The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1886-01-02

Advice and Suggestions Given by the Old
Year to the New.
''Here ] ami said the New Year,
popping his head in at the door.
"Ohl there you are, ehP" replied the
Old Year "Come in and let me have
look at you. And shut the door after
you, pleaser
The New Year stepped lightly in, and
closed the door carefully.
Frosty nightyr' be said. ''Fine and
clear, though. l have had a delightful
journey"
"Humphr' said the Old Year. ~
don't expect TO find it delightful, with
this rheumatism racking my bones A
long, cold drive, call it; but, to be
sure, thought it was pleasant when l
was your age, younster. Is the sleigh
waitingp''s
Eyes" replied the other. "But there
is no hurry Wait bit, and tell me
how matters are in these parts"
$50 sol" the Old Year answered,
shaking his head. "They might be
better, and yet l suppose they might
be worse, too. They were worse, be-
fore came; much worse, too. have
done great deal. Now | expect you,
my boy, to follow my example, and be
good gear, all the way through"
81 shall do my best" said the New
Year. depend upon it! And now tell
me little what there is to do"
SIN the first place, " replied the other,
''you have the weather to attend to.
To be sure, you have a clerk to help
you in that, but he is not always to be
depended upon; there is great deal of
work in that department. Your sea-
sons have way of running into each
other and getting mixed if you don't
keep a sharp lookout on them; and
the months are troublesome, unruly
set. Then, you must be very careful
how you turn on your wet and dry
weather; your reputation depends in a
great measure on that.
"But you must not expect to satisfy
everybody, for that is impossible. If
you try to please the farmers the city
people will complain; and if you de-
vote yourself to the cities the country
people will call you all manner of
names. One thing want you to do
very carefully; that is, to watch the
leaves that are turned"
~ thought Autumn attended to that
sort of thing" said his companion.
81 don'tmean leaves of trees" said the
Old Year. "But at the beginning of a
year, half the people in the world say:
I'm going to turn over new leaf!'
meaning that they intend to behave
themselves better in various respects.
AS rule, these leaves do not stay
turned over. | know great many lit
tie boys who promised me to turn over
J. - new leaf in regard to tearing their
clothes, and losing their jack-knives,
and bringing mud into the house on
their boots, and little girls who were
going to keep their bureau drawers
tidy, and their boot-buttons sewed on.
But l haven't seen much improvement
in most of them. Indeed, what can
you expect of the children, when the
parents set them the example? Why,
there is man in this neighborhood
who has turned over new leaf in the
matter of smoking, every year since
1868; and after the first week of each
new year, he smokes like chimney all
the rest of the time"
"What is his nameP" inquired the
New Year. taking out his notebook.
ellis name is Smith; John Smith, +"
said the Old Year. "There are a great
many of him; and all the rest are prob
ably as bad as the particular one ]
mention, so you need not be too par
ticular"
"I'll attend to itr' said the New
Year. "Any other suggestionsp"
"Wellr said the Old Year, smiling,
II have never found that young people,
or young years, were very apt to prof
it by good advice. You must 90 your
own way, after all. Do your best to
stop the cholera! don't start any new
Inventions; there have been quite
enough lately. Above all, take care OF
the children, and give them all the
good weather you can conscientiously.
"And now" he added, rising slowly
and stiffly from his seat by the fire,
''the horses are getting impatient, and
my time is nearly up, so | must start
on my long drive. You will find every
thing in pretty good shape, think,
though, Of course, you viii think me
an old fogy, as perhaps l am. Well
well! Goodbye, my boy! Good luck
to you! and whenever you hear my
name mentioned, try and put in a
good word for the Old Year. "-LaurO
E. Richards, 10 Youths Companion.
HORSE AND DOG.