Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1895-12-31
THE PASSING OF THE NEW "a
These Mile Posts on tho JeusseSf IA
Fly by Faster One b. q

- - 49, ~
It has no doubt often oca1s IS you,
fellow traveller on Times ~ that the
miiestones of the New Ye past much
faster now than they dfd34 Us 9early stages
of your joa-ney.
What an 'aterminably long walt IL
seemed to be between the first New Years
day of your memory and the second Per-
haps you were or 8 years old then and
in school for the first term. II so, New
Years had its sorrow as well as its Joy, for
1t was the last day of the midwinter holi-
days and next day you had to begin your
wrestling with the intellectual arithmetic
ind the geography and maybe with the
elements of the English grammar Look
back now and pity yourself. Do not mako
the mistake of most of our acquaintances
and declare that particular New Years to
have been the happiest of your sxistence.
Pshaw! 1t was perhaps the most 1aiGeyrr.
bic. The fact that you have fdG
your childhood's miseries does not G6ko'
1t true that you had none.
1t was several years after that befofU tho
New Year began to move appreciabIys
faster. Perhaps it was not till your sistoF
and your pretty dark eyed cousin began to
chaff you about the silky down upon your
upper lip, and your portly, comfortable
father, in speaking of some doings of yours
of which no did not approve, referred to
you as foolish young man." Then you
noticed the flight of time, I'll be bound.
No one had called you a" young man" be-
fore. You We're ready to forgive the gov
ernor's chidings for that. You rejoiced
that although you were very young indeed
you had yet been called man.
At that time you had great respect for
your own opinions ON most matters You
began to shave forthwith, and you fell In
to tho habit Of calling your chum, who
was of about your own age, "old man"
II any one called you "my boy" you felt 5
resentful. 1t seemed so utterly out Of
place. But you had not yet learned that
manhood brings with 1t certain definite
and sometimes heavy responsibilities It
is possible you discovered this significant
truth very soon afterward, though perhaps
it was not till two or three more New
Years had passed. At all events the
knowledge came to you with somewhat Of
q .shock-possibly pleasant, possibly other
wise. At all events, it was not long after
that that you found out that your knowl-
edge was not universal and your wisdom
was not infallible.
And ever since the New Years have
flown by faster and faster After awhile
your girth grew greater. Then there were
lines in parts of your face that had once
been smooth. The top Of your Uranium,
that was once thick matched, grew bare
and smooth and shining. Glasses came
next, and your hands wrinkled up. Then
there We're occasional twinges in your
joints, and what hair was left grew gray,
then white. Only yesterday you began to
carry a cane--once you carried it for orna-
ment-because it helped you when walk
ing. Yesterday? you ask. Oh, yes, I re-
member. 1t was good ten years ago, but
you see the New Years fly SO fast now.
What Are you going to leave the
coach9 Is your life journey doneY You
amaze me. thought you were good for
several more New Years Well, goodby,
my boy; goodby.
So he is gone. But, bless me, he was
only 70. He was young man yet. Now,
those of you who are yet on the coach with
me-let us give the new year 1896 rous-
ing WELCOMED And may the road between
here and 1897 he a smoother one for all OF
us than was tnat Of 1881 Ely K.