, 1875-01-01

Waiting in the New Year in tho
Churches.
Rand, NIcNally & Co.'s First An
nunl SOcinble.

NEW YEARS DAY.

uEHHs "ul4e We ktlIAkut uUk VI ~ Dut OCEuplCA
ourselves with business or pleasure; In tile
nighttime, while ne slept aud took no heed. 1t
was steadily marching toward us, and noT It has
reached us-t1e New Ycarl Are we ready to
meet it7 HIVE ne prepared a fit welcome to
greet this newcomer who for 3G5 days to como
iB to walk the path OF life by our sido, our COM
panion through veal and WOO? Have We given
cordial adicu to our comrade Of the pas. twelve
month a. he pauses on the threshold era ho van
Iahes from our sight forever? It may be that
no have mot. on our New Years Eve, = to chase
the foetlng houra with flying foet"; but m1rth
and jol1ty song and wassail, arc all to greet
the new-coming year. but not a thought folloWa
the old, tottering from our sight into darkness
aud oblivion
For hIn no Passing bell doth toll.
Why should It? for men always turn from
the setting to greet tho rising sin.
"Tho King ts deadl Long live tho King! :"
is tia cry Of tho faithful subject Of Ills sover-
eign, So do tho years mover perish, each
stopping into tho place and clothing himself
with tho individuality Of its predecessor; each
becomes, liko tho divinely. appointed ruler, I'M
mortnl.
The beginning Of the new year is m excellent
timo for 10th
PROSPECT AND RETnosPEcT,
for locking forward into tho future and gazing
back over tho past. We have all indulged in
this plonslng exercise, and doubtless 1t is as old
Us humanity itself. Ono ran fancy Adam and
Eve together repent,ng over their shortcomings
over q bowl of RpIced punch, and making OK
ce}lent resolutions OF good behavior. both re-
cording aolemn and characteristic pledges to
this effect Oh the first pags OF their dalies. as
follows:
Ycar 10 A. NJ: ....-.. -
Mem.-Al"aya to have kindling-woed split
Mcna.-Always to stop at the third glass Of old
dfem.-This does not apply to lager-beer Or
premium ale.
iem.-Not to throw tho apple in Evo's face
ngain.
Aem.-Not to look at that old sarpept snake
whom he t1ieB to look sweet at me.
Mssn.-Always to do my nendiug on Saturday
We can fancy our aristocrat!c first parents en-
gagged in psychological analysis of this kind but
unless the readers arc we'll assured OF tho
strength OF thcir imagnations. they should not
be counselled to make any similar astompt. But,
however the years may have como nnd gone to
the dwesloss III Eden, it is certain TINT tue an
eent Romans understood this Instinct Of man
Which makes tho timo Of tue opening year tho
Hope, whom thoy placed there the god Janus,
with two faces, ono looking backward, tho other
forward.
II a 1.-THE OF
TIE GOOD RESOLUTIONS
formed on Nav Yesrs Day wore kept, what a
good world thi1 would bel How strong and
5esoluto Ne nre at tho time, 80 suro OF our de-
termination to do right, and turn over \ now
leaf "Ahi these new leaves" said sydney
Smith =" II those belonging to any ono life were
gathered together, what volume they would
make!" We start out 60 bre7ely with tho new
record, invest = couple Of dollars In q handsome
finru With anft rnA- -1ira5 mud hns 81
morocco binding, record our name with elaborate
flourish on the blink leaf boforo tho itle-pago,
md hall ell the memorandum Blank pages at
pages Of that book shall stand. re VOW, the
record OF the manly struggle With evil habits
and triumphant victory At its close. Shall ne
draw
to this sketch Look OIL that picture and than
on this The handsome pockot-dia1y, whoBo
last regular entry bears the date Jun. 6, 18-,
its thickly-wrtton memorandum pages mystcri-
ously removed, has found place among john
Of the opportunity It Affords him to test Lin new
found skill in making pot-hooks,-tho evil lab
It's have resumed their sway, and the very effort
3os Xhst9% pn5hhsRs r Is tosgo:ten A. WE'LL
nulSknce and fraud, betraying tho unwary as-
pirant after Improvement into morbid egotlsm,
unhealthy habits Of intsoapecton, aud childish
yourself Of your evil habit without sweep m
Ing and gaEnishiug the houBo for the re-
ceptIon Of these seven devils, you had better
leave It In its prisnoTal dlsordered condition.
However. We can clsan houso for tho reception
Of angels AZ wcll az devils, and II ne can only
put the angels In possession NO are all right
1t In remarkable what reEpect Sir Dlaholus and
his followers have for occupied territory!
THE MOST ANCIENT NATIONS
tho year began with the removal OF Nature's
vigor In the spring: Tho Jowish year opened
on what Is now tho 18th Of March. The dacoy-
etiea In astronomy. and the tracing Of the con-
neotion between celestial and terrestrial phenom-
anA led to the alteration In the calendar which
dated the beginning Of tho year from tho change
ct ths tho i9s .ns 9san t1a in .nas ths hSsys
of luma PompIlus, 672 3. q. Az Ibis time two
months were added to the ten that formerly
mads up the year, and names were given them.
either directly to janua, = word mean
ingt tdoor, since ths first month might DO
saia to open tho doors Of the ysar, or
indirectly to .ha sama word. thongh tho name Of
Janus. tie god who prestdes over the opening
year. aud also over all portals The god Jhnps
il represented II All old man, whose two faces,
looking In opposite directions, had long, suow-
sitter tho change in tho calendar. tbs lavish
yosr wAs still q legal year in many countries
Indeed, 1t Nas nut until LISA that tbs yenr of tho
Jewa ceased to bo accounted legal oue In En-
gland.
THE EARLY gA1oNa
called this first month ot the year "Wo!t-monat,"
etnca III 1t the wolves, the terror OF III England
tn those times, wero especially daring aud le-
roclous. Driven from their coyeets aud hiding
places among the hills aud forests by the pangs
OF hunger. they often yeutused oven into tie
tcwEs and attacked pedestrians upon the streets.
Indeed, il the old chronicles arc to be believed
tie question Of the possession ot large tracts OF
eountry was at ono lime closely contested Qua
between the people aud the wolves. 1ristls IT,
pus, ~ Virgil tarms him, with his very uumer-
OTIS tribe, cntrenohod himself tn the fastneBses
Of the mountains Of Wales. aud tile hills
Of tho West Countrie," whence he sailed
forth Ut pleasuto to plunt!or and lay waste. And
thets he 1nEht have lesd h!s own TO this day
perhaps, il kieg Edgar, in VA, lad not offerad
10 forgive the Welsh people their yearly tribute
pf golden marks Gu condition OF their furnishing
Instead 700 wolves hoats annually Aud the
thrifty Welshlnen. to Save their mouey, s'weut
fos" the troublesome lupus with such yigor that
ha had cause to be .risiis then it never befure.
md in hall. a-dozen yea1s or 70 lie lad vanished
!tonl his native heath, and 4ls place know him