The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-12-31
Celebration Of the Day in Some
Quarters of the Globe.
The Sports and Merry makings
which Attended it in
Times of YOre.
How We, the MOderns, Keep It
Our Gifts, Watch Meetings,
and Bells.
Btc., Etc. Etc, Etc" Etc, Etc.

Tonight, when the steeple bells toll and the
cocks crow twelve the year 1868 will give up the
rhost. Then Old Father Time, who has been
ouietly but steadily ploddipg it along on his
..p ame leg" for six and six month In patient
waiting for the end of the round, will draw
again a deep, long breath. and straighten out
his shoulders as he steps forth into 1869. The
sorrows and the Joys of the old year have all
been experienced, and in O Few hours Will be
numbered with the things of the past. Hope,
the winsome maiden, would dictate that the
former should be buried in the ashes OF dead
remembrance; the latter cherished as an earn
est Of others yet to come. Stretching back over
the lapse of time since the first OF January last
how many things have happened! how many
"vacant chairs" left standing in silent grief
how many filled cradles rocking in noisy gee!
Oountless thousands OF furrows have been
ploughed by time and care on brows all over
This broad earth; boyhood has merged into
manhood, girlhood into womanhood. No
body has been Idle. But what has
everybody been doing? First, all have
been tossing peddles into that mighty
sea Of humanity whose slightest ripples
reach even unto the far off shore of eternity.
Then, ogain, some have been ohiselling their
names In the marble Of history, while others
have been busy-wel in doing nothing and
piling 1t up. Fortunes have been made and
fortunes lost. The fierce tongue of confiagra.
lion has Tapped up substance in houses and
barns; the keen edge of the sword has whetted
itself on the flesh of unfortunate myriRds; the
storm king has ragged as he engufed hapless
crews In his angry billows. But then the
ploughshare has awakened into new, fruitful,
and happy life the fallow field; Peace has
smiled as she sheathed the bloody blade: and
lon. hou ar1 xuif
and far.reaching strides Who can tell.
or even compass in thought, the events
OF q year? None! Why, what is known
and makes an appearance upon the surface of
affairs constitutes but an infinitesimal fraction
of what must remain forever in dark and inn
penetrable mystery True, the maker Of
annals writes out his list and calculates his
dates, but then he needs the eye and the mind
Of Omniscience to chronicle the all, the vast
all. And did he but possess that eye and mind
his book of year would embrace volumes like
the sands of the sea In number.
But l86S-the old year-is about drawing his
last breath. Tomorrow his successor sup
plants him. While we bid goodbye in kind
ness 10 the one, let Us welcome the other
Around the stranger-the incoming year--is
girt an impervious armor. AS we cannot pene-
trate IL, nor force him TO disclose what fate he
brings US, let us propitiate him. and TO tina
well as our own bear themselves in their efforts
TO gain his goodwill.
BIT OF HISTORY.
The month of January was, by the ancient
Saxous sometimes termed Wolf nlondt, or
"Wolf Month";" because at this season OF the
year the wolves were impelled by hunger to
leave their haunts in the Wilderness. II was
iikewlse styled by TIN them mae5tsr pien or
term is very obvious. But by the Romaas it
was denominated Januarius, which name 1t
ofx,a nlln mi M nj isyfl al IA
BY Numa Pompilius. whose reign as the second
King OF Rome terminated In 672 b. c.. two
months were added to the ten into which the
year had previously been divided. and the first
of January was made the first day OF the new
According to the present method of comput-
ing time, this system still prevails. But in the
OLD calendars o. Q, the ws Egy Egg nans, and Greeks
on the 25th OF March. PopulsIly, however, the
year was held TO commence with the first OF
January. long before 1t received the sanction OF
law. II was for this reason that the dates be-
tween the LIST of January and the 24th of March
were formerly written as II belonging indeh.
cree of King James VI OF Scotland, the legal
year was made 10 coincide with the popular
year. A similar change was effected in the
French calendar, as early as 1854, and In that
of Russia, Holland and Protestant Germany
so very desirable, was made in England. and
In the following year Sweden followed the ex'
THE CIRCUMCISION.
In the calendar OF the Roman Catholic
Church the first day OF January Is celebrated as
the feast OF the "Circumcisio Domini" )" or the
Circumcision Of our Lord; which, according "a
the customs OF the Jews, must have taken place
on the eighth day after His birth. This festival
Is said to have been instituted about the year
487. The Church OF England has retained It,
first giving 1t place in the Liturgy In the
year 1850.
HOW THE ROMANS KEPT THE DAY.
Among the sncient Romans New Years Day
was made the occasion of considerable rejoicing 2
which was manifested in congratulations
visits, and presents. The origin OF these Gus
toms Is ascribed to Homulus and Tatius The
presents were usually ngs and dates, covered
with gold leaf. They passed generally from
clients or retainers to their patrons. and were
accompanied by a piece of money. which wai
TO be expended in purchasing statues OF thu
gods Specimens OF Roman patterns are still
In existence. bearing inscriptions, such as tn,
fOllOwing:--"A happy New Year to you,"" "A
happy New Year to myself and son."
These customs were finally prohibited b,
Olaudius. and strongly condemned by tn
councils of the Church. on account OF tn
heathenish ceremonies attending them. Blu
despite the nat of Emperor and Church, thS
customs were so popular that they were neve
wholly abandoned.
ENGLANDs CELEBRATION OF THE DAY.
In the "Merry Isle" OF England, New Year
Day Is not at present honored with much specia
observation. The hearty demonstrations OF jo
which there mark the Christmas season appea
10 exhaust the time and resources Of q najorit