Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1881-01-08
Some Ne,e Tear salad.

some Se'c Year salad.
What mingled thoughts and feelings, to be
sure. are these which the New Year suggests to
mind and heart, And how intimately are
they associated with all Of life and life's best
purposesl In the passing Of the Old and the
coming Of the New what else is it we see save a
scaled book and q freshly opened volume? The
PAGES Of the one-closed and clasped forever
though Il be-are blotted with many tears, IL
lumed with iuany smiles, Swallowed Ger with
disappointm,nts and ghstcnine anon with the
sunlight of fair young hopes. Sorrow and dis
grace are there. and joy and honor whilesym-
pathy and graduation minglcin blessed fellow
ship Audthis-thc record ola twelvemOntl-
,Le worlds big diary Of a years brief hfe-the
one r.e'1nce whose lights and shadows endure
Oh the end IL has been shut and scaled and
placed away, with many predecessors there,
among the archives ofthe Past TO hide until the
final summons when judgment shall be meted
MS. each and an. on the records indelible Of the
vanished years It's not @ fancy-this it is an
over true tale. And Yet, It's knowledge need
not di,hcaItcn. Fer tie justice Of the Judge
shall De tempered with thcmercy Of the Saviour
in generous proportion as welinc with omcnda-
tory Thought. word and action thepagcs of lite's
new volume And see IL is opened 10 Us this
morning in an It's purity and, ere the falling Of
ike night. the world viii have writ lis initial
entries there VIII it-think you row, dear
reader-bc so very hard TO refrain f., I'm soiling
thcrar,lmcut new with eUelt Of sin OF shame?
aud. though sorrow docs ret Ctud, We may
even OF this lave little 20 insciibe if our each
DAVIS life Ic ordered wise and we'll The world S
sole obstacle in on upward Path is its dcsIisai
oftLe minute rs moments are dissipatcd in
idIcness. It's th,ushts dwell on unclecn things
ard then the big world marvels that futile dali
lance has come 20 lea habit and thatits words
and deeds are lad. The man wlo struggles to-
vud> aGlucncc takes care Of the pennies the
pounds De knows Will, Is a consequence, care
f.r themselves. And so, likewise, with us
who are to-day preparing tie record for the
New Year virgin leaf: If we watch zcalously
our thoughts, nor words nor actions Will stray
beyond the limits good and true Each mo-
ment las It's record and. as our moments are SO
because buildod Of them-must our hours be.
And thus through the frightening periods
which make up the years round cycle.
Change, Change Chanee!-it was the low
sad CIV Of the Old. passing with tired steps out
into the night: Change! Change, Change lit
is tAe glad. buoyant cry Of the New coming now
with the moru's first fush-mono,ony is not Of
life. The strange succession of events: the ac-
cidcnts. the incidents which crowd fast upon
each other di>pel the drowsy thought and give
clear emphasis 20 the words
Life is real, life IS earnest
The voice OF contradiction may urge right
here It's argument: How, then, can life be
chaureful when the camestncss and reality
whercwith the poet invests it are 20 consistency
aiied2 An exception seemingly well taken
But am answer Is at hand, showing that the two
opposite conditions may abide together. Il is
in its moods and manners that life smacks Of
chanee-the variety which. they tell us is its
spice. And il is the destiny whercto we all are
tcndme-thc one irrevocablc destiny either for
good or cyil-which lends q sober color.ng 10
the warp and woof ofman's existence The es-
seuce. therefore. of earthly wisdom would seem
To De- that We permit not this 'ariey TO over
cloud the consciousness Of lifes earnest reality
that We lose not i'm the shadow Of a tickle ten
urc the substance ofan immortal destiny.