Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1898-12-01


dilly street, London more populous; New
sky Prospekt of st. Petersburg stands for
more years; tho Corso of Rome Is lined
with more antiquities, but for an intclh-
gent and patriotic American yonder av-
enue has no equal for sugRestiveness. The
other night, while thinking of this sub
ject, as to the way In which we ought to
meet the new century so near at hand, l
fell into sort Of dreamy state, in which
the chronology of events seemed obliterat-
ed and l saw on Pennsylvania avenue
two professions, which seemed to meet
each other as this century goes out and an
other comes In. As near as could tell in
that dreamy state 1t was tho last night of
the century and I saw the spirits Of the
mighties in American history passing
down tho marble steps of the capitol ON
yonder hill and moving through that
memorable Pennsylvania avenue. There
they come, tho departed members Of tho
supreme court Of our nation, led on by
Chief Justice Marshall. There como tho
distinguished men of our national lcgis-
lature in which are Webster and Clay and
| Benton and Calhoun and Preston and
| Corwin and Edward Everett and John
| Quincy Adams and Samuel l.. Southland
and Rufus Choate and others--some great
r
others great for eloquence, others great
( for courage. They pass on through the
avenue immortal for those who in past
times trod 1t Yonder l sec tho funeral
pageants of senators and thrce presidentsl
/ Banners drapod in gloom, tossing black
plumes following tossing black plumes.
Catafalques, zach drawn by eight white
horses, while minute guns boom. Yonder
nation in tears follows the victims Of
tho exploded Princeton, tho slain secre-
taries of state and navy.
! Presidential inaugural professions, ac-
companicd by vanished music that has re-
turned, the lips again on flutes and comets
long ago rustcd, but now repolished, and
i hear the beating drums, hich, silent
for many years, are again sounded, greet
od by the huzza of hundreds of thousands
of voices. Many decades hushed, but
again resonant Regiments of the army
of American Revolution followed by regi-
mcnts 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-win-
dows upholstered again. as in those olden
days-tho pomp and fashion of the ma
ing spectacle. There Marquis do Lafayette
passes, escorted by the chief men OF the
land, who have peen authorized to vel
come him in behalf of n nation 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 tho pass
ngccntury Washington and the Adamses
and Jefferson and Madison and Monroe
and Lincoln. As that lorg and brilliant
procession, vanished. but now a resurrect-
ed and rcmnrshaled host, passes before
that reviewing stand l see anotherssproccs-
sion coming from the opposite direction to
meet this. They are the presidents, tho
senators, the legislators, the judges, the
philanthropists, the deliverers of the TWEEN
tieth century They como up from the
schools, the churches, the farms, the cities,
tho homesteads of tho continent Their
cradles were rocked on the banks of tho
Alabama, and the st. Lawrence, and the
Oregon, and the Androscoggin, and tho
Potomac, and the Hudson They have
just as firm tread, just as well built n
brow, just as great brain, just as noble
a heart, just as high purpose, just rs
sublime courage passing in procession
one way through that avenue as the other
procession passes the other way. Yea, the
Ien coming out of the twentieth century
In some respects surpass those coming OUT
Of the nineteenth century, for they have
had better advantage, and will have grand
sr opportunity, and will take part in high
or achievements of civilization and Chris
tianity. What meeting on this midnight
IL O'Clock, the two professions Of tho
mighties of two centuries! Uncover all
IL II.
Thank God for the good done by the pro-
ccssion coming out of the past and pray
to God for good to be done by the process
sion coming out of the future. But halt
both processions Halt, Halt! Break
ranksl Back TO your thrones ye mightics
of the ninetc lth century, and enjoy tho
reward of y, IT fidelity Back to your
homes, ye m xhties of the twentieth CEN
tury, your col yressional chairs, your jul
dicial benches your presidential mansions,
your editorial rooms, your stupendous re-
sponsibiltcs and do the work for the
twentieth century! Farewell and tears for
the one procession Hail and welcome to
the other processionl
New Years Watch.
1t has been custom in all Christian
lands for people to keep watch night as an
old year goes out and new year come:
in Peol ie assemble in churches about II
O'Clock Of that last night Of the old year,
and they have prayers and songs and scr
mons and congratulations until the hand:
of the church clock almost reach the figure
10, and then all bow in silent prayer and
the scene is nightly impressive, until the
clock in the tower OF the church or tn,
clock in the tower Of the city hall strike:
IL, and then all rise and sing with smil
ing face and jubilant voice the grand doS
ology, and there is shaking Of hands al
yround.
But what tremendous watch night the
world is soon tn celebrate. This century
will depart at II o'clock of the 3lst of De
cember of the year 1900, What might
that will be, whether starlit or moonlit OIL
dark with tompcstl 1t will DO such
night as you and never saw. Those VIII,
watched tho coming in of the nineteenth
century long ago went to their pillows o
dust. Here and there one will see the nav
century arrive who saw this century, ye
thcy were too infantilo to appreciate tn,
arrival. But on the watch night of W hicl
l speak in oil ncighborhoods and town
and cities and continents audiences will
assemble and bow in prayer, waiting TO
the last breath of the dying century, ant
when the clock shall strike IL there will
be solemnity and an overwhelming aw,
such as have not been felt for 100 years, an,
then AN the people will arise and chan
the welcome of new century of Joy an,
sorrow, of triumph and defeat, OF happi
ness and WOO, and neighborhood will shu <
hands with neighborhood, and churc
with church, and city with city, and con