Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1868-12-30
The New Year.

We nlwnys wish each otber n .IIonrv Nov
Year" bat there Is after an "A little s,mbreros.
about this season. II is quite natural To rerrc
every parting hour. We hardly like IN ente,
upon that which we are 10 lose s., ouicJy Il
our 'years never failed we miabt .9cel the old
and welcome the new without Il single drawback
But it is the feeling that each one taken from IA,
allotted number makes it 20 much less. thai
leads us to look upon the transition of the old
year into the new within shade of regret and min
John Foster once said. 81 have seen n fearful
sight to-day: have seen a bnttercup.r Tootbers
the sight would give only visions Of conipp s,rno
and summer Il told him of the past wear and oi
the days TINT wonld never come oonin liza /.
very much like Che g,is.rrre tbey aim, In Tho
Popc's chapel as each part of the music termip.
atcs. single candle of the twelve that are liobt.
ed upon the altar. is blown out. And the musi,
steadily Progresses till the last one ol,nc il Iel,
burning and when the final strain that s,yclls "a,
mournfully through the church. nj last ends
there is mechanically that almost brinos fears il,
the quonchinp of that sole. aickering ligbt Tbc
pathetic md tender character of Tho ,n,sio I.
VASTLY enhanced Inv the nrocrc.sive dorlo,,;n,, n,
the chapel and the extinguisbino of the li,bt A,
first the eve watches the twelve candles ,yit, on.
riosity. and waits with sort Of silent neos,re Tho
quenchinc of the first The nle,sure doono,s
and fnally intens;6cs into n,s;tivo rot, n, III.
after lioht e,il,ws he nredecess,r int, lie In
Of darkness and tho fnol code,cos NJ to ,,isoror.
are chanted in the sicklv glare off solitary toner
and the echoes of its CLOSING note reverbern,e
through the gloomy. uniipbted snoees that are
filed only with the smoke of tho evt;,,,,;shod
lamps.
So the lights Of life arc blown ont one after an
other. as the music of life reache. its successive
STAGES. and take. IN n new str,iu The now wear
is not the kindling of another lamp. IT is made
by the blowing out of nm old one o" Ait uy
friends" saws Thaokeray. how beautiful WINS
youth we are growing Old Sprinv time opd
summer are pnst. We near the winter Of our
DAYS. we shall never feel as we have felt We
approach the inevitable g,nve
And vet it were neither wise nor rational IN in
dulge in such regrets. When we are b,vs tiroo
can't 90 fast enough for ms. We ardentlv wish
to be men. When we are men. we wishas strong
Is tobe bows. We sing sad songs about the aioLt
Of time. We talk of " auld lang svne ~ of the
DAYS when we were younp of post vouth. man
x
false. and few half 4, silly The feeble nrotests
which we make against the flyina chariot of time
are perfectly futile. To stay the course would be
impossible. We might as well try to stop Ixion's
wheel with a finger, or dam the Amazon with
chid's foot. We cannot stop the train. nor lie
oyer day OF month at any station on the route
There are no stop checks ciyon on This line II il
a" through train. and we are b,oled far thelast
station. We can call eut to each other at Ger
tain intervals, 'sWish YOU Happy New Year. -
but we are well along in the new. and the now
has became old, before the breath of the cheerful
salutation is expended.
The new wear tells us that we are growing old
We shall find our happiness in harmonzing our
thoughts, habits and character with the advancing
years. There is nothing odious or ridiculous in
growing old. An old tree is picturesane. An
Old castle is venerable. An old cathedral nspires
reverence. We have so few old things in ibis
country that man himself does not ike to nec,ne
old lie feels ont of Mace. So he tries all sort.
Of shifts to keen from showing the effect of wears
Old boys and old rirls. dress Talk and not lik,
Young ones. They try the transparent sham d
cosmetics and hair DIVES. The frosty head turn,
to the color of youth in single night. and nobod,
Is deceived. but everybody is laughing at so pa
tent a folly. The only way in which the new yeal
can he welcome and bonnv IL nv our ndantine
our.elves 10 II We mead not Ina oahnmed of II
nor Of the ace which n brinqs Rows arc mo-
osha,n.d 10 he old Van cannot insult one q
,hor, ,n',ro ,i,on Inv think;ng him 10 hs yeor -
two vo,,rgcr tbon he Is lie fires nm nj once
.sTwclve 5id van saw sr2 Ma I'm G,prteon
Take n young lady who is ambitions IN not int
s,cis,y ana ts,-nartie, and ,volL home With
,,,,rg ,no, ~ Ja,l, and sho vii s,.oto, 10