The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1884-01-03
THE YEAR THAT-IS. GONE.

Appeal
Beneath lowering skies, gloomy,
and threatening tempest and cold,
1888 reaches its last hours. 1t has
not been a kindly year. AT its open
Ing a venturesome Canadian sage
made awful predictions respecting it.
He told Of tragedies by sea, and catas--
trophies bv land, oftemPest5, cyclones,
destructive lightning, and winds
rushing with death dealing force over
hill and vale, and raging unchecked
upon the bceau, lashing the waves
to fury and engulfug many that were
passing overit. lie told of torna-
and earthquake, and the outbreak
Of fiery volcanoes. How, when the
new year came was the;whole tragic
prediction laughed at aud jested
about But, unhappily, the descrp:
ton was not too strong. The year
has passed, and who remembers a
year as phenomenal in It's meteorolo-
gy? AS we glance back at the &C
counts Of dcstfuction of property and
losses oflife from natural disturbances
during 1888, it must ever hang in
our memory surrounded with accom-
paniments Of gloom and disaster. 1t
takes leave Of us with display, night
after night, such as has not been the
usuaI attendant Of sunset. The
strange, beautiful afterglow that has
often been as a second sunset, while
It has won ordinations Of admira-
ton, has aroused an emotion of awe
arom its mysteriousness. Its cause
dhe scientist cannot tcll--has the
earth, and the solar system of which
at is part, in their course around the
grand center around which Is whirl-
ing all the shining Orbs of the firma-
ment to which we belong--has the
earth reached the confines of some re-
gion of space where a different medi-
nm Will bring different conditions,
neutrality-suspicious. and sounds and
odors. subiecting sight and touch to
new experiences, and so widening
the range Of human observation, and
extending the sphere of sense percep-
tion2 But we are wandering from
1883 to the future. Besides the re-
membrance of natural phenomena, We
have each had our own experience.
We do not stand where we were a year
ago. Our personal history has new
chapter added to it, We have been
subject to JOY and sorrow; we have
possessed opportunity and endured
temptation. How have we passed
through the weeks ard months? "Tis
wise to talk with our past hours and
ask them what report they bore to
beayen?o Can we, this New Yeas
dav. face the task? Dare we look in
toour hearts? Can we honestly re-
call the incidents of the past twelve
months and with calm impartiality
characterize rightly our own work?
II may wiring the very soul to do it.
Tt'may bring tears from the fOunt
tbat has wept much. 1t may make
ns shriRk before selfcoudemnatinn.
L may be torture. So be it;-yet the
rotrosnsct Nlll be holy and healthy
,;.o,ri;ne. The machanie often looks
ills work to see that the lines are
,rpe ara the angles correct that in
- form and substance all IS right
II III w;II bear ultimate inspection.
m @l' life is cur work, fashioned out
ofstbe materials God has given or
,Lot we have Illegally appropriated.
T. IT, We are wise we viii not commence
; new years life without having
ali examined the texture OF the old.
" Ts 20 DO this faithfully our history
Ing 1884 will be the better and
~ hamper for it, and eternity will
Tell the gain. - -.,