Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1882-01-05
CIR E E TIN G..

l.dnQ all connected NlCn lLS puDllcdllOn,
Happy New Year" greeting. For 1881
the book of the record is now closed
the seals are upon the lids, and the past
belongs to Con. The loves and hates
the joys and sorrows, the hopes and
fears, will never, never come back to us
again-for
"All blessings move with onward feet;
No day dawns twice; no night comes back,
The Car of doom, or slow, or fleet
Rolls down the unrelurning track"
Then let us embrace the future, and
strive to forget the SORROWS of the past,
remembering only the joys
''The past! OH let the dead past rest,
And hide the grace scith fOaoers-
Strengthen our hands and nerve our hearts,
To meet the coming hours"
The past has been fruitful in blessings,
and there has been much of sorrOaO--a
President has been stricken down-the
"Pale Horse" and the Reaper" have
been abroad in the land, and cries of bit
ter anguish have gone up from many
hearts. To sofhe, at the close of the
year, we have said Hail, and farewell, -
so sudden was their transit to the eter-
nal world. Bound by the ties of hu-
manity, we tender our sincerest sympa-
thy to those in neigbOring city, whose
loved ones have been taken, but we of
fer no words of consolation for "the
heart knoweth its own bitterness" we
can only grieve with them. They should
remember that Life is Lord of Death,
and that the departed are the golden
links in the chain that binds, and makes
eternity more real to them. For
"Who hath not learned in hours of Faith,
The truth to flesh and sense unknown
That life is ever lord of Death,
And l0oe can aeUer lose its Oaon.
WAS YOUR CHRISTMAS MERRY? -.
We had wished it-yet we knew it could
not be SO in every home. There were
little stockings that will remain empty
through all the years-and shoes that
will never again encase the tiny feet
and when the angel passed over, the
wild appealing cry went up from the
mothers heart. "Oh! God spare me onei
but in His providence he needed not
her PRAYER, and took them all. That
heart conld not be merry-how could it
be glad, even, as she twined the Christ
mas wreath for others, and felt the
thornS hidden In the cedarS, piercing
her hands and heart? Rejoice, oh stricken
mother evergreens- are typical of
Eternal life, and the crimson berries of
the holly, the drops of blood from the
side of wounded Saviour. Believe in
the resurrection-you will meet your
loved ones again. In many homes, the
dear little ones have folded their tiny
hands, and have gone smiling away into
the dim hereafter. They are with the
Christ Child"-let us keep then this
day in joyful remembrance-for,
The fountain of joy is fed by tears,
And love is lit by the breath of sighs---
The deepest griefs and the widest fears,
Have holiest ministries"
Let us keep the days, for they are the
golden nilestones" they are the
crown jewels of life,and many sad and
weary heart looks back to them in fond
remembrance. We denounce the mar
row creed that would expurge them from
the calendar. and make religion gloomy
and sad. Let us prepare to celebrate the
glorious Easter morning, and together
celebrate the consummation of saliva
tion.
WE DESIRE TO THANK
our hosts of friends for words and deeds
of kindness during the past season, and
for their numerous gifts during the hol-
iday season-the editors of other papers,
who have spoken words of commenda-
tion-the correspondents who gave us
kindly notice-the critics, who spoke Ell
ther good or i'll, as the spirit moved
them-and last, but not least, the editor,
composition, proof-reader, pressman, and
devil (printer's), who strove to have our
articles appear in print.
If our knee-caps were fractured so
that we could not kneel, we would get
down upon the bended knees of our
soul three times day, and thank God
for enemies, for man without enemies
is tree without fruits, and men will
often hate you for the qualities which
should command respect We have re-
corded much that was silly, and often
tritiing bits of news-but It's the trifling
joys of life that make US happy. A man
may become famous, but not happy. We
have stood beside the graves of your
loved ones, and have recorded their
death-we have enjoyed your festivities
and have broken bread at your table ,and
eaten of your salt. Therefore, your sor.
rows should be our sorrow, and your
joys our joy. We have recorded the
birth and the baptism, events of no gen,
eral interest, but to the fond parents q
world of joy, and their friends rejoice
| with them.
AS A CORRESPONDENT,
we stand for the good and the true, re
gardless of threats to personor property
We denounce the traffic that robs TIL,
young man of his manhood, the maiden