Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1878-01-01

THE OLD AND NEW YEAR-The old year
has gone forever. Beneath the countless
stars that Cleaned silently from the dark
armament; while the wintry gale walled
forth its requiem and the solemn bells tolled
out its death knell, it passed from the shores
of time into the limitless ocean of eternity.
Yet which Of US will mourn for it True,
it came to US amid the mutterings of threat
ened strife, and it closed upon reunited
people; it brought us abundant harvest, and
it preserved US from postilence and the
sword; but like all its predecessors, it closed
on disappointed hopes and broken promises !;
it left us without the renewal of that pros
perity we had so fondly expected from it;
and its memories are of rioting and destruc-
ton. ......
Prone as we ever are to forget the good
which our Almighty Father sends us, and to
consider only the disappointment of our
cherished hopes, we lament not over the de-
parted year; but, re-echoing the glad voices
of the Ginning bells which hailed the advent
of the new, we place in it our trust and re-
new our hopes again, perchance, to be most
bitterly disappointed.
The sun of seventy eight has risen, and
CLEANS upon us with undimmed splendor
We have our parts to perform while it shines
and it behoves us to rise to the level OF our
duties and our opportunities. God gives His
aid to those who help themselves, and useless
is vain repining and a childish hoping fol-
1.-The good time coming" if We help not tc
bring it on. If the times arc hard, let US
work the harder if we cannot afford luxu
ries, let us do without them; if even com
forts arc wanting to us, let us do our best tt
obtain them and trust to God to reward oul
striving Above all let US help those thai
are poorer than ourselves, confident that tho
blessing of Heaven upon works of mercy
will never fail, and that He who caused the
widows meal and oil to fail not, still reign:
ON hig and holds in His hands the destinies
of men. Let us strive to pay our neighbol
what We owe him; let US live within ou'
means, though they be little; let our energy
and enterprise be increased by the necessity
for their e1ertion, and We shall soon emerge
from our present troubles, and sec once more,
the light of better days.
If We have means, let us not hoard them,
but, with wise generosity, let us use them
in works which will give employment to the
: for better is work tho @nev to
- SSv not incapacitated for labor
Ih's Is 10, Nc time for the wealthy to
economlse, but ssNAer for them to make that
good use of their fisAes for which God made
them rich. They are W. Stewards If Him
to whom all the treasures " The earth belong;
let them make provision To- NE dav Of &C.
count, lest they be stewards no laavar
To all our readers, young AMI sd r;.b
and poor, we tender our most sincess yaod
wishes for their prosperity during the sees
which has just begun. May the sunshlh
of prosperity ever light up their pathway
may no sorrows Cypress, no evils hurt then
may their worldly goods increase, and the'
cares and an1ieties diminish, and may "
have opportunity and occasion to wish thel
often, as We now do
y A HAPPY New YEAR.
1pSs "a rocorda1 m the roll OF the year