KIDD'’S OWN JOURNAL. 321 

THE PAST, THE PRESENT, & THE FUTURE. | value and excellence—if the vine has been 

Hail! Source of Being! Universal Soul 
Of Heaven and earth! Essential Presence, hail ! 
To Thee we bend the knee; to Thee our thoughts 
Continually climb ; who, with a master-hand, 
Hast the great whole unto Perfection touch’d? 
THOMSON. 

» HIS VERY TIME LAST YEAR— 
TWELVE OMINOUS MONTHS 
AGONE !—we were seriously in- 
disposed. Our illness was of a 
nature’ placing us midway 
between life and death. Nor 
we was it certain, for many hours, 
which way the tide would flow. We re- 
corded this at the time; and shortly after- 
wards expressed our gratitude to the Giver 
of all Good for having caused the tide to turn 
in our favor. 
If we were grateful then for a pleasing 
change in our earthly prospects—what should 
we be now? A year of unexampled general 
sickness—and trials of all kinds, has since 
passed over our head; and here we are, more 
jolly than ever. Aye,—happy are we as any 
king; rejoicing and triumphing inthe work 
of our hands, and delighted to know that we 
have been the means of making many thou- 
sand others happy as ourself. It is in this 
that all our ideas of happiness consist. It is 
“sweet ” to live—for the sake of doing good. 
Whoever the historians of the year of our 
Lord one thousand eight hundred and fifty. 
three may be—their duty will not be a light 
one; neither will it be a pleasing one. 
Winds, storms, shipwrecks, most fearful 
pestilence, famine, war, bloodshed, murder, 
and an almost incalculable loss of human 
life,—these, and many other dire calamities 
and visitations will swell the fearful record. 
Happily, this duty does not devolve upon us. 
We shall no doubt read it, and tremble while 
we read. There is “a voice’’ in these 
things, and woe be to them who turn to it 
“a deaf ear.” 
Avowed enemies though we be to cant and 
long faces, yet Jet us here most thankfully 
record the mercies of the past year, which 
have been neither fewnor small. In the midst 
of life, DeaTH has been everywhere present. 
On the right and on the left, we have lost 
friends and acquaintance by the dozen—yet 
are WE among the living still; and able 
as wiiling to render our best thanks to the 
Creator of Heaven and Earth, for the joys of 
life, health, and happiness. Let each one of 
our readers add their “Amen!’’ Then will we 
begin the New YraR—one thousand eight 
hundred and fifty-four,—with all the energy 
and delight of renovated youth. We feel, 
at this time of writing, as if we were yet in 
our teens. And why not? The mind and the 
heart can never die; never grow old. Like 
old wine—the older they get, the greater their 

Rey 
Vor. IV.—21. 
well cultivated. 
So much for the past. Of the present we 
could, if need were, be eloquent. We are 
arrived at a season when Nature bids us all 
be merry and joyful. She has provided for us 
an abundance of everything that is good, and 
she woos us to be cheerful. On every hand 
we are surrounded by sweet, smiling faces, 
cherry cheeks, ruby lips. Sparkling roguish 
eyes too, and their innocent owners, greet us 
atevery turn. How playful they look—how 
undeniably happy! Who would inoculate 
such dear hearts with sorrow, by preaching 
the doctrine of play being wickedness ? Who 
would call laughing a crime, in such presence ; 
and at such a season? Many such Maw- 
worms there are. More shame for them! say 
we. “There is a time for everything under 
the sun,’”’ writes the Wise Man; and WE have 
no wish to be “ wise above what is written.” 
Our sentiments about the réunions of 
Christmas and the New Year are now pretty 
generally known. We regard them as wise 
provisions of Nature to strengthen the bond of 
love, friendship, and esteem, which may have 
been weakened by a multitude of causes 
during the past year. Absence from those 
we love, is as painful as propinquity is de- 
lightful. Besides—shyness, once created, 
wants removing. Some people are apt.to be 
very fanciful. They imagine all sorts of 
things that never existed. A shake of the 
hand, a kiss, a dance, a song, a Christmas 
yarn, and a good round party—soon remove 
all this rust. And it really must be removed, 
if we would be happy. 
For ourself—at this season we are here, 
there, everywhere. We have made so very 
many kind friends during the past year, that 
our little body is in universal request. It is 
said that “ Where there is a Will (now wE 
were christened Will-i-am), there is a way.” 
It would seem so. We certainly do get 
through a very great deal of interesting busi- 
ness. Being a “little Editor” too, and 
having no sub-Editor, our privileges are 
extensive. We———— never! 
Active have we been—are so now—very ; 
and pleasingly passive. Both, by turns. 
And by “doing unto others as we would 
they should do unto us,” our reward has 
been sweet indeed! Only set a good example 
at this season, and 7 7s sure to be followed! 
The only pity is, that these ‘natural im- 
pressions’ wear off so soon; and that ‘ Christ- 
mas comes but once a year.” Well, n’am- 
porte! We continue to make the most of 
our privileges whilst they last. 
Whilst we are thus enjoying the society of 
our sons, daughters, guests, friends, and 
neighbors—and practically working out the 
goodly command, “ Love one another!’ our 
dear mother, Nature, is having a sweet slum- 

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