Vidal Gore — Eighteen Seventy [1087]

NEW YEAR’S DAY, 1876. The Year of the Centennial, as every newspaper proclaims. I must say that if this new year continues at the same pace as the last month of the old year, I shall not survive until 1877. — Vidal Gore, Eighteen Seventy, 1087

Note

The opening sentence immediately sets a dramatic tone for the year, suggesting a continuing struggle and foreboding about the future. This creates an instant emotional hook for the reader, making them curious about the events to follow.