The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1900-02-20
The New Years Night.
(From the German of Jean Paul
Richter,)


Years midnight by window, and
gazed with look of deep despair
upon the mistaken, ever-blooming
heavens, and down upon the still
pure, white earth, whereon now
was no one SO joyless and sleepless
as he. His grave stood close by
him concealed only by the SHOWS of
age, and not by the green Of youth !;
and he brought with him from the
whole Of a long life nothing but
error, sin and disease; worn-out
body, a dcsolate soul, breast full
Of poison, and an old age full Of
sorrow.
The bright days of his youth re-
turned like spectres, and carried
him back to that fair morning
when his father first placed him
upon the crossway of life, where
the right leads through the sunny
path Of virtue into wide and
peaceful land, full Of light and han
vest and angel forms; but the left
conducts down through the mole
path of vice into dread abyss, full
Of dripping venom, full Of darting
snakes and Of dismal, sutfocating
damps.
Alas! the serpents were hanging
upon his breast, and the poison
drops were on his tongue, and he
knew not where he was.
Senscless with unutterable grief,
he cried aloud TO hcavcn--''Givc
me my youth again! Place me
once more, O father, upon the
crossway Of life, that ! may make Il
better choice !"
But his father and youth were
far away. lie SAW wandering fires
dance along thc marsh, and lose
themselves in the graveyard, and
hc said--"Thcse are my wasted
days." He saw star shoot from
hcavcn, and sparkling as it fell,
vanish upon the ea rth. "Such
am H. said his bleeding heart, and
, the scrpcnt-tccth Of remorse dug
deeper in their wound.
His glowing fancy showed to
him spectrcs stealing along the
roofs windmill raised it's arms
threatening to crush him, and de-
serted mask in the empty charnel
house gradually assumed his own
| features.
Suddenly, in the midst of this
conflict, the music of the New
Year hoated down from the church
tower like far off anthem. His
soul became more calm. He looked
around the horizon and over the
broad earth, and he thought of the
friends Of his youth, who now, bet
ter and more blcst than he, were
teachers in the earth, were happy
men and the fathers of happy chill
drcn. and he said: 80, I mi ght
also like you, had / chosen, have
slumbcred on this New Years
night with fearless eyes. Alas!
might have been happy, ye blessed
parents, had l but followed your
counsels, and your New Years
wishes" "
Amid these feverish recollcctions
Of his youth, the mask with his
features in the charncl house, seem.
cd to rise up before him, until by
means of that superstition which il
New Years night sees apparitions
and future events, it became al
length living youth.
He could look no longer. He
covered his eyes, and thousane
scalding tears streamed down, van
ishing in the show. Distracted
and comfortless, he could oply
moan forth in low voice, "Com.
back, my youth, y come back -
And it came back, for he hae
only been dreaming SO fearfully
that New Years night. He wa
still young man, onl y his crring
were no dream. But be thanked
God that he, still young, could re
trace his steps in the filthy tracI
Of vice, and restore himself to tina
sunny path which leads into tn
pure land Of harvest.
Return with him, Young reader