Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1882-01-02
THE NEW YEAR,
How Mother Shipton Was Left.
An Ambitious Reporter Who Watched For
the Crash Which Failed to Come-How
the Old Year Died.
SOCIETY OBSERVATIONS TO-DAY.

Carriages without horses shall 90,
And accidents I'll the world with woe;
Around the world thoughts shall lily
In the twiniiling of an eye:
Waters shall yet more wonders do,
Now strange, but yet they shall be true,
The world upside down shall be,
And gold be found AT the root of o tree
Through the hills man shall ride,
And horse, nor ass be at his side;
Under water men shall walk,
Shall ride, shall sleep, shall talk;
In the air shall men be seen,
In white, in blue, in green;
Iron in the water shall float
AS easy aS u wooden boat;
Gold shall be found and shown
In n land that's now not known;
Fire and waters shall wonders do;
England nj last shall admit II Jew;
And the end of the world shall come
In EIGHTEEN HUNDRED AND EIGHTY-OSE.
One wear ago the Crcdulous writer penned
these lines and prepared for the verltica-
ton of the vatiCination of old Mother ship
ton, to the last jot and title. As the
months of 1881 followed each other lnqulck
succession, and the year drew to its end-
ing, the rcportorial faith was undimlniSh-
ell and the fancy grew that fate was pre-
pairing for one grand, final corp. BY time
Saturday had appeared, and the busy world
hummed on as usual, the virtue of further
faith was fast waning; but late that night
the reporter strolled out to note the APP
proaCh of the crack of doom.
Ii was the last night of the old year and
the stars sat each upon his ruby throne and
gazed with SlcepleSS eyes upon the world.
The clouds had rolled away and the waxing
moon rode high in the heavens and looked
down upon the city with a calm glance that
betrayed no shade of pity for the rapidly
nearing crash Her profile was as express
SiunlcSS rs a Dutch cheese. though the
awful moment could not be distant, as the
hands on the Capitol clock were approach
ing each other and in ten minutes would
embrace at midnight. But before that time
Mother Shiptou had p:cdiCted the end OF
all things Sublun0ry and surely the
last of that string of prophecies
was not TO be the only one left unfuldlled.
And so. as the reporter looked at the hills
frowning over East Wheeling, their snowy
mantlcS seemed already So many winding
sheets. and they in full preparation.
Satisfied that the REGISTER would contain
the exclusive account of the earth $ de-
structiun. and already running over his
vocabulary for suitable words for head
lines that would properly introduce 50
momentOuS an article, the reporter grasped
his notebook and fixed his eye on the face
OF the clock. PaSserS-by noticed the rapt
look of his fair young face and the CLEAN
of his eyes, but they did not read the am
bilious dreams within, and So" It's one
of them ere crank reporters one man
Said-they passed quietly on.
As the hands of the clock blended into
one, the moon withdrew behind 4 cloud and
the reporter gathered himself together and
prepared for something. Presently the
deep tone of the bell broke the stiffness
rent ii with cash. it was so sudden-9sd
one by one twelve strokes were Snl0mniy
tolled oil. The world sailed On as usual:
The moon reappeared Gnd the stars twinkled
as merrily as wken-Lhey sang at creations
dawn. There wasno CONFUSION, no mighty
upheavaI, no earthquake, eruption or
tidal wave, and the wonderful
old woman who, over six hundred
years ago. predicted the discovery
of steam power, the magical
uses of electricity, and the advent of the
Beaconsticld administration in England,
was rudely torn from her pedestal and the
prophecies had no glory, even out OF her
own country.
A thought did flash through the report
cr's mind that perhaps the clock was fast
and the crash might yet cOme-but no. the
saloons weD closing up and trust them for
knowing de last moment of Saturday
night so: tkc old year was dead and the
now hid been Ushcred in. Already glasses
Lad gscn clinked over good wishes for the
fut.re and hands ciaSped in close pressure
tOeXpreSS good will for the year OF grace
-. The gracious Sabbath Was born and
the day shed its balmy influences on the
disappointed heart Of the sad eyed reporter
whose dream OF writing up the judgment
day was lost, not gone before. And he
strolled slowly bcdward, dreamily repeat
ing poem from the Graphic, Which closes:
Farewell to Mother Shipt"n and her, year,
With all it, works OF murder, fluod and fire,
SO pass lhcy on, aud the happier days draw
near,
And earth sill stands to prove the dame a
liar.