Weekly Trinity journal., 1877-01-27
SWEARING OFF.

The pleasantest among the many pleas
ant customs attendant upon the birth of /
each new year, is the practice of ''sweAr-
iug off," AS year after year drsgs out
its length, and brings the grand army Of
humanity to milestone after milestone on
the great road from the cradle to the
tomb, many one pauses before taking a
fresh start, draws back and ponders his
past course, deplores the follies and re-
penis the miSdoings that erling human
nature has led him into, and cheered by
the bright sunlight Of the year just dawn
ing resolves in the future to journey on
ward after different fashion, to indulge
less in the enticing and enervating
champagne Of life, and more in the less
sparkling but more morally and physi-
cally heathful cold water-and in gener-
I'll TO atone, by uprightness and virtue
in the future, for the laxity ard immor-
slity of the past. 1t is a sight so glad
den the heart of the phianthopist, and in
the contemplation of the agreeable pic
turc be is prone to forget the cynical
warning, THE road 10 hell is paved
with good intentions" and to warmly
grasp the hand Of the reformer, and wish
him Godspeed in his new course. The
custom was beautifully illustrated on
Monday last in the case Of two young
married men Of this city, whose acquaint-
ance had been formed and friendship for
each other welded OH many Of those occa-
sion which the ungodly style "tears."
Clocks are striking nine on New Years
morning as the two, each dressed in the
iicest Of habliments, met at the corner
Of Bush and Montgomery streets. "Good
morning and Happy New Year, Chad"
raid one to the other; "How's the egg
:.ogg ?"
Chadbourne's usually smiling face was
coutorted with a look Of owllike gravity,
nnd as he thoughfully stroked the nigh
.ide Of his upper lip, he replied:
NO egg nogg fonme, Charley. I'm
going to quit the whole business. The
fact is I've sworn off,"
"By Joye, old boy, I'm glad to hear
it. I've been thinking about doing the
same thing, and wen both take a new
deal. l mean it, honest, and year
from to-day I'll just hand little roll of
twcnties over to Mollie that would have
gone for whisky and smoke and worse
She'll feel d blank sight better, and SO
shall H.
is il a 20 ?"
Pat it there"
And they stroled up the street arm in
arm. The world WAS bright to them that
morning. They looked at it with yiau-
Gus eyes. They had been through all
tie wearyng round of nightly dissipation
and kne" It's hollowness, the little return
It gave for much money expended, and
it, pernicious effect upon the system phys
ically as well as mentally. The scales
hud fallen from their eyes, and as they
walked past the gilded doors Of what now
seemed 10 them the way stations on the
road to Hades, they regretted their dere.
liclions, wondered at their folly, and
gra>ped each other by the hand as they
firmly resolved that never, no never,
should the intoxicating punch OF the Sc
ductive cocktail again gurgle down their
virtuous throats.
The day passed as cheerily as New
Years always does. The sun carried
out his part Of the programme in fine
style, rs he hauled his crimson bed cur
,ains around him and lay down far out
in the Pacific, and the moon, in envy at
his triumph, threw off the Aeecy robes
that She wore at first uprising, and then
climbed higher and higher in the heav-
ems until, when the clocks were striking
three in the morning she stood directly
over Montgomery street, transforming
nll its prosaic ugliness in romantic beau
iy, and doing her best for San Francisco
ON New Years night The still beauty
OF the streets was marred about that
time by the abortive attempts Of two
voices, evidently masculine, to induce
one Tommy to give place to his mothers
'hro;her. As they staggered out into the
moonlight, they seemed to have seen bet
ter days. Each wore something only
dstantly related to a plug" hat, for the
headpiece of one had no brim, giving
him a warliie appearance much strength
ened by n patch Of mud on bis right
check, while the other, with a mangled
piece Of beaver or his head and his over
coat split down the back and minus
sleeve, looked as if he had swallowed
Chinese bomb and it had gone off.
"Hrsy f. Nooyeres. (hicJ Tommy
make room (bic) flyer uncle. CHI
Chad, ole fell, les gin up, (hic)."
1t was Chad. 1t didn't look much
like him for his eyes were crossed, like
wise his legs F; some vandal had deprived
him Of half Of his mustache, leaving the
other blonde beauty mourning alone,
aud be appeared TO cursory observer as
though he had been drinking something.
His evident intention of crawling down
the sewer trap under the curbstone was
prevented by his companion, who whs-
pcred in his car: "Brace (hic) up, Chad
Pleezs do. (hic) Recklect (hic) you
sworof."
"Oh, swarotf mex Nooyeres: (hic) les
so git drink (hic)"
They deposited qaarter in the ad-
jacent fountain ordering two cocktails
mud the rumpus they got into with the
6arkeeper for rot serving them attracted
Il star ornamental individual, who took
them where they put little, homeless
chiIdIeH, in the basement Of the City
Hall. They had done well, very well,
far above the average, for up TO three
O'Clock in the day not drop passed their