The Arkansaw traveler., 1882-12-31
THE NEW YEAR.


 Every new year comes in with promise. Fond expectancy, warm and glowing ike the ruddy cheek of a child hope |bom of human trust never allows year to come with lowering skies. The day may be dark and the winds may be piercing, but the sky beyond is bright and the air blowing over the meadows of the future is baimy and Perfumed. Hope. How much that one word contains. Without it and the stoutest heart be- comes weak and the strongest arm is paralyzed.
 Every man has vi hin him the germs of reformation. New Years day the germs grow, bud and blossom. On the debris of a nights debauch good resolve builds structure. How I have wasted my time," the poor fool mnses. This year will do better. How much 1 might have accomplished. How have squan- dered money But soon the weakness of the flesh asserts itself, and ere month has passed the firm resolves have crum- bled, and again the victim dates his reformation in the future.
 New Years is a great day for the young society man. He goes all around the neighborhood, drinks coffee and says: ''l wish you happy New Year, and many returns of the same" Then the young lady bows, smiles, says thanks" and asks him to have another cup of coffee. Some time ago party of young men went the rounds New Years day. Among the number was one who did not say. "l wish you happy New Year and many returns of the same. People no- ,iced this and commented on the young mans originality. He would simply en- ter drawing-roam, bow and drink his coffee in silence. At the close ofthe day few scnible people declared that some testimonial of regard should be presented the young man: that such originality should not go unrcwarded. |; was de- cided that a gold-headcd cane would be an appropriate present and a committee, appointed for the purpose, made the purchase. After considerable inquiry the young fellows name was asoertained and engraved on the head of the cane. Then the committee wen, to the hotel and were shown to the room of the orig inal gentleman.
 My dear sir said the chairman of the committee. advancing. .l am dele gated to present you with this cane as a slight testimonial of our appreciation of your eminent and striking originality. It is to originality. sir, that VIC can attribute the beauty of poetry and the vigor Of prose- Imitation is the dry TO, of all thought, Homer and Thucydidcs. Shake speare and Hume. Milton and Gibbon. Dickens, Thackeray. Hawthorne, Wash ington Irving and hundreds of others, sir. whose names at this moment escape me. but which in honor of the occasion wish l could recall. were original thinkers. Sup pose. sir, iha, they had been imitators :. Where would lii eraturc be to-day: Take this cane. May you ievelope and grow n originality; and may the great refor- nation which you have begun spread over the entire country.
 The young man seemed to be very much astonished. and taking the cane he filled the air with aourishes and re- marked
 ''Dugin, dugin. dug. S dug.
 The truth then became apparent. He was deaf and dumb.
 To sit at the beginning of year and muse to wonder how many strange de- selopmen,s will be made ere the year grows old. how many of your friends will pass away. and whether or not you will be in good health or slowly turning to dust in coffin, is mental indulgence known alike to sage and fool. The sage speculates, but the learning which he has gathered from the years as they slowly passed him, throws not the slightest glimmer of light into the futures impenetrable darkness. The fool wonders, with no definite form of thought, bu, the idle song and the foolish dance in which he engaged as the years moved slowly by. throw as much of spark be- yond the black mantle as the wisdom of the sage.