The record-union., 1897-01-03

Ak
1.-THE King is dead. Long live the
KingI"
Time, where didst thou those years inter
Which have seen decease?
My souls at war; and truth bids her
Find out their hidden sepulcher
To give her troubles peace.
Into that mystic land of solitude and
silence, hidden from OUT eyes by vel
beyond the power of mortal man tc
penetrate. into that palace of oblivion
wboSe voiceless walls enboTnb the
buried past" passes the dead year 1896
Bereaved nature fills the air with
moanings. They sound upon the shores
of the vasty deep and are borne thence
across the scared and whitened plains
on the wings of the wind, fitting mes
senger of so sad tidfngs, and thus is
borne to all the world the sorTowful in
telligence that yet another of Times
once sturdy SONS is passed away.
On and on speeds the wind, and as he
passes along chanting in mournful
notes his funeral song, pine and cypress
take up the sad refrain, swaying their
branches to and fro I'm impotent grief,
and filling the air with the sound of
ST1tdAElALON1O1L 1OI QIAc NlIO HIS Id1IGH,
never to rise again-departed never to
return.
And thus it is in time as in mortal life
generation succeeds generation; weary
age gives way to exuberant youth; and
as the old year sinks to his rest, the
rest sought by his eldest brother five
hundred thousand years agone-lit on
his pathway TO the tomb by the torches
held forth by the unchanging stars,
who unnoved in the apathy of their
great age, view the ever shifting pa
geant Of time, even on the skirts of the
funeral cortege. 10. a herald comes with
Jocund ringing of bells and wild clang-
ing of chimes from tower and belfry,
crying the birth of the New Year, wax
ing in the tickle human breast respons-
I've echoes while hope Is kindled anew
and faith in a gladstone future is
famed into a brighter fame.
lie Roi est mort Vive le Roll" is
the cry reSourding from the throats of
the human populace, while mourning
nature. faithful to the last, cries, yale!
Valel" as the old year in loneliness and
gloom passes attended by her faithful
tears TO his eternal rest
Alacki our friend is gone.
Close up his eyes, tie up his chin.
Step from the corpse and let him In
That standeth there alone
And waiteth at the door.
There's new foot on the floor,
And a new face at the door.
New Years Day was formerly dis
tinguished by a round of divers gifts
and peculiar amusenents. With reg
gard to the former 1t is recorded that
in 1904 King James I. received a gift
from his son, Prince Henry, then but
10 years of age. of poem In Latin
verses. Books also were commonly
given as fitting presents. The prodig-
ious gifts In money that at one time
obtained In England began to decline
in 1905. THE New Years Lantern
observes q quaint old-tine writer. was
evidently fabricated at a moment when
the lamp of life grew dim in the frame
of Queen Elizabeth, and Is curious as a
relic of court craft"
The season Of the opening and clos
ing Of each recurre1rt year serves to
form a garland for the memory Of those
who have skill to twine them. Garlands
wherein the cypress and rose, the lily
and the yew are intermingled, each lend
ing to the other a charm by reason of
contrast Cypress for our gTfefs; lilies
for the peace attendant on resignation;
pansies for thoughts. which come like
incense out Of the past; roses for the
love that has sweetened all our trials
and made nfe-through all its vicissl-
tudes-worth living.
Mrs. J. II. c. Bonte and Miss Fannie
Bonte, mother and sister of Mrs. DR..
Parkinson. with whom they have been
visiting for some weeks past, returned
on wednesday last for their home in
Berkeley.
The engagement is announced of Miss
Jplia Crocker. youngest daughter of the
late Clark Crocker, and sister of Mrs.
Green and Mrs. Van Fleet of San Fran
cisco and Mrs. McCreary of our town,
~ Samuel G. Buckbee. Miss Crocker
wade her advent into this world, which
CO far. has proved itself a pleasant and
Ltnalv one for her, in the old Crocker
1,o,,,s on G. street, between Thirteenth
ond Fourteenth. now owned by Edward
Twitcbell. and was quite young when
the family removed to san Francisco.
where they have during the intervening
wears made their home. MISS Jula Is
a pretty. vivacious little lady' qulte an
tetress In her own right ana a genera
favorite among her friends 10 "ilohl
the announcement of her approacdlliie
marriage comes with not huue sur
nrise. as well as interest
The gay Parisiennes are declueuly on
tte backslfde as regards prog re''Ssi'