazes somewhat rueful-
ly upon the departing year, as with sad
countensnce he turns his back upon the
world aud wraps bis face ia the snow.
covered mantle. Pass on, leaving JaDu
airy with the fierce Aqusrins we come to
= line from sage Sophocles, much wis
dom often goes with feWest words. |"
Poor man could he but read this, doubt
ne would feel like shaking the nonsense
out of me. February with its rude en-
craving of freezing and thawing. it's nam
moth 6shss and queer little boys, and
clustering, boisterous March, we leave be-
hind with many glowing sparkles from
brilliant minds. fearful April, with bel
pure brow encircled with sweet a0emone
and tender bluebeIl, stands scatter in gupon
earth her mingled gifts of ehadow and
of light. May, beautiful May. pauses,
trembling aud timid. on the boundary be-
tween gentle spring and radiant glowing
summer. Before We list to royal June.
queen month of all the year, or IipRsr
with tropic July, let as note a line from
the boy poet, ChsttertOn: He summed
the actions of the day each night before
be slept" Harkl Shelly, with his rare
imagery aud flashing genius. calls Music
the silver key Of the fountain of tsars.''
How vivid. hOW striking the simiIel We
feel, We hear with him the ebb and dow
Ofthoss wild, sound waves, ~ his silVeTy
.rythmicaI chimss float through the
grand heart cathedral. So might We
dwell for hours on each page and still
end something new and beautiful. Here
aud there some prOsy matter of more
solid form lie thrown in, as if to diversity
the dOWery Lawn of possJ. We read it
from sense of duty and Iurn away in
I n