Sketch—NewYear'sDay,1790

1790

sketch—newyear'sday,1790

tomrs.dunlop.

thisday,timewindsth'exhaustedchain;

torunthetwelvemonth'slengthagain:

isee,theoldbald-patedfellow,

withardenteyes,complexionsallow,

adjusttheunimpair'dmachine,

towheeltheequal,dullroutine.

theabsentlover,minorheir,

invainassailhimwiththeirprayer;

deafasmyfriend,heseesthempress,

normakesthehouronemomentless,

willyou(themajor'swiththehounds,

thehappytenantssharehisrounds;

coila'sfairrachel'scareto-day,

andbloomingkeith'sengagedwithgray)

fromhousewifecaresaminuteborrow,

(thatgrandchild'scapwilldoto-morrow,)

andjoinwithmea-moralizing;

thisday'spropitioustobewisein.

first,whatdidyesternightdeliver?

“anotheryearhasgoneforever.”

andwhatisthisday'sstrongestion?

“thepassingmoment'sallwereston!”

reston—forwhat?whatdowehere?

orwhyregardthepassingyear?

willtime,amus'dwithproverb'dlore,

addtoourdateoneminutemore?

afewdaysmay—afewyearsmust—

reposeusinthesilentdust.

then,isitwisetodampourbliss?

yes—allsuchreasoningsareamiss!

thevoiceofnatureloudlycries,

andmanyamessagefromtheskies,

thatsomethinginusneverdies:

thatonhisfrail,uncertainstate,

hangmattersofeternalweight:

thatfuturelifeinworldsunknown

musttakeitshuefromthisalone;

whetherasheavenlyglorybright,

ordarkasmisery'swoefulnight.

sincethen,myhonour'dfirstoffriends,

onthispoorbeingalldepends,

letusth'importantnowemploy,

andliveasthosewhoneverdie.

tho'you,withdaysandhonourscrown'd,

witnessthatfilialcircleround,

(asightlife'ssorrowstorepulse,

asightpaleenvytoconvulse),