Birmingham state herald., 1895-12-29


 noted in these columns if sent to Mrs. George c. Ball, Nineteenth street, between Tenth and Eleventh avenues. South High lands Telephone 9SS.)
 As the year draws to a close. as the lengthening shadows of the lessening days. slant from the west, we must look upward and outward and meet the new year with smiles and cheerful greeting. Before us stretch an unknown time; be- hind us lay the years that hold the his tories of our livesi Looking back, we catch glimpses of the stones that mark our triumphs or pathetically guard the graves in which lie cur dead hopes and aspira tions. On every one are dates that are burned into our memories so deeply that only death can erase their story. But why finger among the graves, my friends? You recall that the only man of whom sacred history tells, that he dwelt among the toombs," was mental wreck, and when he was healed by our Lord he went to live among his fellow men, leaving his dismal past behind him. So, upon the threshold of another year, when the door of hope is just opening to all the promises that await fulfillment, we shall look bravely forward and up- ward and open our hearts to the new year, bidding him loving welcome.
 Dip down upon the northern shore,
 A sweet new year, delaying long;
 InOu uOeSI eXpecldnI nature WfOIlB,
 Delaying long. delay no more!"
 All anniversaries are retrospective in their tendency. but they give us an op- portunity to look into the future and ,ain strength by the experiences of the past. At such a time as this one natur- ally goes deep down into his soul and fathoms the depths of his being. The past is worse than futile, unless it's les sons mean advancement for the future, climbing to greater heights upon our dead selves" With a few dear friends the other day I found myself in one of the new streets of the South High lands, and to each one of us what had been accomplished by enterprislng neigh bors in grading and paving this street was a gratifying revelation. The tenn perat ture of the early winter day was al- most perfect. the forests still glowed with the ruddy tints of autumn and it was a luxury to live, to breathe and to walk. Impelled by such surroundings inspired by desire to see how much had been accomplished by the busy workmen, we wandered on, going to- wards the summit of the hill In our party was young friend whose physical strength waned, and she rested at the foot of the hill until our return When we rejoned her she asked: What did you see on the summit that l could not see at the base?" Unconsciously, that young girl had uttered the cry of human ity Why go to the top; why not rest on the plain?" That is the voice that has come down through the ages since ambition was born and aspiration lifted the human soul from the arid deserts of the commonplace. Why go to the top? What see you more from the summit than from the plain? Yea. why? Let every heart bring its own answer To some the plain means rest and sleep; to others it means the stifiing atmosphere dfraGr rv11t- -tc that clog the brain and dangerous mias- mas that poison the soul.
 To some the plain means the fullness of realization, with the little flowers that blossom at their feet. The sunlit stream that babbles from morn till night, and the twitter of birds that sing and chrp through the long summers day To others 1t Is the narrow valley that lies between the great mountains, whose peaks glow in the light from an unseen