The Bossier banner., 1894-12-27
BENTON, LOUISIANA,
THURSDAY, DECEMBER ~, 1894
Upon the Threshold.

! When about to part forever with
an old friend nothing is more natural
than to pass in review the circum-
stances of our first acquaintance with
him and the principal events of our
friendship, lingering little with ten
der pleasure over the joys we have
shared and passing as lightly as pos
sible over whatever there was in tho
past to give us pain. We know that
the future will probably bring us
many new friend to take the place
Of the one we are giving up, but they
are still strangers to us, and this one
we know and love, and 80 we cling to
his hand and are reluctant to let him
go.
We have nearly reached the end of
another year, and already the New
Year stands at the threshold with his
hand upon the latch impatient to en-
ter. Before we open the door to
speed the parting guest, and to bid
the new one welcome, let US pause a
moment to look our old friend sor-
rowfully in the face, and to utter a
few grateful words for the blessings
he has brought US. We know there
are those who would fain persuade US
that be has given US nothing but dis
aster, and that the year 1894 will
long be remembered in financial cir
cles as one of the very hardest this
country has ever known. But let us
not think now of the evil days We
have seen, are seeing and may still
have before us in the future. In this
parting moment we will speak only of
what is good and pleasant to remem-
Der.
But as there are two sides to every
story it would, perhaps, be well for
us to inquire whether we have done
all that we should or could have done
during the past year to add to the
happiness of others and to help to
make the world the better for our
having lived in it. We are very ready
to complain when we fail to receive all
that we desire or think we deserve,
but are slow to admit that others have
reason to find fault with our short
comings. Is not the Old Year bearing
away with it many a day that 'ssaw
from our hand no worthy action
done," and nothing accomplished for
our own Improvement Does not
the memory of many lost opportu-
nifty of being helpful to others, if only
by sympathizing with them in their
joys and sorrows, come back to us at
these closing hours and ell our hearts
with regret? twill, however, be but
an empty pretence of relf-reproach
unless it bear some fruit in the future
in stimulating us to greater watchful-
ness against the faults of indifference
and sloth, the first of which does not
let us think as we should of the hap
piness of those around us, and the
second prevents us from doing what
we clearly perceive would help them,
because of the trouble it would be
TO us.
AS we look around the family circle
this approaching New Year and see
all the dear faces that were here when
the year began and recognize on none
OF them those signs that warn us of
i'll health or death, can we truly say
that this has been a bad year for us 7
We are still in our own homes with
most of the comforts and all of the
real necessaries of life about us, and
even though our means may have
been much restricted we have never
known day when our wants were
not amply supplied, or when our
children lacked food; is that having
q bad year? We are still in the en-
joyment of good health, and can see
the bright sunshine of these late De-
cember days and the yellow leaves as