Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1892-12-31
Tut on opening this subject, ain re-

| this season INTO tnree cnupJerS. 1Ho
first chapter of illustrious birthday,
the second chapter of annual de-
cadence, and the third chapter OF
chronological introduction, and this
last chapter we have reached. In olden
times there was style of closing an old
year and opening new one that was
very suggestive The family would
sit up until 13 o'clock at night.
and when the clock struck IL
the family would all go to the front
door of the house, take down the bar
and turn back the lock and swing the
door wide open to let the old year out
and the new year in. And that is what
we are going to do. With the same
measured step that Time has kept since
it started, it will come to our door in
the closing night of this week. With
what spirit shall we let the new year
in? have already indicated that it is
to be one of the greatest years of all
chronology. "Why," you ask. "Have
you any foreboding or premonitions?
mo" "Are you expecting the millen'
mum this year," mo" "Why, then,
say this about the coming year," For
the simple reason that find as che
years go by they become more and more
eventfuL Compare the nineteenth CEN
fury with the eighteenth century. Com
pare the first half of this century with
the last half. The surges of this ocean
of time are rolling higher and higher.
The forces of right and wrong are
rapidly multiplying and their struggles
must be intensified. 1t is chronology
cal fact that we are all the time coming
nearer to the worlds Edenization first
and then to its incarceration, to its re-
demption and its demolition. And no I
expect that 1898 will be greater year
than 1892. Its wedding b.lls will be
merrier. It's obsequies will be sadder
Its scientific discoveries more brilliant.
Its prosperities more significant Its
opening more grand Its termination
more stupendous Look out for 1898.
Let printers have in their cases of type
plenty of exclamation points to set up
n sudden paragraph. Let the conscrva-
tories have profusion of flowers that can
be twisted into garlands Let churches
have plenty of room for increased as
semblages. Let men and women have
more religion to meet the vacillations
and eXigencies and the demands and the
raptures and the woes of this coming
1888. In what mood shall we open the
door of the New Year? With faith,
strong faith, buoyant faith, triun-
plant faith. God will see you through.
His grace will be sufficient If You trust
him. You can go to him at any time
and find sympathy.
Thus in three chapters l have coun-
seled that the holidays be grouped
May nothing interfere with their felic-
tiles. May they be so spent that they
will be food for pleasant "Reminiscences
further on. You know that after
while the old homestead will be broken
up. For years and years the children
come home to spend the holidays, and
the house is rummaged from garnet to
cellar, and the scenes of childhood are
rehearsed, and we laugh till the tears
come as we talk over some boyish
or girlish freak, or cry over some old
trouble ended; but the heart swings
back again to mirth, for it does not take
half second for tear of the eye to
strike the smile of the lip For few
years the grandchildren make the holi-
days merry. One of the many uses Of
grandchildren is to keep old folks
young. Then, after n few years, the
annual gathering at the old homestead
is half broken up, for father or mother
is gone. About two years after (for
there are generally about two years be-
tween the time of their going) the other
half of the holiday season is broken up
Then the old house goes into the posses
sion of strangers and the sons and
daughters by that time have homes
of their own. They plant their own
Christmas trees, and hang up their own
children's stockings, and Irvine their
own holly and mistletoe, and have their |
own good times. They will perhaps be |
riding out on some of those holidays |
either in sleigh or carriage twenty or
thirty years from now along the places |
where we slumber the last sleep, and |
may we have been so considerate and |
sympathetic in our demeanor toward
them now, that they will then say one
to another, as they pass the silent
mounds of the village graveyard or city
cemetery: There rest as kind father
and as kind q mother as ever wished
their children Merry Christmas or a
Happy New Year,
Meanwhile we, their parents and
grandparents, will / hope through the
atonement of our blessed Lord be keep
ing holidays livelier and higher up; in
the presence of the very Christ whose
birth the earthly Christmas commemo-
rates, and of the Ancient of Days"
who saw the first year open, and will
see the last year close, in COM
partnership with the ever-widen-