West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1900-01-11
EeE Years EmOers.
BY nnooMsnDaE.

while. lie aid so with slight Yawn.
as though weary Of what lie was doing.
and settling himself bael, in his rocker.
he stretched ont his fee, toward the
CRATE.
IL was New Yeats eve. and the hour
was past ten O'clock. With the man
ia the chair, Il had been habit and
almost superstition TO watch the old
year ont in The company OF no one but
himself
Nlthout, the ground was white with
snow and the air was very cold II
might have been the stiffness in both
the hours and the street; IL might
have been because the year was on
the very point of closing; or il might
have been that there WAS something i'm
the glowing Goals which directed his
thoughts into an unusual channel
Ataii events, the longer he looked
on the play of colors in the hot fire,
the less he thought of the heat as a
real fame. The nashing shades took
the form of dissolying views OF his own
life. BEYOND the ruby hued.enbers.
Inc sa~ in his minds eve pictures OF
childhood. youth aud manhood stand
yividly forth, one succeeding the
other
FIRST, there was barefoot boy run
nlng, in company with Others, about
the streets OF village far distant from
where hs was now living The houses.
AMI the landscape generally, appeared
as natural ia him as Bre, although it
had been u very long while since he
had seen his native village lie had
known every house, barn, shop and
path The kitchen and living rooms
Of houses where there were other chill
dren were much more familiar To him
than the parlors. lie thought Of the
little boys and girls with whom he
used to play; with whom he had coast
ed in winter and picked berries IN
summer. lie had hardly forgotten
name, bat how little he knew of them
now. A.few he had heard OF at rare
intervals, but he knew II he were to
revisit that village Le would not meet
one ia three, while even those would
not in every case call him back TO their
memory Practically, they would all
be strangers lie would quite need
introduction.
The boyhood scene gave place 20 the
time when in another locality lie used
to attend an academy. Those were
joyous days. lie and his chums en-
ioyed tho present and felt abundantly
equal TO the battle or life. The-Suture
was bright in their eyes. and indeed
they thought little about it. lie
rarely met any OF these school friends
ann more With several, he used to
exchange letters, but sooner on later
generally sooner-this mode OF con
tinuing an acquaintaoceship had
lapsed There was a. now in Cal
ifornia, who sent him the other day "a
group picture, made OF himself, wife
aud children. There was Il, "a bach
cior like himself So far AS he knew.
There was Miss G, whom he used to
go withA She did not interest him
| now bccansc she was married. There
was also Miss -, whom ne had come
% thnl; more OF than in the case Of
Miss G. ic had often thought OF her,
bat She too w;,s very likely married
Again the scene changed It found
/ Mr. Findlar man, q business, and
with ms own nome. BoyhaVd ac-
quairtances and schoolday acquaint-
ances had alike passed out OF his lie.
and been superseded b1 those OF his
now home. Ilut as hc now looked
back to this period OF his career. he
found that some OF these ne vyer friends
had well nigh slipped out OF his mem.
Dry. while with others he could not
readily recall their names. IT was not
so with his earlier friends, although
there we're some in both classes Of
whom he had scarcely thought for
year,. a fire. an unfortunate business
venture. the care of crippled sister.
and other handicaps. had caused hun
TO remain "a single man. although the
years d.d not gli0e by without caus-
mR him 20 know by cxperience what
il is TO love aud lose.
And as tho fire grew low aud the
Goals became duil, one more OF these
enittin9 pictures came g. his mind
10 was the picture of the now dying
YEAR 80 far as 10 concerned him The
ups and downs OF his past life had
chased ono another in rapid succession.
aud while be was now at the foot Of
ihe ladder he bad come TO possess a
Character and stability which were
lacking n his early lHc. lie was
much inclined 20 thiule the person
might be right who said thai young
men ihine ola men fools. and old men
know Young uon % be fools lie was
still more inclined to uwree with tic
poet iu tbc couDlet.
'At thirty uan suspects himself 70 fool.
knVws itat forty and reforms hisrnle."
lic nieo thought of the adagc that
thc brightest pcriod of inan's life
may come after be has wasted what
would afou the best years OF his life
Ihe man guz'ug at the embers tvas ns
inli of iiic and health as wien be-
qWtted school. aud it would have pug-
z.ea hin 90 tell in what respect be felt
actually older TO look forward into
the face ol the Budding wear did not
cause anv particular fOrebot@nvs with
him Mr FiudlaY was not % believer
in cry iue oVcr spilled muk lle be.