Montgomery County sentinel., 1885-01-02
THE OLD AND NEW YEAR.

the old year and his dim and sunken eyes
closed upon the world forever.
Nodsubt he did not depart without many
a sigh of regret, for his reign upon earth has
been comparatively calm and peaceful, and
marked with many characteristics which
should be peculiarly gratifying to the chris
tian and philanthropist. During his stay
science and the arts have been marching
onward and upward with rapid strides,
bringing forth from the dark and hidden
arcana of nature, the blessings which appear
unable to escape the argus eyes of cultivated
intellect. Christianity and civilization have
been extending the boundaries of their en-
pire; have been erecting their altars hereto
fore darkened by the murky clouds of bar
barism and ignorance, and spreading their
refining and glorious influences among
heathens and savages. An enlightened and
liberal spirit has been gaining an increased
and every department Of human concerns
exhibits many encouraging manifestations
of the presence Of that benefcent divinity
which men seem now to invoke ito shape
their ends" Our own country has recently
passed through tempest of angry feeling
and bitter disagreements, but as the boiling
pillows of the sea Of Galilee subsidized before
the presence of their master, thus that en-
lghtened and liberal spirit, which now
seems to be the spirit of the age, breathed
over the face Of the waters, and all has be-
come quiet and peaceful.
At this point word can, with propriety,
be said for ourself We by no means feel
perfectly satisfied with our work during the
past twelve months. We most heartily wish
it was better done. We think of many things
we would have been pleased to do if we
could. But in reviewing the past year we
feel good conscience that we have done the
best we could. We have earnestly lsbored
to realize our idea of presenting in the SEN
TINEL family newspaper, containing mat
ter adapted not exclusively TO one portion
of our readers, but TO all-containing in
formation calculated 10 store the mind with
knowledge, to beguile the weary hour with
pleasant reading, and now and then to
amuse the fancy with pleasant wit We
have not reached the perfection at which
we aimed, but we have approximated 80
near as to inspire us with thankfulness for
the past and hope for the future.
We have several classes to whom again
we express our gratitude First, to our
readers, whose images are before us during
the year as we attempt frequently to form
mental picture of the families into which
the SENTINEL is weekly visitor. Thank
you, kind readers, for your continued pa
tronage, for your patient and charitable ac-
ceptance of our imperfect efforts to make
the SENTINEL what you would like it to be,
and 10 many of you for the cheerful and
encouraging letters you have sent us. We
have reaeived many such during the past
year, and would have liked to have an
swered them and to give some specimens of
them In our pages, but this was impossible.
Wehave been favored with large amount
Of offerings from our list of contributors, all
of which, of course, it was often impossible
TO use Your generous pens sometimes gave
us mafe mslcl'A 'stn we could crowd into
odI columns Ns-escsrrr,,- tiiesptess, 50 @3,n
ing more than use our best judgment IN Sc
lecting Tor our pages Doubtless We have
sometimes failed and erred in this, yet we
have labored patiently and honestly to
discharge this part of our duty. 1t is very
clear that no one is more interested in max
ing the very best selection than those in
charge of II newspaper, hence any failure
in this direction should be attributed to an
error Of judgment rather than to any personal
unworthy motive. Weare specially CRATE
iul to our contributors, and specially careful
in treating their contributions, knowing how
largely we are dependent ON them for our
success. We hope We shall be permitted to
welcome your manuscript offerings for the
new year, and We renew our promise to do
the best we can.
Turning from the grave Of the dead year,
we can but feel that whatever Of Joy or
sorrow il may have brought us, whether it
has written the epitaph Of our brightest
hopes, the finest feelings, the noblest as.
pirations, whether it has brought happiness
or sorrow, another volume has been closed
and u seal has been placed upon sepulchre
whose stone no angels hands will ever roll
away. How many who beheld the dawn
OF eighteen hundred and eighty-four with
hearts throbbing with the brightest antci.
pations, the fondest hopes of pleasure, en-
joyment and success, look upon its close
weighted down with sorrow. How many
cherished ties have been severed The
young, the loved, the beautiful, "fair forms
and hoary heads" the dazzling genius and
the generous heart, fathers and mothers,
wives and husbands and children, those
around whom the tenderest affections were
firmly and fondy entwined, have been
called away, and have left behind them
desolate homes and breaking hearts. To
such the future offers no bright spots, they
live only in the memory Of the past. No
one can look back upon whole year with
out finding something to regret, some tie
forever severed, some hope blasted-thus no
one can see the old year covered up in his
grave, ia the silence Of midnight. without
dropping tear To his memory.
But why spend the energies and emotions
Of the heart in unavailing lamentations.
Look not back upon errors past and re-
pented Of, suffer not the mind 10 be fright.
ened by the ghosts OF murdered opportuni-
ties and hours
"Let the dead past bury its dead" and
permit not the memory To linger around
their tomb--call them not up to breathe the
whitening and paralyzing influences of the
dark vapors of the sepulchre upon the hopes
aud energies of the soul
Act, act, in the living present Heart
within and God o'cr head" Our fondest
hopes, most cherished anticipations may
have all been disappointed the dearest ties
that can be cntWined about the hun,an haart