The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1889-01-03
FAREWELL 'ss--wELCoME 'se.

Since the morning stars first sang
together there has never been year
when there was so much nobility in
life, so much of good in the world,
and, proportionately, so little of evil
as marked the passage of the year
which closed last Monday night.
The tendency of mankind is away
from the brutal and toward the God
like. He has read history and
studied mankind to little purpose
who does not know that the good
men of our day are the equals if not
better than were the holy men of
old; that the wise men of our time
are far wiser than were the sages of
a thousand years ago.
To that vast number of persons
who are accustomed to associate the
good with the venerable; who are
apparently incapable of disassociat-
ing the antique and the holy, this
claim of superiority for our own
time will seem like sacrilege. But
we beg to assure those most excel
lent people that THE SENTINEL has
no malice in its mind, no ruff1es or
frilis on its temper regarding the
patriarchs and potentates of the early
ages. They had but few advan-
tages, when compared to those which
we of to-day enjoy. The world was
then young and life was narrow.
To-day we have the experience of
all the generations that have gone
before-the great achievements, the
marvellous inventions, the myriad
agencies for refining, exalting and
embellishing life.
Here in North Carolina the year
jus: closed has been a most propi-
tious one for all classes of our peo-
pie, and especially has it dealt kind
ly with the agricultural portion of
our citizens. "Praise God, from
whom all blessings foww
Yes, "the world does move" and
we are growing all the better for it
every day.
1t is still true that "man's inhu-
mainly to man makes countless thou
sands mourn; still true that tyranny
rules over millions; still true that
the inalienable rights of the race are
denied to most nations; still true that
the earth which God made for all
has been taken and is held by a few;
still true that the labor of the suffer-
ing poor in many lands supports the
rich, the proud and the vicious in
idleness and luxury; still true that
vice and hypocricy, in the garb of
saintlineSs, too often triumphs over
virtue and piety in rags; true that
the race is yet far from fulfilling its
possibilities, but it is nevertheless
the glorious and encouraging fact
that we are steadily rising to higher
and to still higher planes!
And now a new year is upon as.
A new year! The time for retro
specting the past and anticipating
the future.
The Past! With its trials, its
duties, its responsibilities-all fed,
leaving as only results: joys or sor-
rows, disappointments realised or
hopes fulfilled.
If regrets and compunctions hang
heavily upon us, from a conscious
ness of neglect or unfaithfulness in
DUTY, repentance should do its per-
feet work. But we should not give
up to hopelessness and despair
rather should we grid up the loins
OF good resolutions and high deter
mination to make the good deeds of
the new year in a measure atone for
the remissness of the old one.
Let hope and . strong good
will
GAS beam of o, mfor,, like The noon through
clouds,
Gid the black horror anff direct thx vv
The FutureI How the eye THAT
mirror of the soaD kindles with am
bilious expectation in viewing the
bright bow of promise which TO-DAY
spans the horizon of 1889! How
the soul expands with holy ador-
alton and thanksgiving for the happy
homes, the loved inmates, the joyous
surroundings of our quiet fresides
God be praised for the refining
soothing, and christianixing in
fuences of the home circle, where
"-heart leaps to heart,
And all goes merry rs . marriage bell >
And God bless our friends
Bless God for friends!