The Caucasian. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1874-1875, 1875-01-02
THE OLD AND NEW YEAR.

many a glorious throng or happy
, dreams. It's mark is on each brow
Its shadow in each heart. In its
swift course it waved its sceptre
DER the beautiful, aud they are
not"
"The faded year is nothing now.
The flowers, the birds, the waves,
the. streams, the melodies of vernal
lite and nature will soon come back
but he returns no more" There
are moments in life, when we seem
to loose all hope, when the soul sits
torpid in moti0nless despair. 1t is
at such times that we ask why it is
that man SO full Of life, and LIES
best attributes should pass away,
while such perishing things as the
trees, the flowers, the rough work
of the carpenters hands, remain
long after the spirit that planted
and fashioned them has been for
gotten.
The old year is passing away in
tears, the damp wintry blasts that
have borne it away from us, are fit
emblems of the wintry chills that
have swept away the sweet illus.
ions of youth. Blighted hopes
broken friendships, all attest that
we have tread the thorny path Of
life, and weep in vain. "For the
tender grace ola day that is dead.
10 every thinking mind, how sad
inevitably must be the RETROSPECT
ito" OF the year past and gone |!
How little we have accomplished !!
how our worldly plans have proved
indeed only chateaux en- Espagne {!
how impatient, how frctful over the
daily cares Of life ! how we have
withheld the ':soft answer that
turneth away WRATH and given
rather the angry retort! In short
how unsatisfactory our course has
been. Blessed are those who have
faith that the "abiding city" is far
beyond all power of change or dc.
cay. Thus were it not for that
spark Of Divinity which assures us
that this Life ends not here, we
could not rally from the gloom Of
weeping skies, and mournful re-
Elections, but with the returning
sunshine, creeps in the little CLEAN
of Hope which bids us welcome the
New Year as the harbinger Of
brighter, and happier days. Gle
roi est mort, yive lie roll" was the
French method of proclaiming the
death Of the old, and advent Of the
new King; and it is echoed in our
hearts with tho birth bf every New
Years Day.
Would that the sliacklcs of po-
liticai tyranny which have crushed
our poor state might be shaken off
with the old year, and with the new,
arise AUST beneticient government
which would bring peace, harmony,
and good will among all classes
But while praying fm others
to change and be good, let US not
forget to pray the same for our
selves. Are we a God fearing PEG
pie? Are we not like the Israelites
Of old, very stiff-necked? Can we
expect prosperity, when moral law
is so little regarded among us +?
The church going is generally left
to The women, while the men
spend their Sundays in hunting,
fishing, gambling or any other way
than a Cody one.
The youth are being trained up
to disregard all social, as we'll as
religious obligations. In the high
toned days of orr own George
Washington, q gentleman consider
ed it his prerogative to be scrupu-
lousy strict in the outward OBJ
se:vance at least of his religious
duties, as we'll as courteous, and
chivalric in his bearing to woman
Then with this New Year let each
use his, or her influence to restore
those better days." and show the
world that this Southern land, If