Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-01-01
THE OLD AND THE NEW,

brated poem commencing "Gone, forever
gone, hath another year." makes its appear
ance with as much certainty as the one on
'The snow, the beautiful snow" when the
icicles hang from the dripping caves ard the
low-hung clouds are taking down Stsir gar
nered fulness. New Years day is mile
stone in life's journey, the closing behind us
of another stage of cur existence and the
opening of a new one, it is therefore deemed an
appropriate occasion for retrospecting the
past. But in this fast, progressive age men have
no time to muse over the past, and prefer to
contemplate the future. 1t is said that the
Internal regions, over which presides the
unciean beast, Is paved wiah good intentions
so, many boulder will be added to its
streets to-day, as this is the season for
making good resolutions. How good the
world would be, how virtuous, how sober
and how moral, If the resolutions deliber-
ately taken and solemnly resolved on during
this holy Sabbath day should be carried
into effect. The sinner will resolve
on better life; the Christian on more piety,
the ipebriate on temperance and sobriety.
The irascible father, he who curses and
dsmns everything, abuses his breakfast,
scowls at his dinner and snarls like a cat
over his supper, will no doubt covenant with
himself to-day to relax the rigidity of his
features into a smile, and that he will not
lose his temper if he can possibly help it,
during the ensuing twelve months. Women
who mag" their husbands and husbands
who provoke their wives to jealousy, will to-
day agree in the secresy of their closets that
they viii foreswear all such works of the
evil one during 1882, and will live in peace
with all men and women, and live in perfect |
concord and amity with themselves. If |
here be personal devil, one who watches
over the failings and backslidings of man.
lind, hoping thereby to profit, he must smile
With more than Satanic joy when he hears
he good resolutions of the new year. This
vii spirit knows that wives will still Hirt
nd neglect the traditionsry shirt-button, and
hat husbands will still rage at its absence,
nd still visit the club and the lodge. He
ill still tempt men to gamble, to drink to
commit excuses of every kind,
nd continue reprobates generally. The
|
orary bsrricade against vices and sin.
hey are an admonition to the tempter to
It behind. But alas for the stability OF
1man resolutions, for it must be confessed
at, in the main, new years resolutions are ,
ade only to be broken. Nevertheless these
solutions are better than none. 1t is held
at broken or in-kept resolutions are de- 1
to the resolver. But this is su-
rfcial view of the subject. As the poets
: that ut is better to have loved and lost 4
An never to have loved at all" 80 it may
very properly commended that it is bet
to make a good resolution last month, :,
Elk, or even day or an hour, than never to
We made any attempt at reform. Human 3
ture ia frail; the flesh is weak. Let US
ster Our moral courage as we may with
f-registered VOWS and secret resolutions, 10
are seduced by the alluring wiles of the =, -
idious temptor, and the best intentions cd
1t away. 1t is to be hoped that many e
our good resolutions will be kept, and IL
1t the world will be made purer and better &c &c
the close Of the new year. But we pre- pc
t that everything will wag on about as pa
lal. He who believes that fame is all pr
It is worth living for will chase the phan- ~ ~
q only to find that the enchanting shadow pf
) eluded his grasp. Again will the phan- tn
q of gold dry up the natural affections of ev
heart; women will still continue to be ~
ured BY the phantom of fashion, neglect til
home and the duties of wife and mother. ne
cir hearts will grow cold, and their minds la
70 dwarfed, stunted and deformed that they 49, -,
regard book with abomination, news hu
,er as apublic nuisance, and thus will forget sig
ir native language, and can only, as they tu
ny onward, chatter incoherently of the a.
utiful phantoms they follow. Daring di,
present year, as in the buried past, there an
be many phsntoms lowering before NOR oi I
eyes, like Ate, the goddess of evil, to lure NJ;
beholder to misfortune. But the lovely to
!ntom which leads the world to duty, in. va
'es no hope except to do right for the sake wh
light, no ambition save to faithfully per- ~
n the work which they find tor hand and er
n and heart to do, will still be devising ain
ms for the redemption of degenerate the
ID INC