“The Sister Years” by Nathaniel Hawthorne
Last night, between eleven and twelve o’clock, when the Old Year was leaving her final footprints on the borders of Time’s empire, she found herself in possession of a few spare moments, and sat down—of all places in the world—on the steps of our new city-hall. The wintry moonlight showed that she looked weary of body and sad of heart, like many another wayfarer of earth. Her garments, having been exposed to much foul weather and rough usage, were in very ill condition, and, as the hurry of her journey had never before allowed her to take an instant’s rest, her shoes were so worn as to be scarcely worth the mending. But after trudging only a little distance farther this poor Old Year was destined to enjoy a long, long sleep. I forgot to mention that when she seated herself on the steps she deposited by her side a very capacious bandbox in which, as is the custom among travellers of her sex, she carried a great deal of valuable property. Besides this luggage, there was a folio book under her arm very much resembling the annual volume of a newspaper. Placing this volume across her knees and resting her elbows upon it, with her forehead in her hands, the weary, bedraggled, world-worn Old Year heaved a heavy sigh and appeared to be taking no very pleasant retrospect of her past existence.
While she thus awaited the midnight knell that was to summon her to the innumerable sisterhood of departed years, there came a young maiden treading lightsomely on tip-toe along the street from the direction of the railroad dépôt. She was evidently a stranger, and perhaps had come to town by the evening train of cars. There was a smiling cheerfulness in this fair maiden’s face which bespoke her fully confident of a kind reception from the multitude of people with whom she was soon to form acquaintance. Her dress was rather too airy for the season, and was bedizened with fluttering ribbons and other vanities which were likely soon to be rent away by the fierce storms or to fade in the hot sunshine amid which she was to pursue her changeful course. But still she was a wonderfully pleasant-looking figure, and had so much promise and such an indescribable hopefulness in her aspect that hardly anybody could meet her without anticipating some very desirable thing—the consummation of some long-sought good—from her kind offices. A few dismal characters there may be here and there about the world who have so often been trifled with by young maidens as promising as she that they have now ceased to pin any faith upon the skirts of the New Year. But, for my own part, I have great faith in her, and, should I live to see fifty more such, still from each of those successive sisters I shall reckon upon receiving something that will be worth living for. Continue reading “Read “The Sister Years,” Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Allegorical New Year’s Tale”
2014 (MMXIV) will be a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar, the 2014th year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 14th year of the 3rd millennium, the 14th year of the 21st century, and the 5th year of the 2010s decade.
The object of a New Year is not that we should have a new year.
The United Nations designated 2014 as the International Year of Family Farming and Crystallography.
Hope
Smiles from the threshold of the year to come,
Whispering ‘it will be happier.’
New Year’s is a harmless annual institution, of no particular use to anybody save as a scapegoat for promiscuous drunks, and friendly calls, and humbug resolutions, and we wish you to enjoy it with a looseness suited to the greatness of the occasion.
Year 1914 (MCMXIV) was a common year starting on Thursday in the Gregorian calendar and a common year starting on Wednesday in the Julian calendar. It was the year that saw the beginning of what became known as World War I.
Latvia will officially adopt the euro currency and will become the eighteenth Eurozone country.
For last year’s words belong to last year’s language
And next year’s words await another voice.
The 2014 Winter Olympics will be held in Sochi, Russia.
Have a new soul.
Year 1814 (MDCCCXIV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar and a common year starting on Thursday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar.
Comet Holmes (17P/Holmes) will reach perihelion.
Each age has deemed the new-born year
The fittest time for festal cheer.
A new nose.
Ring out the old, ring in the new.
An annular solar eclipse will occur.
Year 1714 (MDCCXIV) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and a common year starting on Thursday of the 11-day slower Julian calendar.
Now is the accepted time to make your regular annual good resolutions.
Next week you can begin paving hell with them as usual.
New feet.
Faye’s Comet will reach perihelion.
The clock is crouching, dark and small,
Like a time bomb in the hall.
New backbone.
Year 1614 (MDCXIV) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar and a common year starting on Saturday of the 10-day slower Julian calendar.
Ring out the false, ring in the true.
The 2014 FIFA World Cup will be held in Brazil.
I will bestir myself.
New ears.
The Sky City skyscraper is planned for completion in Changsha, Hunan, China.
And try to be wise if I cannot be good.
Year 1514 (MDXIV) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar.
NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft will cross the orbit of Neptune after travelling for over eight years. New Horizons is scheduled to reach its mission target, Pluto, in 2015.
New eyes.
The Scottish independence referendum will be held.
The first unmanned flight test of NASA’s Orion spacecraft is scheduled to be launched.
Year 1414 (MCDXIV) was a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar.
The Catalan independence referendum will be held.
Hark, it’s midnight, children dear.
Duck! Here comes another year.
A commercial cure for baldness is predicted to become available.
New hair?
Biblioklept 