The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1883-12-27
New Years Day.

We embrace the present opportunity
of extending to the readers of the Demo-
Graf the wish and hope that the New
Year may prove, indeed, to each and all
a happy one. A peaceful, prosperous
and successful New Year. So intimate
ly connected, however, in the life of nan
is the past, the present, and the future,
thai much depends upon the ann in
which the past year has been spent by
us. If the fruits that each have garner
ed up have been those calculated to make
our own hearts purer and better. Iflove
to God and charity to man have been the
motives and influence that have govern
ed our actions, then, indeed, may we ex-
pect to enter upon the new period OF
time in full anticipation of realizing in a
large degree all that is embraced in
words and wish: GA Happy New Yearp'
But what q mockery and a taunt would
it be to the man who, a few days co.,
took the life of his neighbor and deprived
a helpless family of a husband and father,
to extend to him the greetings of the
new year. A happy new year can only
be the result Of a well spent old year
Grapes are not gathered from thorns, or
figs from thistles. The deeds that men
do live after them, moulding and inlu-
encing their lives. Whether long or short
the future alone is ours, and while the
thought may be somewhat hackneyed
and derided, yet the new year now just
before us is pr~e-eminently a proper time
for the formation of new resolves, of
higher anticipations, of nobler actions
The past and its resulting consequences
We cannot now recall. The harvest which
we have gathered may have been one of
thorns and thistles. The present and
the future, thanks to a kind heavenly
Father, is yet ours-ours to command,
ours to determine what the future har-
vest shall be. A new chapter has been
reached in the history of each life. 1t is
will. It is for US to say whether it shall
show a we'll rounded period or one mar
red and disigured by errors, wicked at
least, if not criminal in intent. But we
do not intend to moralize. A Happy
New Year to all! Let it swell up from
earnest, honest loving hearts, and when
it comes, from such there is no greeting
more cheering, graceful and grateful
Uttered in pure sincerity it is the very
life and soul of Christianity; healthful,
alike cheering and encouraging to the
giver as well as the one who receives
Human in adoption as a period of OBJ
s%ervance, New years day is divine in
the n that it marks an epoch, rounds
a link in the chain of time which con-
meets time with eternity. 1t is fitting
that there should be hating places along
the highway of life, resting-places ON en-
inences from which the road travelled
and the path to be %journeyed may be
calmly surveyed. Let US hen gladly
welcome New Years day as one of those
restful periods. Because the good reso-
lutions of the past have been broken, be-
cause pious resolves have melted into
thin air, it does not follow that we should
not renew in our fallible finite manner
and sphere duplicates which may yet be
filed away sealed and stamped with the
appreciation of our neighbors, and what
is better still, with the approval of our
own conscience. In all sincerity, then,
and with friendly hope, we wish our
readers, each and all, ga Happy New
Year"