Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1894-12-26
NEWYEAR'SLONG AGO
A DAY OF HEARTY GREETING TO
FRIENDS AND NEiGHBORS.

New Years is nothing at all nova
days, and you may sail over it as easily
as over the equator and not see it in the
least. But it was day then that meant
something, and it came in at the head
of the year in away that you should
understand it was there Nor was it our
way to do as they did in the times of
it's deoadence Nobody knew anything
about cards-those little infinitesimal
nothings that make up for respect and
honor and good fellowship Oh, fie, but
what shams there are nowadaysl But
we took off our greatcoats and hung up
our hats, and we did not count up the
doorbells we had rung as SO much Of
contribution to society.
To be sure, there were not then so
many of us in this land, and those that
were did not all live in the cities, but
we had breathing room and elbow room
and were ashamed neither of work nor
of being known to eat our bread by the
sweat of our brows Now, your little
whiffet passes for a humorist because
he can mimic country ways, and says,
"Oh, fie, but the fellow parts his hair
in the middle, and his shirt front is
bigger than his brainsP' "Come up to
the fire." said my little mother. ''Pull
up your chair " And the circle widened
out bigger till it took in half the room.
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Hotchkiss, and old lady Denison, and the
twin old maids, and my uncles George
and Platt, who sat in the corners of the
fireplace nearer the heat, and there
were more besides, and every one was
happy. "Will you pass the cider?" said
my little mother, and then began the
fun. That cider was made of Spitzen-
bergs, every drop of it. And you should
have tasted that cider! 1t was pressed
out in no patent mill, with million
bushels Of rubbish and dirt. 1t was
pure juice of the apple. 1t did no one
any harm, and it went around with a
huge salver of doughnuts. o Lord,
but what has become of the knack for
doughnuts, and caraway cakes, and
gingersnaps? One would think it could
not have so evaporated.
1t was coming time to cut the huge
loaves of cake, and our little mother al
ready had knife in her Washington
cake, and my tall aunt had knife in
her Lafayette cake. Then I could see
up and took the poker and furtively
watched the two women as he gently
rolled over the front stick in the fire
irons and had everything ready for a
tremendous poking of the whole heap.
But happily just then the parson warmed
into discussion of st. Paul's epistle to
Timothy. ''Pishr' said my little moth
er, ''but st. Paul will do well enough
for Sundays, but he did not understand
women. ''You are right" said my
aunt, ''and for my part hate old bach
elors when they set up to teach married
folk. ?" You could see in moment that
all danger was over, and my father
quietly laid down the poker, and the
two women drew together and began TO
whisper, and instead of rival cakes we
had the two sorts put lovingly together
on one plate and plate for every one
of us. I never saw such big pieces Of
cake before or since. 1t was all to our
advantage. The rivalry had become a
rivalry of generosity.
Girls in those days were big, rosy
creatures, who could laugh and did not
wear corsets. They milked the COWS
and harnessed the horses and went to
mill ON horseback without saddle.
They could knit and sew and could eat
like other folks. They did not nibble
confectionery and giggle, but were open
to clean kiss and knew how to give
one. Our girls and our neighbors' girls
were seven that day, and they soon had
things all their own way. While the
older women sat in easy chairs the girls
flew about and cared for everybody. All,
but what creature a really beautiful
girl is! Sine needs no art at all. Bless
'em, but is not nature enough? Yes,
truly, there are fools who trick them
selves out till you cannot tell they are
girls, only by their wriggling walk, and
their giggling talk, and their heartless
disregard of everything but themselves
Rights: Dear me, but our girls had their
rights and gave US our rights. They
ruled the house with their honest be-
havior. Our plates were not allowed to
be empty for one moment. Each girl
had her own cake or tart or cooky as
truly as the aunt and little mother.
So it was our New Years day came
and went, and we slid softly into the
arms of the great new days and great
new things, and here we are. Bless me,
but why can they not all rise up just
for once to see the changes that have
taken place? Perhaps it is better as it
is, for I am sure that they would miss
about everything that made up the
world for them. The huge factories
have stolen away all that made our
homes interesting, and for my part l
think we have long road to reach the
future millennium. But in those days
our homes were the universe to us, and
we did not care for huge buildings and
great cities. We had George Washing
ton and Thomas Jefferson when New
York was no bigger than village, and
do not believe they would have been
the better or wiser had they lived in
these days. No, indeed!
And when they were all gone our lit
tie mother sat very silent for awhile,
and then she said, '.Father, does not the
world grow more beautiful each year?"
And be took once more the poker, and
he stirred the fire very gently as he said:
''Mother, tho logs are burning away
one by one. We must keep the Goals
alive" eyes, indeed" said my little
mother. eve must keep the soul
warm, "-E. P. r in St. Louis Globe.
Democrat. 1
Thoughts For the r5-ins Year..
There aze many Of ca th's thonght
less ones 20 owhosa the Gyirg Of year Il
only tlla Rounding ~ OF an ,suone.-iics..
period devoted to idleness or TO the pur
suit of pleasure, while tho coming in q
a new year is the point of view from
which to regard the possibilitiea fos
ministering to the pleasures Of scnss 1oz
another twelvemonth.
But to others the New Year opens up
another ard q very different outlook
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