The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1888-01-12
The Past! The Future.
fGreenville Reflector ]

Sitting all alone in our Office, on
Saturday night, the thought flashed
across our mind that it was the last
night of the year. and glancing up at
the clock, whose measured ticking was
all the sound that greeted our ears, we
an hour or two at best-and the year
OF 1887 would be gone!
''The year, the year is passing-gone-
Drearily cold the wind is moaning
The hOar frost crowns the fields forlOrn
The trees, with icy fruit, are groaning
FROM ferry vale to mountain pine,
Death has written its countersign."
Gone? Yes, gone forever! And
like. some life that was nearing its
close, its last breath stole silently away
without murmur, without sound.
Our eyes filled with tears and our heart
saddened at the thought that with the
dying year another mile stone in the
rugged journy of life had been passed !;
youth with all its bright hopes and
promises had advanced pace farther
toward age, and we had taken one
step nearer to the grave. Musing thus
our hands clasped, our head bowed as
if in the presence of the dead, we could
but exclaim: "Old year! old year !!
thou are almost gone! and what hast
thou brought US? All what had it
brought? This question took our mind
back through its many days and hours.
| What a picture was produced What
a minglins Of bitter and sweet there
had been! How joy and pain had
been blended together! Clouds and
sunshine were ;nlerspersed throughout.
What panorama, with change follow
ing change in rapid succession Yes,
we could see days of sorrow on one
hand and days Of joy on the other.
There had been days dark and dreary,
when all life would seem failure with
nothing but gloom ahead. These had
been followed by days Of JOY and hap
p,ness wherein all life seemed aglow
with brightness with naught to mar
hopes of the future. Errors, failures
and wrongs stared at US on one side ;
on the other some good accomplished
some deed of kindness done, some &C!
performed whereby other hearts had
been made happy. Upon the whole,
with all its trials, with all its changes.
we were glad to have lived through
the year and lifted our heart in thank.
full prayer that we had been spared
until this hour. Just here a voice
seemed to whisper "why live with your
thoughts in the past2 Let by-gone:
be by-goncs. Look up! Look on
ward !" True there was no need o.
brooding DER the past. Its sorrow:
and griefs were gone-its pleasures ant
happiness could not be recalled. Look
ing up different thought presented
itself. From the ashes Of the old yea
had arisen the New Year. To it w
looked. Though the eye could no
penetrate the veil Of the future, ye
upon its curtain hung Hopes brigh
star to buoy us onward. Then hopin,
that the errors and wrongs of the pas
might bring us wisdom to avoid then
in future, and that the little good &C
compllshed might inspire us to th'
performance ofnobler and purer deeds
we welcomed the glad New Year 1888
and again lifting our heart to CO.
asked that He would guide and keep Il
throughout the days before us, ane
take US safely to the end.
81 know not what the year may bring,
Nor know what the year may take,
But take or bring whate'er it may,
know that there can come no day
In which may not trust and sing
The Lord. my soul, will not forsade.