The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1895-12-27

AS the moon-clock unerringly records
the ebb and flow of the ocean tides, so
the sun-chronograph writes down the
days and seasons and determines the
time of their recurrence. Man has given
names to the latter and set apart GER
tain of the days as commemorative OF
heroic lives and deeds, or as suggestive
of sentiment that may be valua BILE. or
otherwise, as it is taken. The Fourth
of July teaches of patriotism. Christ
mas of the blessings of home and the
beauty of the Christ-life, while New
Years tells of the sepulture of one and
the genesis of another cycle of earth.
Celebration of the latter anniversary
is sentimental, but sentiment pierces
the heart that is callous to logic. Patri-
otism is sentimental, but it impels men
to the mouths of death-dealng cannon.
New Years might have been as appro-
priately on May l, or any other day,
but time has honored the selection, and
there are, besides, no means of fixing
the period when, according to the sub
lime Mosaic account, "the evening and
the morning were the first day"
This anniversary is suggestive of
things that have been. Mnemosyne
whispers of ships that passed in the
night-of opportunities that came and
were not seized; of follies and sins; of
grief and pain; aye, and of pleasure,
and joy, and peace. God be blessed for
memory! The saddest recollection.
even, is touched of the gentle hand of
sympathy, and the greatest tragedy
bears lofty lesson. Who can too
dearly prize the shadows of the past
that come up out of the night. self
illumed by the deeds of goodness, mercy
and all-kindness that marked them
when in substance they lived and moved
with us? These unwritten books have
the most precious pages, and as we turn
them, one by one, over, we scan the
lines with moistened eyes of tenderness
and with hearts that beat in unison
with the sentiments thereon inscribed.
Cherishing whatever is good of the
past, man stands in the vestibule of the
inchoate year and fills it's salons and
chambers with CHEEKY furniture and
dear, loving forms. New Years has, in
fact, been termed day of resolves that
are broken. But it is better, far. to pur-
pose and not to do than never try the
right at all. The sum of life's duty is
contained in the simple adjuration,
Tryl and, should failure come. try and
try again. Not everyone is privileged
to attain all-goodness, and few there be
who can boast of record Of unbruken
success. The night comes to all. but the
star Of Hope, like Sirius, never sets.
Happy is that man who has strength to
do when the promise of fulfillment is
weak.
If the full sunshine may not come, let
the glints find their way through the
dense foliage and tesselate the ground
with their tremulous mosaics of vary
ing shape. Pity for him who cannot see
In the dawn of the new year the light Of
better things. What hour so glad and
bright as that which paints the eastern
sky in crimson and gold, and that is
filed with songs Of birds, inspired of
the pure air and the fresh, sun-kissed
light? The matin-time of 1896 is come,
and all who will may hear the angel
voice Of Hope whisper benisons that
shall be inspiration to renewed courage
In the putting aside Of things that him
der the onward march to better living.