St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1875-01-01
For the CaledonIan.
The Year Past and the Year to Come

Gone into the ever feeting past is
the year l-14. Standing upon the
threshold 1T the coming year. even oul
faces a"l"w with the dawn of its aWak
cming. We imStinctivrlN turn to- catch the
few tiickcling RAYS of the departing
wear, and midway. as it were. between
the shadows of past and the twilight
of Il new life. our thoughts turn back
to the events of the already clu>in.
year. The whole of our personal life
PASSES before us and we view our ac-
tion, i'll Il clearer light than ever he
fore.
We are in Il inrgiving mood tonight;
would gladly lend Il helping hand to the
friend who has wronged us. We seem
t" live over again Onr joys and SORROWS
and while We gladly recall the happy
days gone by. yet oUr deeper and pWcr
thoughts are of the Saddrr events
through which we have passed. and in
bold relief We can now trace. as never
before. the then little influences. which
have gradually shaped our characters
more bitterly does this thought opprc>S
us when We think of how much Il kind
word OF Il helping hand might then have
accomplished. And >trangcst of all we
think oi what might have been" We
trace the consequences of Our every
thought and action and while we often
have cause To regret that our lines have
NOT fallen to us in pleas mt places. vet
we should not bewaiI our lot but boldly
meet the ever Present and rise superior
to every trouble. and Labor ON. 50 that
when we hru Eternity Knocking at our
door. our lives may have been so pure
and nur lamps have been 50 steady.
that even we shall conquer Death itself.
and thus nohlN fulfill the highest pur-
pose of our beng.
And while we in Il somewhat philo-
sophie manner. calmly review the re-
cuIrencc> of the past wear. there are
many OF lis who dwell with The deepest
and most poignant grief upon some
cents which boldly rise upon the dark
background of destiny and almost over
whclm lis with sorrow ut their lcmem-
hrancc. Pcrchancr the Angel of Death
has been in our household. and we, for
the first time. have stood face to face
with that awful summoner. whom we.
too. must surely meet.
Our boy has been taken. and it seems
as if the sunshine had left our HON, to
make more dcSolatc an aching void A
father OF Il mother has in the calm even
Ing of their lives. quietly and peacefully
crossed to the other shore. and we real
izc more deeply than ever the value aud
manly worth of Il fathers advice and
rs for our mother. our thoughts fail to
find uttcrancc. for her love is immcas-
urahlc, and hrr spirit faithful even in
death, seems to h0vel around It's. and
like IL beacon light guides oar erIing
steps to that beautiful land '.where the
wicked cease from troubling. ana the
weary are ut rest Our hopes are lift
ell up and in thought we see that gloIi-
ouS tuturity which awaits us ALL
At some future time. we ponder.
death will ovcrtakc us. and are we pre-
pared Each one must decide for him
self. and it hehoves those of us. who
have neglected their alI important duty.
to see to it that each day brings us
nearer in word and thought to our
Heavenly Father.
And then our thoughts iupn from the
past to the future: from the dead 10 the
living. The Future is Il great land, and
the ever and taSt-tieeting Present con-
tinualiy pushes lis off into unknown
depths. y moment. perhaps tomorrow.
may decide our fate. lie, a. start anew
then, and boldly casting from lis AL GU,
petty sins and vices, grasp with steady
hand that glorious faith with which We