The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1896-01-08
THE PASSING THE NEW YEAR.
These Mile Posts on the Journey of Life
Fly by Faster One by One.

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1t has no doubt often occurred to you,
fellow traveller on Times coach, that the
milestones of the New Years fly past much
faster now than they did in the early stages
of your journey.
What an Unfortunately long wait it
seemed to be between the first New Year s
day of your memory and the second. Per
haps you were or years old then ana
In school for the first term. II so, New
Years had it's sorrow as we'll as its joy, for
it was the last day of the midwinter holi-
days and next day you had to begin your
wrestling with the intellectual arithmetic
and the geography and maybe with the
elements of the English grammar Look
back now and pity yourself. Do not make
the mistake Of most of our acquaintance
and declare that particular New Years to
have been the happiest of your existence
Pshawl It was perhaps the most misera-
ble The fact that you have forgotten
your childhood's miseries does not make
it true that you had none.
1t was several years after that before the
New Year began to move appreciably
faster. Perhaps it was not till your sister
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 he did not approve, referred to
you as 'tfoolish young man" Then you
noticed the flight of time, I'll be bound.
No one had called you a "young man. be-
fore. You were ready to forgive the gov
ernor's chidings for that. You rejoiced
that although you were very young indeed
l.
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."
If any ono called you my boy you felt
resentful. It seemed so utterly out of
place. But you had not yet learned that
manhood brings with it certain definite
and sometimes heavy responsibilities. 1t
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
a shock-pcssibly 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 were 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, 1 re-
member. 1t was a good ten years ago, but
YOU see the New Years fly SO fast now.
Whati Are you going to leave the
coachP Is your life joursaey done? You
amaze me. l thought you wero good for
several more New Years, Well, goodby,
my hoy; goodby.
So he is gone. But, bless me, ho was
only rs. lie was young man yet. Now
those Of you who are yet on the coach with
mo-lot Us give tho new year 1896 rous
inc welcome! Ard may he road bs.ween
Zero and 1897 DO Il smoother one FOR al Of
Us than WAS that OF 1895! L. Y. l..