The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1882-12-22
PLAIN f'ILK
On rIa,a sasIess..
BYA PLAIN CHAP.
GOOD AND BAD HABITS.


1882 is on It's last legG Il Is going
slowly out like candle with the wick
below the top Of the stick. Nine days
from to-day It will vaIoous-I mean,
take it's leave, and give place 10 bright
eyed, sparkling 1888 ] refer to this
for the purpose Of reminding Us Of the
many good and bad balits We have
contracted during the Psst gear.
know it is custemery to take eognizance
of enly the latter. People are in the
habit Of raking over their bad habits OF
the year, for the sake Of making dissolv.
ing resolutions, at the beginning Of an.
other year. But do not 20 much on
New Years resolutions. What I would
advocate il a manly resolution every
day Of the year TO live as pure . life as
ones nature will permit. But this is
not customary if it were we would have
more good men and women. On the
contrary the resolutions are classified
and sometimes even written ont on
January one, and three days after for
gotten, and il it is in one to be rascal
j. is going to crop out, without a woE-
derful antidote is ussd. You might as
well try TO make squash pie out Of ap.
pies As good person out Of one Who
only resolves on the lirst day Of J1au-
airy Of each year.
At the same time NE all have lad
habits enough which we ought TO re-
form. They are 30 many and diversif-
ed that we need not mention them.
One person has one, another another.
The person possessing il may be aware
Of the fact and may not, but be Is pretty
sure 10 notice that Of his brothers
which is much worse than his own. /
know so many good people, who, niKe@
up with their more exemplary habits.
haYe some of the nsanezt little practices
imaginable, at leas. it seems so TO nr,
but all the time they do not need To
use telescopes TO observe tie saass OF As
bad habits 10 Other people. although
they cannot be made 70 sp.,leciate that
they possess them. IL is too eemaon
for many always to see only the evil in
some peoples makeup never notieing
the big Jumps of goodness which thes
possess. Now, believe the hest way
is to look at The good in ones nature
first, and to make practice Of seeking
it, instead of always squinting around
with a microscope for tie bad one hss
in him. When young man comes to
q new country the 6rst thing people dc
is to suspect him Of having left several
wives behind him, besides perpstr1iins
innunerable bank rObberies, instead Of
suspeeting him Of having lived an honest
life even IL his face indicates This. ii
is true 50 many have proven biIks thai
it is natural, but il is no excuse for dc.
ing il on general principles. There j.
lots of coed in mankind yet. and | am
in favor of haating for It with shovel
and pick. The more good you get out
of man tho less will be the bad in
him. Suppose q young man possesses
an equal amount Ct good and evil in his
nature, to start with, he is liable either
to become very good ar very bad, de-
pending much ulOn associations. II
the good is cultivated the lad will be
weakened, and SO the opposita is true.
It is our duty then to bring out the
best in 1 person, and we should use
every opportunity to encourage il. In
stead of always looking At the dark aide
of the characters of those around ns let
us inspect once in awhile the bnght
side, an6 use cur best endeavers TO
help TO make it better, even if it is not
the kind of goodness which suits us.