Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1874-01-02

There is something demoraizing about
New Years. Not at all that Decentralization
is the main outcome of the institution; but
a man must be strong in the faith TO with
stand the effect upon his moral system of
the knowledge that New Years brings,
even to the best Of US. For it is at this
season Of the year that man, so to speak,
| takes stock Of himself, He takes his good
| resolutions, his good deeds, his bad impul-
ses and actions, his mixed motives-in fact,
! his whole moral belongings and accomplish
ments, down from the shelves, d1sts them,
| looks them over, and enters them in his
DooHs. lnere may be pront, growth. ad-
vance; but there is apt TO be melancholy
side to the lairest showing.
! For suppose that, on the whole, we have
! reason 10 be encouraged by the condition
of ailairs revealed-tacrc are few Of us who
do not find with each New Years an in
creased sense OF Limitation. For we are
! creatures of Inheritance and of habit the
| spirit may be willing, but o, how weak the
| flesh!
II is not merely that We arc too apt TO fail
| in the spiritual, with all our striving; but
strange barriers loom along the intellectu-
al horizon. As we grow older, the very ell
! ement of Time, which in our youth seems
such a vague, shadowy enemy-if not
! friend Of infinite ldrJeSS-comes bearing
down upon us, mighty, resstless-an army
with banners.
There are so many things that for so ma
ny years have been hoping to do before
each succeeding New Years Day. The
contemplated crusades of boyhood even
yet haunt me as things destined to fortu-
nate occurrence. surely the summer day is
yet to come when l shall take up my ad-
venturuus march on the Crosswicks turn
pike; the same night pitch my rag-carpet
tent in the mystoriors pines sleep to the
enhancing musN of the hyena and the
jackal, and sally forth the next day to slay
a white bear with my ivory paper-cutter.
Shall confess how often, since last New
Years, have stood look ing over the rail
of the ferry boat, and imagined that at last
the moment had come; the child had fall
en- into the water; I had handed my coa
TO the benevolent gentleman with Quaker
hat and blue speclacles, my gold watch tc
a celebrated stock gambler--(who is 81
much impressed by the generous conf
dence, and the general sublimity of thu
scene, that be is reformed man from tha
moment)-and am only hesitatiug. whether
to placs my pocket book in the Keeping o
the pretty fact ory-girl with pink parasol
, or in that of the clerical looking gentleman
, who may turn out to be a pickpocket II
disguise,-hefore taking the final, heroi
| plunge.
was quite certain would have Christ
mas story ready by this timei For, bles
| you, had found my plot at last or, a
! least my theme. There was TO be a woma
in waite, with child in her arms, stand
= ing on the steps of DIR. HIS church, acros
r the street; a kind of apparition you know
although, of course, the eXplanatio
would be very simple, and would onl
l need TO be limited at in the last paragraph
in order to make it perfectly satisfactory
= without destroying the weird, supernaturi
effect. You see the way 1 came upon th
Illusion was this mol I'll Rave that don
by next Christmas. I'll have that done, {
Q something betterl For, after all, let m
give you bit of optimism, after havln
d shown the gloomy sIde of the picture III
New Years have helped me TO this belle
J. that a man is very apt to get, in some forl
g or other,-a man is very apt 10 az - lplisl
10 in this way or hat,-the honest thing |
20 honestly and earnestly desires to win an
p accomplish. But the story may not be
N story, remember, or else no story Of mil
perhaps only good deed such as giyiu
r the plot to SAKE Holm.-"The Old CdL
net :" jScvibneI's for Jan.