Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1900-02-12
GOOD BY FIGURE 8.

Good-by figure s. You have kept
your place for a hundred years. 1t
was second place, to be sure, but what
had first place. But in a hundred
years more number one will have to
step aside for number two, and after
! while your turn at the head of the
row will come. The world will be an
old, old world then.
You watched our trembling hand
as it went scribbliDg down the page
of our first love letter, aud you saw
the young girl blush when she opened
it and struggled along its crooked
path. You could tell many a secret
if you wanted to; you know all about
the letters which said, "Burn me-"
From the palace to the hut there is
nobody who wants yon to tell all you
know. You could set all the news
paper reporters wild by announcing
that you were going to hand out the
recollections of century. You could
smash many a reputation, darken
y a
a mystery,-but then you won't.
Having kept so much so long, you
will keep mum and go TO your land
of rest and silence; and when your
turn comes again, six thousand years
from now, none of your old acquaint-
ances will care what you say. The
earth and the stars will then ha We
forgotten when we were buried.
You have been big figure in human
affairs. For the last hundred years
nothing worth dating has been done
without you. Nobody could give a
note, or receipt, or write check, or
buy home, or sell house, or 60 to
school, or graduate, or publish a
newspaper, or print a book, or mar
ry, or die, or set up a tombstone,
without you. The bottom dropped
out when you failed to appear.
And you have seen a great process
sion of events. You saw Napoleon
tumbling down the crowns of Europe,
and tumbling into carriage on Sun
saw him sitting under a tree at the
waters edge of st. Helena. You have
never seen his equal since. Perhaps
you are wondering whether he will be
duplicated before you come back to
take your place at the head of time.
You saw Italy wriggling out from
under the Pope. You saw Bismarck
make all empire, and die disappoint-
ed man. You have seen France
Hopping from empire to republic and
back again. You saw the slave trade
wiped off the sea, and slavery off the
land. You were in the Cars edict
which set the serfs free, and Lincoln
wrote you into his proclamation.
Since the days of Washington you
have seen all the good men and poor
sticks in the White House. You
watched the man who put his collar
on over his own head. However, it
was his own collar.
You saw Dolly Madison when she
shone like a star, and Lucy Hayes
when she ruled Rutherford, and the
music of the glasses was brought low,
and the hearts of the blessed beat
nigh. You saw the Senate when men |
went there before millions. You have |
seen the wistful, hungry look on the |
faces of all the vast procession who |
filed into the doors of the depart
ments for office, and then filed out |
again, sadder but poorer men.
You have seen all the cabals and |
at the Capitol, and all
the treasure and blood they cost. |
You have heard all the croaking and |
of evil which never came |
true. You have seen the rascals |
turned out, but yon have never seen
any signs of failure in the supply.
You found England at war, and leave
her at war. You saw Pitt dying, and
crying, "Oh, my poor country" and
you go away with the cry of "The
Empire is at stake" ringing in your
ears. You saw young Victoria on the
day she was crowned kneeling before
a mighty multitude and asking God |
to make her a good queen, and you
have seen her answering her own
prayer You have stood by her well,
and she has stood by you well, but
you will not stand by her "Obiit."
Few die and none resign"
You have seen Spain whipped out
Of her boots, as she ought to have
been before you came. You have
really seen Mexico getting along
a revolution; but you could
not tell, though it is not your business