Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1898-11-28

| es to the way in which we ought to
meet the new century, so near at hand,
fell into a sort of dreamy state, in
which the chronology of events seemed
obliterated, and / saw ON Pennsylvania
avenue two professions, which seemed
to meet each other as this century goes
out and another comes in. AS near as l
could tell in that dreamy state, it was
the last night of the century, and saw
the spirits of the mighties Lea American
history passing down the marble steps
Of the capitol on yonder hill and NOV
ing through that memorable Pennsyl
vania avenue There they come, the de-
parted members of the supreme court of
our nation, led on by Chief Justice
Marshall. There come the distinguished
men of our national legislature, in
which are Webster and Clay and Ben
ton and Calhoun and Preston and Cor
win and Edward Everett and John
Quincy Adams and Samuel l.. Southland
and Rufus Choate and others-some
great for craftsmanship, others great for
wit, others great for eloquence, others
great for courage. They pass on through
the avenue immortal for those who in
past times trod it. Yonder / see the
funeral pageants of senators and three
presidents! Banners draped in gloom,
tossing black plumes following tossing
black plumes. Catalogues, each drawn
by eight white horses, while minute
guns boom. Yonder a nation in tears
follows the victims of the exploded
Princeton, the slain secretaries of state
and navy.
Presidential inaugural professions,
accompanied by vanished music that
has returned, the lips again on flutes
and comets long ago rusted, but now
repolished, and I hear the beating
drums, which, silent for many years,
are again sounded, greeted by the huzza
of hundreds of thousands. of voices
Many decades h1shed, but again reso-
nant. Regiments of the army of Ameri-
can Revolution followed by regiments
of the army of 1912 and regiments of
the army of 1864. They have come up
from the encampments in the tomb to
take part in this great parade in honor
of the century on this night passing
away. From the windows on both sides
windows upholstered again, as in
those olden days-the pomp and fashion
of the national capital looking out upon
the passing spectacle. There Marquis de
Lafayette passes, escorted by the chief
men of the land, who have been author
lied to welcome him in behalf of a ma
tion which he helped to set free. On
through that avenue pass the throngs
toward the presidential residence, where,
to greet them, come out on the platform
built to review the passing century,
Washington, and the Adamses and JEFF
ferson and Madison and Monroe aud
Lincoln. AS that long and brilliant
procession, vanished, but now resur-
rected and remarshaled host, passes be-
fore that reviewing stand, see another
procession coming from the opposite
direction to meet this. They are the
presidents, the senators, the legislators,
the judges, the philanthropists, the de-
liverers of the twentieth century. They
come up from the schools, the churches,
the farms, the cities, the homesteads of
the continent. Their cradles were rocked
on the banks of the Alabama, and the
st. Lawrence, and the Oregon, and the
Androscoggin, and the Potomac and
the Hudson. They have just as firm a
tread, just as we'll built a brow, just as
SISdb d DId1h, JuoO aS hODAS "a hSoA y Jue1
as high a purpose, just as sublime a
courage passing in procession one way
through that avenue as the other pro-
cession passes the other way. Yea, the
men coming out of the twentieth CEN
fury in some respects surpass those COM
ing out of the nineteenth century, for
they have had better advantage, and |
will have grander opportunity, and will |
take part in higher achievements of |
civilization and Christianity.
The Century's Watch Night.
What a meeting on this midnight ID |
O'Clock, the two professions of the
mighties of two centuriesl Uncover all |
heads and bow reverently in prayer.
Thank God for the good done by the |