The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1872-12-31
,gsgE NEW YEAR.

YEAR." The larry NeStlDule Vi iilhes
which opened so rich with hope and
bright with expectation a twelve-month
ago. has now closed upon us its annual
span. and once more we tread the ample
corridor Of New Year. What joys and
sorrows, what gladnesses and griets,
what satislactons and disappointments, .
what welcomes and adieus, what atten-
uated webs of life begun and ended,
what "well-springs of pleasure" in
our happy homes and vacant chairs
around our saddened hearths, what sweet
charities Of life and bitter asperities of
fortune. have oil been crowded into sim
gle year! And yet the past year wears
no deeper shade or garniture than those
which have previously closed upon us,
with their months of reverses, and cares,
and vexations, and disappointments. Our
onward way is ever the same, only that
our years shorten as they increase, while
the many landmarks we pass on the re-
ceding shores, all admonish us, by the
rapidity with which they fade from our
Slpnl, blldt OuE uttyo diS IL" ~" why $500
and checkered at the best.
But we must not fall into moralizing
strain. The New Year opens brightly |
upop us. The grand festival Of the Nativi- |
ty has Just checred our happy fresldes,
and made glad a thousand innocent hearts,
all pulsating with delight at the prospect
Of the "glad New Year," and looking for
ward with brighter anticipations of happi-
ness for themselves and others, and SEEM
ingly nome the less so for others than for
themselves. For the heart of childhood is
ever unselfsh in its joy, and reaps as much
pleasure in communicating happiness to
others as in deriving it from them. 1t Is
no time then for Age to indulge In
sad aud melancholy reflections. The
Past is gone, the Future is
before us; future full Of promise, It we
do not overrate the chances Of possible
good, at the same time that we pnderrate
the risks of possible evil. That our lives
should be checkercd is the appointment of
Providence, as it is that no great good
should be achieved without its attendant
difficulty. All valuable objects of human
asniration are to be attained on this condi-
ton only. Halcyon days come not to the
mariner until after storms and many
reefed sails; alter long nights of watching,
much vigilant observance of the stars,
and, possibly, many narrow escapes
from shipwreck, But the strong heart,
the resolute will, and the determined
purpose do much to propitiate the
weird Sisters y who have the threads OF
our destiny in their keeping.
Dwell not then upon the melancholy
past it comes not back again. Wisely
improve the present; it is here. Go fortf
to meet the future; it calls us. III thu
best things are the most unattainable, re
member what it is that makes their attain
ment possible. Few truisms are true
than the paradox, that to-day is Tomorrow
repeated in yesterday. And yet we shonl'
make our to-morrows such repetition o
our yesterdays that we should never car
for the return of either when once past
This can only be done by crowninl
the actions of to-day with a still highe
and nobler purpose than marked those o
yesterday; and by Selling our opportunl
tics 50 that they shall not escape us witt
the fight of time. BY doing this, if w
cannot control the vicissitudes OF fortune
we can at least escape the yeXation Of hay
ing contributed to them. But whateve
else we may fail to do, let us not despair Q
the future that lies in store for Virginia
1t is a glorious one, if we choose to max
it such; and only glorious as we-th
collective people of the State-shall max
it so. Put an end then to the brood
hereses that would not see a grand an
glorious future in the possibilities of Vii
gnia. Think of Washington at Vale
Forge, and during the dark night of tt
Revolution-th winter of III. Our wor
is no less glorious than his. War the
scourged the earth; his hand was raised
STAY its desolation. Peace now invit
to prosperity; let our hands be reacht
forth to achieve it.
10 the patrons of The STATE jour
NAL we CNIellu our
the New Year. 1t will be our earne
endeayor to serve them during the ne
twelye-month as faithfully and unwearied
as we have labored to do in the last lively
and a great deal more successfully, '
hope. And yet our success has been
some respects much more abundant th
we could reasonably have anticipated
adysnee Of the efforts made by us. II
is true both as regards subscriptions q
advertising patronage, aud it would be
generous in US not to extend our thanks
our patrons for the many kindnesses a
fayors received at their hands, We hi
recently made large additions in circulat
to our WEEKLY, which adds materially
the value Of the JOURNAL as an adyer
ing medium, while our daily circulat
has steadily increased from the time Of
first connection with the paper. i
JOURNAL is now placed upon perman
: q 4