Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1882-01-06
DortG obaefo Gimes
PORT TOBACCO:
Friday Morning, January g, 1882.
THE NEW YEAR.

Since the TIMES last greeted its readers,
versity of sad and pleasant memories, has
taken its place as unit of the ages of the
irrevocable, irretrievable past. 1t lives no
longer, save in memory; and is valuable
only for the lessons taught by its exper-
fence. The term year, in its scientific &C.
ceptation, denotes the period during which
any planet of the solar system makes its
circuit about the sun; in its popular and
familiar import, it represents one of those
units OF ever passing, never ceasing time,
one score and ten of which 60 to make up
life: Just at this season when passing
from one to another of those periods of
that time which measures his existence
and reveals its destinies, man realizes more
than ever that "His times a moment and
point his space"
Hence it is, perhaps, that men are ac-
customed at this season to resolve upon
new rules of conduct and to endeavor to
live in more rational conformity with their
unstable existence and unknown destiny.
Although the futility of these resolves on
the part of the tickle and the frivolous has
caused the "New Years resolution" to be-
come a popular theme for humcr and RI
dlcule; yet it cannst be said that the Gus
tom is not right in theory and in many
cases, salutary in effect. The engineer
who goes to survey and explore the un-
known forest, ever turns to his ''hindsight"
as means of verifying his foresight; >
the mariner in making voyage over
strange and unexplored seas, is wont to
turn his quadrant often upon the sun, to
ascertain how far he may have departed
from the latitude Of safety; and SO the
wise man, in the prosecution of the event
full but mysterious voyage eflife, will ever
seek to profit by experience, and will turn
often to the lessons Of the past as guide
for his course upon the unexplored future.
1t is no doubt one OF the wisest ordina-
tions of providence that man in his tenn
poral life should know not Of the future
In fact an unrevealed and inscrutable fu-
ture is one of the necessary elements Of
mans probationary life upon earth. 1t is
this that teaches US to believe and trust
in an all wise and all merciful Providence;
it is this that restraints the arrogance of
S the proud man of science. OF this was
born and by this is fos'ered the angel hope.
tHeaven from all creatures hides the book of
fate,
All but the page prescribed, theirpresent states
From bruteS what men, from Eaen hat spirits
know;
Or who could suffer being here below?
The lamb thy riot dooms to bleed to-day,
Had be thy reason, would he skip and play?
Pleased to the last, he crops the fowery food,
And ticks the hand just raised to shed bis blood.
Oh, blindness to the future kindly given,
That each moy gil the circle marked by heaven;
Who sees with equal eye, as God of all,
A hero perish or sparrow fall,
Atoms or systems into ruin hurled,
..And now q bubble burst, and now a world.
Hope humbly then; with trembling pinions
soar;
Wait the great teacher, Death and God adore.
What future bliss he gives, not thee to know,
But gives that hope to be thy blessing now.
Hope springs eternal in the human breast
Man never is, but always TO BE bless'd;