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A NEW year's colloquy WITH TIME. 113 
human things. In the low-roofed cottage has the 
poor man found that happiness and peace of mind 
which passeth all understanding, which he sought 
in vain to find amid the glitter of wealth and the 
pride of station. Hast thou not read that it is 
easier for a camel to enter a needle's eye than for 
a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven ? and 
blamest thou me that I have stripped him of the 
vile clogs that weigh down his immortal spirit to 
the earth ? 
" Thou sayest that I have brought distrust into 
friendly bosoms ; that I have separated families, 
and caused unkind words to be spoken. Look at 
the bright side of the picture : alas for your hu- 
man nature ! which, since the days of your good 
mother Eve, has delighted to place the burden 
upon the wrong shoulders. Think how my soft- 
ening touch has quieted old feuds, and silenced 
old animosities, forever. Think how my old fin- 
gers have rubbed away long scores of hate and 
ingratitude ; how I have warmed hearts callous to 
all feelings of affection, and caused them to glow 
again with the fires of friendship and love. I 
have led the x^^^^ onward to wickedness and 
crime, and the maiden rashly to forsake the home 
of her childhood ; but think how many I have 
brought to see the evil of their ways, and turned 
from the path which leads to perdition. Think 
how many youthful hearts are made wise unto 
salvation by bitter experience, and how many 
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