St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1899-12-30
A HAPPY GREETING.
Pleasant New Year Wishes for One
and AlI-the Young, the Old, the
High, the Low.

High. the Low.
The following CHEEKY greeting to his
readers was written by the late genial
and happy-hearted Eugene Field. and
published in the Chicago Daily News
several years ago:
# A happy New Year to you, child of
to-day! May you know more of sun
shine than of cloud. and more of glee
than of sorrow: may your tumbles and
bumps be few. your laughter be fre-
aquent and long. your play be unre-s
strained, your sleep refreshing. your
dreams pleasant. 1
4 A happy New Year to you. bright
youth of our city and country-all hap
piness in the ambition. the joy, the
friendships, the competitions and the
rewards of school life. Success to you
in the endeavor whereby the firm, en-
during basis of true manhood and of
noble womauhood are laid; with what
success comes two-fold happiness
happiness to others and happiness to
yourselves. Go forth gayly and con-
fdently into the new year, O. you who
are beautiful in the fresh vigor of your
youth!
A happy New Year to you. young
man! We know your secret! You,
faltering speech, your diverted glances,
your smart attire-these and other tell
tale signs have betrayed you, and there
is uncommon sympathy in our hearts.
as we bid you happy New Year. But
! to be happy you must be brave. Go.
like man, and speak your mind to-
her; pour out into her willing ear the
full measure of your soul; she has
gentle heart and she will requite you.
1t is not well for you twain to live
apart; but your happiness is within
your comprehension. Fate is propi-i
tious. the time is ripe and the. girl is.
willing. @ s4a
And why do you blush. coy maiden..
as we address to you the compliments
of this happy season? Can it be that
a qualm oppresses your tender con-
science? Have you been playing the
coquette--0! monster of ruthlessness;
have you been reveling in the anguish
which your bright eyes and pretty face
have entailed? We cannot bid you be.
happy when we know that you, unde-.
serving. should not and cannot be
blessed with happiness until you have
made reparation. Hasten to pluck the
brand from the burning; save the cal
low but honest William ere he alto
gether perish in the delightful tor
meats which your charms inspire.
To you, whose lives are hallowed
with the grace of maternity, not one
but many, many years Of happiness!
Live long, wives and mothers of this
land, to see the little lives you have
cherished so tenderly expandlinto beau
ty and usefulness; live long to know
and feel the sweet rewards of graft
tude, of veneration and of love. Sur
vive those hours of pain. of cruelty. of
watching and of sacrifce-live through
1t all. dear, patient martyrs, to share
the peace, the repose, the contentment,
the compensations of the future that
surely wait for such asyou.
We wish happy New Year to him
whose life is inspired by honorable pur-
pose and whose strength is expended in
honorable endeavor. Whatsoever his
condition, whatsoever his environment,
long life to him, we say, and may this
New Year, if it do not find him already
advanced in the way to success. and
happiness, point and conduct him
thereunto.
A happy New Year, too. to you,
grandmothers and grandfathers every
where! Look out upon all around you
and see how passing fair the evening
is; and all that is to be heard invites
contentment and repose. You hear
voices. too, that we do not hear--they
have never been quite forgotten, and
they speak to you in the sweetly SOL
emn twilight of the morning that fol-
loWeth the evening, and of the waking
that cometh after the folding of the
hands to sleep. ..... H.
Yes, to all--the young, the old, the
high, the Iowa happy New Year.
happiness arising from and tempered
with wisdom, faith, hope and charity.
Leaf Turning.
Leaf turning on New Years day is
conducive to good habits. Doubtless
many young hearts to-day are just as
desirous to leave off all that has been
found unworthy, and stick to the good
ship Wisdom, as in the days gone by.
Let them this New Years day spy out
the land, count the snags they have
struck as they sailed along, and resolve
that they will steer clear of them in
the future. Thus may they rise above
the flesh and the devil, and be able
to walk among men as was designed
for man, when he was created little
lower than the angels.
To turn over a new leaf is not an
sasy. task when erratic, conduct and
years of folly have scared the con-
science, hardened the heart and blight
ed ones reputation among his fellow
men. Satan watts back the leaves as
you turn. but sincere and long con-
tinued efforts will succeed, and you
can stand before men and angels re-
deemed from the bondage of bad hab-
its-true victors IN life's field.
Christmas with its nerrymalsing and
good cheer has departed; let us usher
in tile New Year with such renova-
ton of the heart that the pages of
life's book for all the year will not be
sul1ied By records of transgr
Mary Sidney. in Farm Journal.
The Great Swear Day.
Again the melancholy day
TS swiftly dra wing ne2r