Daily press and Dakotaian. [volume] (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1875-1880, 1876-01-01
lSclec,ed ]
A NcIY Years uONlilY.

tSclected
\ New Years IlOmity.
Well, reader OF outS, here we hav9
arrived AT n.o,her oi lille si,,,le c,n,n
leur,'s--lnr such we consider The Ii
DAY OF the ycai ,-srantia7g our t'o''-
other days as 1t were, consccrated 10
Memory and Hope. May bothto.,hee
be pleasant. 1t is a vain wish, VIC
know: for however bright may he onl
hopes, memory, unless our lot has
been an exception to the general lot
Of man, must be shroudcd more or less
in gloom. The light Of past Joys can,
not dispel the the shadows Of past
SORROWS, or, as Byron has happily cx.
pressed it
| "Joy = recollection Is no longer 10y,
| While Sorrows memory is sorrow still
He is a fortunate man, who, in-the
passage of years, finds nothing to re-
gret. If on this day our thoughts are
not compelled to llnger over the grave
Of some one near and dear to us, there
are other graves over which we may
mourn besides those containing the
crumbling relics Of mortality-graves
of hours wasted-of talents neglected
duties unperformed-it may be
friendships broken and affections
crushed. And md then again there are
buried hopes strcwn all along the past
to darken the retrospect. Ever as the
current Of life sweeps on, wreck after
wreck is cast up to mark the boun.
Diary of times reccding tide.
1t is a blessed thing however, that
as one hope expires, another one
springs from its ashes to cheer us on.
Were it not for this, man, Of all beings
would be the most miserable.
..'HoPcspringc eternal in the human
breast'-winning US away with its sy.
.ren voice from the CONTEMPLATION Of
past troubles and present cares with
promiscs-of future good in store; and
though we have been deceived again
aud again, yet we gladly rcpose our
trusts in her, though the fruit she
holds quito us turn to ashes on our
lips. And-it is well to be thus cheat
ed-better a thousand times than to
close our ears to her song-our eyes
to her light, and sit in darkness and
gloom. Know, then, says Armstrong
in his Art Of Preserving Health
Know then, whatever cheerful and serene
supports the mind, supports the body too. 4
Hence, the most vital moment mortas feel
Is hope the balm and life blood Of The soul;
1t pleases and II lasts. IlduIgent heaUen
Sent down the Kind delusion, through tie
0rrngged lt,e, to lead us patient on.
Let US then cherish our hopes; but
let US not disregard the teachings
of memory.
We have said this day is consccra-
ted TO these attributes. We stand on
an cminencc. On the one hand Hone
smilingly beckons to US and points to
the future-on the other stands Mem.
ory, gravely pointing to the past
We follow the one; the other follows
us. And tbs we'll that she-clings to
us, for we are told that she is the
mother Of Wisdom, and we need her
warning voice. Her admonitions
shleld us from temptation; her coun-
sells lead US away from difficulties into
which we are prone to plunge. Ifher
volatile sister, Hope, present spark
ling cup to our lips, she dashes it aside
and reveals to us the bitter with which
ii is dregged. If the former show to
us flowery path into which she
would entice us, the latter points out
the thorns which would beset every
step, should VIC enter upon it. The
one would have Us rush blindly on,
needless Of the past; the other exper.
ience-taught, whispers word Of eau.
ton, and bids us look behind before
we shape our future course.
In rendering the compliments Of the
season to the reader. we earnestly
trust that while Hope throws cheer
ing light along his path, Memory,
like faithful monitor. may be always
at hand to guide him in safcty-and
that henceforth the one may shed as
bright light on the past as the other
does ON the future.
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