, 1869-01-01
NEW YEAR,s MUSINGS.

Inc dutuOM VI AuC AtaSo AAO0S
requests US to withhold his name.
The old year IS gone-forever gone
The glad new year comes Fastening on;
Let's pause at this way mark of time
Aad muse while in humble rhyme;
Where ere we look motley throng
Hurries the race of life along;
The merry child 10 sportive glee,
Skipping aiong-for what cares he2
AS, full of fun, and void of fear,
He shouts aloud" HAPPY NEW YEAR"
Young men and maids, noble and fair,
With hopes gay banner high in air,
Eager to join the war of life,
Yet dreaming not how fierce the strife.
The middle-aged, sobered by years,
And wiser grown mid hopes and fears,
Kuowing too well from battles fought,
With fearful issues life ia fraught.
The aged, too, with locks of gray,
Nearing the end of lifes short day
Yet quicken their pace with youthful cheer,
To add one more to all their years.
All these the path of life along,
Journey together a motley throng
Together they act the play of life,
And side by side in one broad strife,
Work out the worlds great drama here,
Which still runs on to coming years
But some, not few, have minor plays,
Crowded within few short days,
And act their part-to most unknown
In thrilling plays, or plots their own.
How many, many youthful pairs
| Who act their common parts so fair,
Are acting too, quite other plays,
With changing plot from day to day;
| A play of love mid scenes of light,
Or plays of vice mid scenes of night;
Comedies pure, with joy aglow;
Tragedies dark, ending in wo.
/ So elder actors play their parts,
With busy hands. and heads and hearts
In tasks of TOLL SO patiently done,
Or fields of thought, most nobly won
For crowns of peace to purity given
Won here on earth-recelyed in heaven.
Alas, that darker scenes intrude
Aud claim a sadning interlude.
But such is life hence such our song
To paint life true to us belongs
See pleasures throng, then-giddy troup,
To thoughtful minds, d sad, sad, group;
Mid the din of life their farce they play,
And firt and dance the livelorg day,
7 amuse themselves, their only games,
No higher hopes, no loftier aims.
OF demagogues-what can one say,
~ TO .nioH 'ueJ tl o"aiu ~ WI? W, 1y
I"iine tue,i .ntoHts, stunning -
0uoutibs tuer o'HAy Pai''Hau
" Pa''iotS Puie W 0'''se"o u0
our cou"trJ 'Sine irus' u'e WIN you
ana ye'' Ior gFog, OF snluins pen,
lou " sell your 'o'e' yea SCH !oul'eN
The drunkards play, too, staggers on,
Ihelr manly pride already gone
au m oOuy "IecAeuIsna''ereu ,I n,uu
10 al tne 1--WE Vi uotne uo" oi'uu
Anu YET In naste 10 peru tnelr son'S'
lney grasp again tne ueauy oo"''
And next 10 these, and ev'n more cursed,
Of all our fallen race the worst;
See leering libertines most foul,
For other prey still hunt and prowl,
Aud chuckle like some hellish sprlte,
Ger victims robbed of virtues light.
Enough of ,bese avsv he onick
Of o.enas Iika ,bese M sonI "a sict
IT, 70 ,bo tr,a tbo hraro tho oood
Wbo,re clnng tn trn,b-bv virtpe s,ood
Wbo,ve dasbed The Iemnti1o cnn aside
And stand erect in freadomfs nrida
Soekin, ,bo f,lIon witb hone 10 cbeer
Ana Iesd tber, hack 70 vIr,ne here
CrannIin', v;tb Gin in ovorv Torn,
K,D5iv gniding tho nrodigs1s home
NJ All, ,rj,b vica non, 6rirb, vitb 1ovo
Ar last itis donaN-,ba Ioom ia etilI
Tho warn is cnt-emntv the ouills
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