Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1877-01-20
WAITING FOR THE NEW
YEAR.
BY MARY RUSSELL.

BY MARY RUSSELL.
III Just wait until 5he New Year."
Henry Miles ran his fingers through
the crisp rings Of his short, brown hair.
and felt much better after striking his
balance with his conscience, which had
been making rather an urgent demand,
just then.
All, who are not entirely hardened,
have these occasional calls of conscience.
but few possess sufficient strength of
character to meet its demands promptly
and squarely; they are Just off with a
promise to ay at some apparently more
convenient season, as in the case of this
gay young Harry Miles.
Let's see" he continued, with a
thoughtful whistle, " August, January
tive months, | can finish my wild oats
in that time, and then for reform IA
long face and the steady snail-trot of a
proper life, as the old folks dub if.
Every letter from home is full of warn
lngS and cautions against that broad
road; ! but the simple, old fogies don't
know how broad and Jolly the road really
is, nor how long I've been travelling
therein. My pretty Maud, with only
her eighteen years, is wiser than they.
and has guessed somewhat of my course.
How sweetly she pleads in this letter for
her Harry to he his own noble self and
turn NOR into the upland of safety.
There is always danger in delay" she
adds omlnously.
ieigho, but | can't do it now. |
must have time to screw up my courage;
and then the New Year is a fine time to
begin anew, as it were-turn down the
plotted page and begin on a clean one ="
The young man arose and proceeded
TO put his hat on before the little mirror
in his Iodging-room settling it to his
satisfaction with a iaunty tip, he drew
on his gloves and then sauntered down
the street to Join his gay companions,
and spend half the night in pleasure
seeking and carousing.
lie was not naturally bad, this Young
clerk in the contingencies of Braddock
d Co. on the contrary, his inclinations
were rather toward goodness; but he
was OF a pleasure-loying, volatile nature,
a3 lis kiAkF, yell0w-brown hair and
bright blue eyes fully attested.
Fol the first year in The city, he con-
Quoted himself with steadinesS and cor
rectness, after his simple, home-bred ways,
and quite succeeded in gaining the conf
dence and respect ofhis employers. After
ward, ashe became more intimate with 9TH
eryourg menand clerks city bred, and not
a few Of them decidedly fast, he gradual
~ found himself straying into forbidden
paths and being more innocent in the
WAYS and penalties of sin than those, he
often failed to exercise even their iudg-
ment and caution in the pursuit of its
pleasures. 1t was "ueucedly dull" as he
termed it, in his cheap lodgings of an
e~vening,and after the steady tread.mill of
the counting house all day "a fellow
needed something stirring"
Everywhere he was a tavorite; "a iol-
ly good fellow" they called bin, sunny
tempered and handsome, and liberal to a
fault. The very kind that go so quickly
to the bad!
Even this careless youth had, at
length, began to realize how slippery
was the ground under his feat. Hi,
aroused conscience, strengthened by a
pleading letter from his sweetheart, had
given him a day of gloomy abstraction.
quite rare to his %sanguinc temperament
"pll just wait until the New Year
that had been the final compromise, and
he kept on in the old way, light anC
buoyant, and, sadly true, more wild anC
reckless than before. at must be ,
short run, 50 pl see to it that it is a mer
ry one" he said gayly.
some four months after this one of hi
employers took him aside and said will
decision:
Young man, you must put on tn,
brakes or we shall discharge you. Fo
ne first year and a half we have no com
,Aaints, but lately your work is not II
to the mark. Besides it is against on
rule to keep a dissipated clerk in on
employ !"
Henry'sface flushed hotly land he stan
mered:
4" You are quite right, sir; but | al
going to do better; 1 am going to leav
all my bad habits behind with the oil
year. Indeed, sir, | am !"
"Humph," growled the old man, "
New Years reform I've heard of sue
things before but, young sir, what wi
suit your case is to begin NOWW
There seemed to BIZ a clap of thundt
in that last word, and it rang in Henry
brain all day with a deafening sensation
That evening he determined not to {
out; so he sat alone in his cheerle
lodging-room with his elbows resting q
the rough deal stand, his head in h
hands, and his thoughts plunged in Il
depths of gloom. By-and-by, he w
aroused by a hearty slap on the should,
and a well.known voice in his ear;
Why, Hal, old boy, what are yc
mourning here for? Come, we've bee
waiting ,or you. It's time for the Va
ity ; but first we'll drop in at the CO
ner ami take something to drive du
care away. You look decidedly blue"
Harry hesitated. He had firmly j
tended to refuse but then it would
intolerable to spend the long wlnt
evening in that dull cherries roo
with-himself that is, his conscient
NO ne must get Ilu Vi HlnIsell,
thought, and hurrying on bis overco'
was in readiness to accompany his trien
where in gay scenes and sparkling liqu
he succeeded in getting rid of hims'
most ~efectually.
1t was in December then, only a ft
more weeks He would make the me
of them, and 50 plunged madly on in
reckless course.
"Niles is bound to 60 to the dogs" /
employers said. with shake ofthe hea
Its too bad He was a promisil
young man. Wen have to discharge hi
1t the end,of the year"
On New Years eve, there was a &;
party Of Young men at their club rooI
Watching "the o.. year out and the re
year in" Never lore had Convivialit
tan 50 high in theii midst, nor the rit
lowed 80 freely and never befo
R- Harry nj % been 80 wit
lie oyet!owed and fair
,wnra mirth ald jollity; i