Litchfield enquirer., 1878-01-10
ONoRo, FLORIDA, } Dec. 31st. 1877.

DEAR ENQuIRER.-T kindly greetings spo-) ken by friends near by, and written by distant ones, recal many others with whom no direct intercourse is held but who are not forgotten.
 The time seems short since since I wished you
 well with the coming of 1o77 Where then
 wrote sit down. to-day, to write Then kin
 dred voices sounded in the room below, d
 bright fire blazed upon the hearth and at even- ing many friends gathered with us talking
 pleasantly of the waning centennial year, and
 prospectively of TT. To-day 1 am entirely
 alone in the house, the only companionable sound the ticking of the clock as it marks these last hours of the year. Oh, the silence of desolate rooms. No footstep upon tbe floor
 beneath, no responsive voice if call no fire
 light on the hearth-but the intensity of crowd Ing memories and constant reminders of the
 far away dear ones whose loving hearts and generous hands caused the children's holiday to become joyful reminiscense Without, a
 dull gray sky droops like pail above the earth. Crystal Lake is frowning and unlovely,
 restless as man ill fever The leafless gum trees upon the further shore, swathed in moss
 look like mourners awaiting the funeral march. and the doleful wind sigls through the pine tree tops, and dpipes wierdly through the case ment. A flock of crows sweep by but no birds note is heard. Change" is the word that presses our. mind and lip to-day the mutabil- ity of all earthly things subdues the spirit as a terrible verity. Friends have passed away who were with us not long ago, and we think of their names and their vacant places. And this is the record of every year; whether the black camel stops at our door or at our neigh bor's, he IS pursuing his solemn round bearing the dead to their final rest
 Still, all is not sad that renders the pray beard '!7 a distinctive year. National ques- tions are settled, although the. tranquility of the miilenium has not come, and aspirants and contestants criminate and recriminate each other, while the evil minded and ignorant call for the release of Barabhas, in the face of su- perior good, as they did thousands of years ago. Twelve months ago the country was deep in the little game of and here we were valnly turning our ear and looking to know which was the last conclusion Now, 1 daily mail, one marked improvement, will lessen the strain when great questions are in abeyance.
 Gathering memorial garland of the dying 1 year, with spring flowers pressed and faded, l scattered rose leaves, autumn's bitter sweet and decaying beauty and winter moss and evergreen, am grateful that cypress and yew do not mingle among them as funeral en- olems would thankfully acknowledge mer- cies and joys not few, witha wish, if it were possible, to restrain this irresistible force urg on to the Gew and untried year linking mem ary and hope go intimately and forming for each one life's mosaic. Musing thus watch cd from the window the gloomy landscape un- til the ink dried upon my pen and through the room looked for confirmation of the hour to the clock, the day was ended. Later, when the evening lamp shuts out the 'tariess night and the ticking clock is no long,