Daily Republican., 1879-01-01

the people who kept watch last night
saw suggestive things as they sat out
the old year and waited for the new
face at the door. They saw the long
train of shadowy years reaching back
before the war and after ii, that had
their appointed fortunes to welcom'
and heavy burdens to bear. Then came
the seven fruitful years after 1860, thai
seemed to forget the dark, anxious fig
ures that bad gone before, prodIga|
wears tn at counted their debt as so much
gain. told over as capital the sum that
they owed, and gay spend'hrifts made
a lest of burdens that they left to those
who come after. Then one by one thu
lean years pass, fulfilling their work.
Their backs are bent under tho burden"
with pinched and hungry faces, scant
purses, but honestly keeping to the
path, and meaning to keep to 1t. Then
the last of train, beset step by step with
temptation, dosged by it, struggling
with it, adding to its share Of care til"
need to keep its footing and defend itself
against the tempter. Looking back on
its vanishing shade last nia at mel saw
that all the drag and drain upon it was
made a hundred fold heavier by tn"
struggle, aud that rs might have it,
prosperous record plainly writ out for
that anxious ward.
But the opening door brings the hon
est year. That is motto enoush for '79.
Tina, is the text for all New Years ser
mons, especially Of the sort that men
preach to themselves. To come back to
the honest ways is to revive the old
standards of comparison. Who ha%
known in the last fifteen years what las
dear and what was cheap in the univer
al confusion of standards and shifting
values, in the credit that was =" easy,
from the butche. and the baker up
The days when the houseke+per
weighed dollar against the worth o.
what she would buy have CONE
back again. We shall begin 'tU
do without" whss las heretofor"
been paid in promises to pay. and the
easy old trick of mortgaging the future
must 90 out of fashion. 1t is new
atmosphere We enter into to-day. The
sound example the nation sets will b-
carried out by individuals. For some
time back the shrinkage of incomes
and of dividends has made it the cor
rect thing" to own up to poverty when
it befell. But the confession was easier
than the adj ustment, and the credits
were long for once long purses. Bu
now the purses, it is to be expected.
will have a new snap to them that will
shut out temptation. They will open
to what they can pay for, and go by.
on the other side, what they cannot
afford to have. The honest year will
/ fall short of its promise if it does not
bring healthy tone into every house
hold. If it does not cut off all luxuries
| hat are not honestly come by, all costly
dress that the shopkrepers and seam
stresses have paid for, all "entertan
mentsn that the wine merchant and
IT. . caterer and the contectionrr have
given, in your name, to your guests.
II it puts the leg of mutton and the
plain loaf on the table in place of the
champagne and the pate, so much bet
ter tor the folks who have furnished
these unpaid for lnxnries and had their
venture for their pay. If the whole
population for twelve month will but
cat off its bills and pay as it goes, the
honest year will be the rich year ana
bring good fortune along with it to
every one.