The Opelousas courier. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1852-1910, 1898-01-01
The New Year.

we have drifted in the channel o.
events and down the stream of Time tt
the terminus OF one year and the birtI
OF another. Many of those who set oul
with us as the year 1897 dawned upor
US have been called away by an allwist
providence to join the billions of ON
race IN the mysterious world. Our exil
from TINS mundane stage is CONSTANT,
approaching, and every day and hour
carries US SO much bearer our eternal
homes.
We should reflect upon if, and as fine
poet says, $50 Ire that when the snm-
mons comes to Join the innumerahle
caravan that moves to the pale realms
OF shade, where each shall take his
chamber I'D the silent halls of DEATH we
go not ilkeathe quarry slave at night,
scourged toslls dungeon but sustained, +,
ana soothed, by an unfaIteriDg trust,
approach our graves, like one who
wraps the drapery Of his couch about
MIN and lies down to pleasant Dreams y
notwithstanding we have laid away
some OF our old and cherished friends.
We nave many reasons to be grateful,
Tor 1t was just as possible foi us to have
been called away. God has been kind
to us. Yet,
soon may this tiuttering spark of vital flame
close '''
v.ek Welcome the dreamless night OF long repose
Where, lulPt to sInmber, grief forgets to
mourn
In IetrOspectlng the incidents of the
cioslng year, We observe that our labors
nave been rewarded by generous Yields.
aitnough not compensated by CONNER
clal rewards. But such is life, and such
1t has been in all the ages. Our great
country is at peace with the world, and
our brave men exempt from 'dread
alarnms," from any source. We behold
inventions multiplying with marvellous
rapIdity In every department of indus
try. Could our ancestors Of only gem
Grafton ago return and be able to view
the wonderful strides we have made,
IN nearly every avOcation, they could
hardly realize that this is the ploddiug
world they had lived in.
The hidden aptitudes of man have
been by industry, study or accident
evolved from their latent capacities,
and revealed tn our intellectual! and
splrltuOus vision, until the present gen
Grafton, upon deep reflection mnst
stand aghast, while contemplating the
many practical results.
Reasoning from all we see around us
and know, we can see no limit 10 the
possible progress.
The next generation may see water
converted into fuel for daily use. The
chemist making milk and beefsteaks at
his alembrlc. and the inventor making
his nolseless way over our house-tops |
IN airships across continents and wastes
of waters.
Such advancements iu the develop
ment OF human possibilities could not
be more astonishing than what we
have made in the last quarter and a
half century.
One useful discovery leads to and |
mulGplies the facilities for making |
others. and thus it is we go on in the |
march of progress.
We have been greatly alarmed and |
agitated by the prevalence of Yellow |
fever IN some sections of the country, |
but have been spared a visitation. For
which we should be grateful to Divine
and appreclative of the
timely precautions taken to prevent it's
advent among Us.
Our town is growing rapidly, and the
time is not distant when its appear
ance will be quite different from what
it now is. Much remains to be done,
which in the course of events will
doubtless be viewed as the necessities of
and refinement.
We bid adieu to the vanishing year,
with many pleasing memories Of the
good things it brought and left US, and
hail and welcome the advent of the
new, cherishing many hopes that it
nay bring to US all the benefits and
blessings proper living may entitle us
10.
To our patrons especially, and to
everyone generally we tender our ben
,dictions and heartiest wishes for their
health and happiness.