midnight
His garments had once been white and shining , but they were now stained and darkened by travel , and portions of them trailed in the dust . As he drew nigh I observed that he carried in his hand a closely written scroll , on which was recorded the events of the past year . As I gazed upon the record , I read of life begun , and of death in every circumstance and condition of mortal being , of happiness and misery , of love and hate , of good and evil , -- all mingling their different results in that graphic record ; and I trembled as my own name met my view , with the long list of opportunities for good unimproved , together with the many sins , both of omission and commission , of which I had been guilty during the past year ; but there was nothing left out , -- the events in the life of every individual member of the human family were there , all recorded in legible characters . As the midnight hour struck the aged man , who typified the old year , faded from my view , and , almost before I was aware of the change , youth and beauty stood smiling before me . The old year gone , the new year had begun . His robes were white and glistening , his voice was mirthful , and his step buoyant ; health and vigor braced his limbs . He , too , bore in his hand a scroll , but white as the unsullied snow ; not a line was yet traced upon its pure surface , except the title , Record of 1872 .