The Osceola times., 1879-02-15

A. rushing onward o. o. the earth
We hssr bis weary moan;
IT'S but bubble on the wave
Or dsw upon the lawn:
A. transisnt % the mists Of morn
Beneath the summers sun.
What 10 year, 'Tis but type
OF lies oft changing scene;
Youths happy morn comes galiy on
With hills and valleys green;
Next summers prime succeeds the spring
With fVvers every here;
Then cmes old win'r r-d~afh and all
Must Apd their level there.
CroskeA Traeks...A New Years story for
Oar RirlA
What was Alice thinking about, as
she stood gazing over the broad expanse
OF snowy meadow, across the river, and
to the distant mountain tops in the yel,
low sunset Of that still New Years eve ?
The boys were skating merrily on the
little cleared Ice patch above the dam,
but the days had passed when such
sight had attractions for her nor had
those yet come when she could live over
again In another generation the joys or
her own recent childhood. Yet, to some
extent, her thoughts were with the boys,
or rather with the crooked tracks hey
had made with their sleds over the pure
and otherwise unruAled surface OF the
snow.
just like my life, she thought. One
year AEGEAN 1t be year IL stood at
this same window, looking out over
the new year, with its twelve unsullied
months a. pure and beautiful as the un-
trodden snow. How beautiful and pure
| intended them TO be How good l
meant TO be, how useful, how efficient,
how deserving Of praise l meant to
study 70 faithfully, to attend to every
home duty, to be the support of mother,
the light of fathers eyes such true
friend, such an example to Sabbath
school scholars and companions /
meant TO live and do and be more than
any girl had ever lived and done and
been before, and to leave such shining
footprints on the sands OF time" and
now, ~ look backward, oh, what crook
cd tracks!
Her first effort had been directed to
the education Of her younger brothers
and sisters; but the lessons had come to
grief In a iew weeks, since the little
tOibu pOoibvCiy I0tu90u w buunuts W u
delegated authority, which failing to
control Its own temper could not com.
mand their respect Household duties
had been essayed, but Alice's careless
iorgetiulnes 30 annoyed her house.
wifely mother that after several repri-
mands received with no very good grace,
that lady resumed with sigh that part
OF her burdens which she had looked
forward no anxiously TO sharing with
her daughter.
Then the care Of her fathers books,
papers and accounts fell into Alice 8
hxnds, but matters were still worse
here The reading clubs, the sewing
-ociety, the Sabbath school, etc., each
IN its turn received her attention, but
the same difficulty followed her here. In
ciinatiOn rather than duty impelled her
choice an uncontrolled temper brought
her constantly into collision with oth>
en, while carelessnes and n glect SPOILED
Every piece OF work which she under
took. She meant to be very religious,
o :, but there were some very crooked
lines along the paths OF prayer and bi5le
reading which she had marked out nor,
in spite Of all her resolutions and inten.
tions, could she find anything to help
her keep back the sharp word and angry
thought till 1t was too late.
So there ,hc stood looking out over
the snow, thinking her own thoughts Of
the disappointing past, and adding to
them hopeless forebOdiugs tor the future.
For how was she, taught her own weak
ness by bitter experience, to enter upon
the new year with her new load OF care
the house, the children, her father com
f,rt, and the charge of her invalid
mother-and expect success where only
failure had bAen before. So tar as she
could zee, the tracks must continue to be
crooked fer all coming time.
But - she looked loud, CHEEKY halloo
was heard, which called the boys back
from the pond, and round the corner OF
the house came the man. .of-all work
mounted on the wood sled, to which was
attached old Hannah, the mare. Come,
boys!" he shouted, "the roads got to be
broken to.morrow ia New Years day.
and like to finish off all the old Jobs
with the old year" Soon all were at
work, and the steady old horse, guide
by the steady old man, marched directly
on toward the gate. The boys followed,
tramping down the snow and besting it
hard, till Just before the shadows hid the
outside Landscape completely from her
view, where the crooked tracks lay be.
fore, Alice could trace q broad, level
road, straight - an arrow. Then, as she
turned from the window, many things she
had learned and heard before flashed with
new meaning upon her memory; and be.
fore she went 10 see to tea, call in the
children, welcome her father and make
her mother comfortable Tor the night,
she knelt alone in her room, and in the
quiet stillness of the winter twilight put
her hand, by prayer and faith, into the
blessed Hand which has promised to lea
Alright, and implored that heavenly
Guide 10 30 strengthen her in following
closely in the footsteps OF steady old
fashioned duty, - that henceforth every
crooked thing in her lie should be made
straight.
Friends, as you look back along your
home.liie records Of 1873, 30 you see any
crooked tracks9 As you look forward
over the fair, untrodden fields of 1879.
would you like to reproduce themY In
answer to the yes and no which am
sure these questions viii elicit, say
Do Is Alice did, and your path will be
straight ~ that which leadeth directly to
the perfect day rs. 8. Times.