Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1880-01-02
: THE OLD YEAR AND THE NEW.


were heard, suddenly, as the flash of me-
teor, mighty monarch strobe upon the
waveless ocean Of space to contest the en-
pire of earth.
The volume of the past year has been
CLOSED, sealed and consigned within the
'sepulohre of time. Have we so improved
its Aeeting hours as to have made them re-
'munerative to the soul and mind, or squan-
Sdered them as to leave them the written and
convicting evidence of our treachery, dissi-
patton, idleness and indifference? Are we
better of, or have we murdered the time
with the cold poison Of selfishncss, and does
its gibbering ghost taunt US to-day in the
chambers of our consciencesf" AS we raise
these queries to the high potentiality of our
nature, we tremble as to the character of the
reply.
A retrospective glance brings to mind many
things, and we may well inquire what of
the year that has just left u.s. Though gone,
memory's chalice still holds its joys and its
sorrows, history records its deeds, both good
and bad. II has been year of unexampled
prosperity as far as crops are concerned, a
year of financial disasters in some respects,
and closing with a cloud DER us having
gold and silver lining
: IAN things may not have terminated as we
most desired, life has its joys and its sor-
rows, the one is as "fieeting as snow-fakes
upon the lips of volcano" the other binds
and cankers at the heart--it likewise has its
trials, disappointments and difficulties. But
il is well for us to remember that by the
: natural laws, the rule of existence is one Of
with its lights and shades, its
snnshines and its storms, wherein desired
fruition of our most sanguine hopes and am
billions may eyentuate in calamity rather
than good. The past is not to be Temem-
'befed or recalled. But we may grapple with
= the events Of the future, and like the eagle to
his. eyry, spring with sublime hope and
a resolute will to the grandest achievements
s in all that concerns ourselves or the com
munity Of which we are part. We must
{ look forward for hope, when there is reason
for hope, and press ON with wisdom and en-
iergy in the proper discharge of our rcspec-
tive duties and thc'execution of our 6bliga-
tons to society. We may not stay the whrl-
wind, disarm the thunder-bolt, or change the
: laws governing climate and health, but, in
obedience to the same laws we may take
Letter from one and shut out the germs and
apply the antidotes for the other BY the
law of gravitation sudden fall may be
Z fatal, but as prudent and resolute men we
Z may stand safely and make the existence Of
. that law boon rather than q bane.
There is room for work, none for despair
the chilling winds Of adversely and trouble
may have blown pteously around you, the
songs Of hope nearly hushed forever, but
our misfortunes should rather nerve the arm,
fire the heart and give us terminated courage
and vigor. II is well known that the high
est and noblest qualities Of our human ma
ture are brought out by trouble and sorrow,
the greatest men have been those who have
overcome difficulties. The mighty oak could
never be monarch Of the forest if it grew in
IT hotshease and never wrestlcd with the
Z tempest II the sky above us was always
:lear and the weather always fair, our land
would soon become desert We cannot
get along without the clouds and the storms
The long spell of clear weather last sum-
mer brought great fear TO all Of our people
and caused the greatest apprchensions. 1t
is the same way with life, all that is fairest
in our hearts would wither and die ii no
clouds of sorrow and disappointment ever
came near us, Just az flowers perish in a
: drought Dickens has we'll said that "tears
are summer showers that lay dust on our
hard hearts, and the saying is AS true as
and labor means the overcoming Of Difficult
ties. 1t is not best for us that our life paths
{ should be perfectly smooth. Sahara is level,
: while Italy is rugged Life means duty done
y and progress made and character developed,
!. and these demand difficulties to be over
come and victories 10 be won.
The'old year is gone-let him go, weep
not over his ashes nor mourn at his funeral
!. notes. The new one is the living present
, to-day we enter uponits realities The mis-
takes we have. made in the past ought to
i make US wise for the future, and our expert
ence.should prevent the same mistakes be-
ing made twice, and We should enter upon
the future with increased strength because of
the trials and msfortunes which VIC have
had TO encounter. That man or woman is
most TO be admired who has the moral cour-
age to march bravcly up to the trying vicis-
STUDIES which overtske US in the great battle
oflife-rather than those who yield TO every
obstacle, despair at every reverse OF fortune
and murmur at every wave Of trouble. Ad-
versity, resolutely met, strengthens US, hut
weakly yielded to, it destroys us
To-day we turn over a new leaf in the
calendar Of time, as pure and stainless as
the dew drops which hung under the fresh
sunshine that shown on the Garden Of Para
disc, as unclouded as sheet OF liquid silver
on which trembles long rays OF rosy light
VIII 1t 10 remain, or will we, falling e
gather wisdom from the sad and bitter cx
perience Of the past, continue 10 wallow in
moral gutter and become the servile slave
Of our beastly appetitess II we are en-
dowed with genius and talent will It be used
like Ingersoll in disseminating the teach
ings Of infdelity, prostitutcd like Moore ant
Byron ITO the polluted affairs OF passion" Of
consented like Milton and Kirk White Il
humanity and rcligiony If we have richie,
win they be devoted 10 the advancement o
our selfish designs and ambitions. or lik,
Peabody and our own Johns Hopkins il
the amelioration of the sufferings Of mankinC
and the diffusion Of knowledge, will ",
build luxurious and costly pagodas for on
comfort. or will we give 10 those silent in
situations whose basis is faith. whose inspira
ton hope, whose merchandise charity ans
from the foundation Of which perennial
stream Of happiness and conicnimeni is eve
fiowing-whorc the flowers Of gratitude ans
giadness arc ever blooming. ever unfoldinl