The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1885-12-30
Dickens o.. .s New re.n


From Charles DTz-,
Sketches: Next TO Lo1Iaoh y. on
the most pleasant annual seni' ~
lstence IS the advent of the -. - " -
| There are 4 lachrymose set OF fs..-s.li.
who usher in the New Year with NJ. Wssl,.0
ing and fasting, as il they We're boua,
TO attend as chief mourners the obse-
quies OF the old one. Now, we cannot
but think it a great deal more cempIi-
| mentary, both to the Old Year that
has rolled away and to the New Year
that IS just beginning to dawn upon
us, to see the old fellow our and the
new one in with gayety and glee.
There must have been some few
occurrences in the last year to which
we can look back with smile of cheer
ful recollection, if not with feeling of
heartfelt thankfulness. And we are
bound by every rule of Justice and
equity to give the New Year credit for
being good one, until he prove him.
self unworthy the confidence we re-
pose in him.
This is our view of the matter: and
entertaining ii, Notwithstanding our
respect for the Old Year, one of the
few remaining moments of whose ex-
we write, here we are, seated by our
tireside this last night of the Old Year.
penning this article with as Jolly a
face as if nothing extraordinary had
happened, or was about to happen, to
disturb our equanimity.
Hackney-coaehes and carriages keen
rafting up the street and down the.
street in rapid succession, conveying,
doubtless, smartly-dressed coachfuls
to crowded parties; loud and repeated
double knocks at the house with the
green blinds opposite announce to the
whole neighborhood that there's one
large party in the street at all events;
and we saw through the window, and
through the fog, too, till it grew so
thick that we rung for candles and
drew our curtains, pastrycooks' men
with green boxes on their heads and
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. carts hurrying to
the numerous houses where an annual
festival is held.
We can fancy one of these parties,
we think, as well as if we were duly
dress-coated and pumped, and had lust
been announced at the drawing-room
door. Take the house with green
blinds, for instance. We know it is a
qaadrille party, because we saw a man
taking up the front drawing-room car
pet while we sat at breakfast this
morning.
Hark-a cab! That's junior clerk;
a tidy sort of young man, with a tend
ency to cold and corns, who comes in
a pair of boots with black cloth fronts,
and brings his shoes in his coat-pocket.
xxrh hiat cb no . 81,
putting on in the hall. Now he is an
nounced by the man in the passage to
another man in blue coat, who Is a
disguised messenger from the office.
The man on the first landing pre-
cedes him to the drawing-room door.
mir. Tupple!" shouts the messenger.
"How are you, Iupple?" says the
master of the house, advancing from
the fire, before which he has been talk
ing politics and airing himself. '.My
dear, this is Mr.. Tupple a courteous
salute from the lady of the housed;
Tupple, my eldest daughter; Julia,
my dear, Mr.. TuppIe; Tupple, my
other daughter. my son, sir - Tupple
rubs his hands very hard, and smiles
as if it We're ali capital fun, and keeps
constantly bowing and turning him
self round till the whole family has
been introduced, when he glides into a
chair at the corner of the sofa. and
opens Il miscellaneous conversation
with the young ladies upon the
weather, and the theatres, and the old
year, and the last new murder, and
the balloon, and the ladies' sleeves,
and the festivities of the season, and
great many other topics OF small-taIk
beside.
We have scarcely written the last
word of the previous sentence when
the first stroke of Y peals from the
neighboring churches. There is some
thing awiul in the sound. Strictly
speaking, it may not be more impress
slye now than at any other time, for
the hours steal as swiftly on at other
periods and their flight is little needed.
But we measure mans life by years,
and it is solemn knell that warns US
we have passed another of the land
marks which stand between us and
the grave; disguise it as we may, the
reflection will force itself on our minds,
that, when the next bell announces the
arrival of new year, we may be in
sensible alike of the timely warning we
have so often neglected, and of all the
warm feelings that glow within us now.