Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1882-01-06
THE DEAD YEAR.

gone. Poor old fellow he went out Satur-
day night. He was good Year. We all
recollect when he was born. 1t was ter
rible Friday night in the worst winter
that man ever saw. He had tough time
when he was young; snow after snow and
freeze after freeze with the Thermometer
down to $50 below zero. It began to look
like the new year couldn't live, and that
DR.. Cummins was right when he said the
world would come to an end that-year. 1t
was away up in April before he could hold
a violet in his hand, and even then his
fingers were nearly frozen. April didn't
help him very much. 1t had helped all
ether years but it didn't seem to do him
much good. There were no sweet sun
shiny days to cheer him. and the daffo-
dis were late coming to him. 1t did seem
az if he was the unluckiest Year of all
Father Times children. He must have
felt sorry that he ever came down FROM
Eternity at all. Towards the end of
April he bt gan to lock up little. There
was a. little sunshine and about the first
smile came over his face. He brought out
little green grass and some dandelions
and apple blossoms to show the world that
he meant well by it if he could only get
chance. But a cruel frost came and killed
them all and it did look like the poor Y ear
would never be able to do anything for the
World. Men cursed him as the worst that
ever came, and said be was 10 year at all.
He struggled on through May, with his
old enemy, the frost, still after him, until
he got safely into the warm sun of June.
Then he was glorious. He covered all the
trees with green and filled them with
birds. He made the fields alive with all
living things and men who had cursed him
began to say that he aDos good Year after
all. But his ups and downs were not over.
When he brought August it brought the
Drought with 1t, and then men swore at
him again. 1t was an uphill business;
Night after night the poor Year would got
q little dew out of the earth but the
Drought would drink it up in the morn
ing. The corn was burned up and the
green grass that he had so carefully spread
over the face Of the earth was dried until
you could hear it crackle under your feet.
He must have thought his end was going
to be as bad as his beginning. But in the
latter days the rains came again and the
springs ran and the grass frightened up and
even some of the fruit trees bloomed again,
everything was SO nice and pleasant. 1t
was very handsome thing for the Year
to do seeing how he had been abused. And
tie evening of his life was Lowell October
and November we're as perfect as pictures
and when December came instead of snow
and ice the dying year gave us Indian
| summer and soft harvest moons and fresh
dewy mornings. He hated to 60 until he
had made everything right with the I'M
grateful world that had given him so
much abuse. He died quietly Saturday
| night and almost before he was cold the
New Year jumped in on. us with
wind and snow and those dreadful
| low thermometers that are only fit
| for ice dealers. Let those who choose
to welcome the stranger do so. We
stand by Eighty One. He was a. good
| friend of ours and we are glad to write a
| good word for him. He sometimes gave
| us hard time but he couldn't help it and
| it was no harder than he had himself. AS
| for this new 1882 we know nothing about
him. He may turn out we'll and he may not.
Anyhow, he's a stranger and no prudent
man will commit himself to stranger.