New-York tribune., 1873-01-02
R4z3.

There il another milestone reached, and each
OF us may yesterday have secretly scrawled
for himself another number below the
1872 the thirty, forty, or perhaps gray
seventy years since he began to count such
milestones and to leave them behind him
forever. In all likelihood, it is only the
youngest OF us who will make the season one
of sad "reminiscences or back-lOOlIing megrims
of any sort it is the callow schoolgirl or
collegian who usually has leisure to bemoan
the "irrev0cable Past" OF to sing its dirges.
At sixteen or twenty no commodity Is so
plentiful with us as time we squander 1T III
fine sentmentaities, in philosophical retiec-
tions, in speculatiOns and plans for the future,
in reckoning up the wasted past so cheap Is
It., that we are only to be satisfied with eter-
mtg; have immortal longings in us, like
Anthony sigh perpetually to be quit of this
burden of humdrum life, and in possession
either of the glOries of the orthodox heaven,
or some transcendental Hereafter If we happen
to be infected with modern ideas.
But by the time we have reached rational
middle age we know the value of every tick
of the clock, and grudge the instant rs 1t
slips By us into death. Science, philosophy,
knowledge of any sort, is but an external, vague
matter at the best but the present moment
in which TO do our work. to dare, TO hope, to
hold our dear ones close to us-tbat is real,
that is our own. We are apt, too, to believe
in Heaven, trusting God, whom we have
learned to know here. that it shall present
broader field of chances and more certainty III
fulfillment But we are not especially anxious
TO try its far-off joys. This life is tangible;
here is more work than we can do for our
selves or our brother; here the fidelity of man
and the loving kindness of God to US are more
than, at times we can comprehend or master
We arc quite willing to stay here longer
more grateful to Him each year for His beau
tiful world and the fair life therein.
It is not at all likely, therefore, that the
actual workers among us made the halt
Of minute yesterday to look back or for
ward, or found in the sermons preached by
any priest or paper, matter half so suggestive
as in their yearly bills. Men will not be
charitable or repentant, or disposed toward
reform by the almanac. New-1ear's Day may
have been marked by it's social Observances,
kindlier greeting to wife and boys, a friendlier
nod TO a neighbor; a resolve to make the two
ends of 1878 meet better than those of 1872; but
that was all over before night, and the
world wakes up this morning very much
the same it is was yesterday. But, after all,
would it not be worth while for us to call
halt now and then, and, looking behind and
before, weigh hfe ig the gross and see
what it ia Worth and what we might
better do with it' The very snow, falling
softly and steadily outside, breaches that ser-
Al I.ar n,s has hoH har
sleeps--ber Winters for rest her seasons of
lying fallow The germ of tree or bush or
grain remains the same, but roots and BIOS
SONS and leaves are renewed with each re-
curing year. What If we, too, with the new
year threw off some of this weight of useless
matter which we have carried about so long
old preiudces, bigotries, habits of greed and
seifishness, above all old grudges-and left II to
decay while we : attired ourselves afreshf
We weight ourselves with such ragged old
clothes, from year to year, until our real selves
are lost and smothered Ltpt Of sight.
Inside of the gray-headeG, sour faced, anx-
ious, rum politician or brokCr, whose cynical
wit is tho admiration and terror of many
dinner table, Is a clever, hearty young fellow,
perhaps, who believes in men and trusts in
WOIntIy WHO NOulu liht W Db u HtlptE III inc
world before he goes out Of it, and to confess
the Savior as his Master in n manly, hearty
way; but he is cowed and ashamed What if
he were set free to-dayi What if each of us,
looking within, sought to find the trner, bet
ter, more cheerful self, 80 long silent and
brought it forth to greet the new year, and
to go forward without fear and with manly
hearth