Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1873-03-10

SEVEN AND SEVENTY.

The following choice passage occurs in
letter written on New Years day by an
old gentleman who has passed the allotted
three score years and ten, to his niece, in
Boston. 1t vividly portrays the change
which is wrought by Time in the views of
youth, and presents stirring contrast be-
tween the boy of seven and the old man
of seventy. 1t well merits a wider circu-
latlon than that which the writer designed
for it:
"Charles Lamb wrote: 'Of all sound Of
bells the most solemn and touching is the
peal which rings out the old year'-and
Notwithstanding the first day of new
year is ushered in with mirth and .jollity.
with wine and wassail, am not of class
who welcome the coming, speed the part.
ing guest As last night saw the skirts
OF the parting year, to use poetical
flight, | was reminded, as l always am, of
the flight OF Time and the onward march
of events. My memory not only marshals
before my mind the events of the year just
laid in its grave, but going back far into
the retrospect, holds up to my view the
boy-my other me-with his ruddy face.
big nose, bright eyes, and infinite love Of
fun and frolic.
As recollect the little rascal, have no
|
ton of mine. He never had the blues,
nor Stunned nlince pies and pound cake.
do. His year was as long as six of mine.
He was intention peering into the future.
| given to looking back. He was scared
at nothing but thunder. am afraid of all
except thunder. He slept soundv on
supper of pork and beans and butternut
meats, and dreamed of hunting birdsnests.
| retire on one pancake and half a dough-
nut and dream of being chased by two
hundred thousand Teton Sioux to the brink
of the Yo Semitic, down which plunge
with yell that shakes the rafters and
'frights the souls of fearful adversaries.'
No, no-one must be stark mad to take
that boy for me in embryo. He lived
away back before the last war with Eng
land
What could be known OF prairie farm
ing or land speculation ? That style of boy
could not live in this epoch. He could not
smoke or 'chaw,' and swearing was not
natural. He didn't say governor, but
daddy. He went barefooted in summer
and wore eowhido boots in winter. He
Wore woolen mittcns knit by his mother;
he didn't wear kids he didn't. He got no
Christmas presents, but he was happy.
remember him, rollieking with his school
mates, brlm tull OF fun aud trollc, roaring
among his mates in the eXuberance of his
mirthfulness.
Those were halcyon days of childhood.
Oh ye buried years, rise from your slum-
bers and bear me back to become boy
once more. and dream away the hours and
months and years that danced away with
down upon their feet That boy bore my
name, can it be possible am that jolly
~ Id r.,Lx
and circumstances, with frosted head.
dim eye and general aspect of blasted au-
tiquitv,' II | am then, angels and min
listers of grace defend me! IT l am not,
pray, who am / ? One fact is obvious,
am far removed from those childhood
scenes. | cannot turn back the hand on
the dial plate. 1873 rings another admo-
milton in my ear and bear little heavier
upon my staff and move on.
And such is human lfe-so gliding on,
1t glimmers like meteor, and is gomez