Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-12-29

WI WI which comes to some peo-
So pie with the New Year.
DR.. Maseir, the Oldest man in tho room, said;
I viii tell you story worth writing and
prireing. / see TINT it is now the fashionable
fhiug for men and women who have made Il
little stir n the world to tell all about the
books which influenced them and the incl
dents which turned them into the highways
which led to fortune or 70 fame Well,
am not famous, thank heaven, but perhaps
the experiences Of a man who has escaped
fame may not DO without use to somebody.
have always believed in luck | don't at
tempt.to justify my belief | know that I
can't hold my ground in argument against
those who say there is no such thing. | only
know that | believe in it. The superstition
was born in me. There is proverb in the
Castilian tongue which says: HE who ex-
poets good luck will surely get it, read
that before | was Il years Old, and at once
put faith in it. 1t confirmed the hope within
me, that the future held something exception
ally good for me. Perhaps each one of US has
that feeling, but not everybody evolves it
into faith and regularly lives by it. did
bad dreary childhood, difficult youth
and struggling early manhood. That
proverb helped me to go through everything
with courage. Usually | hated proverbs
My father had stock Of very disagreeable
ones which he showered upoa me at all sea
sous and hours "They who know nothing
fear nothing Birds that fly high light
io~,n and others of equally discouraging
Po"sr were ever on the end of LIS tongue.
But The proverb that promised good luck
slllDlN b,poFca ayr,ar+a1 yy-us hnth
balm and aspiration to me
when playing with other boys and trouble
OF any kind was imminent always took the
most cheerful ground, and assured them that
everything would turn out all right And
was terribly in earnest, too felt that all
would go well somehow. The result was that
every one took hope and met difficulty and
danger as bis master, not his victim. The
o5J Soon learned TO depend upon me for
strength and Encouragement, and they stuck
TO me with romantic devotion. | learned
then the wonderful influence one mind can
have over others when it recognizes no such
thing as fear. Call it superstition, foolish
ness, what you will; but my faith in that
proverb was something marvellous. will ad-
NIT, however, that am of a creduloUs nature.
When | was young | believed every asser-
ton ever heard or read. was not a ques-
toner or doubter. II man asserted some
thing believed him because supposed that
he knew, else he would not assert. 1t never
occurred TO me that he might lie. Being
honest myself | believed in the honesty of
others.
lived in the country and I longed to live
in the city. My parents were well to do but
1t was the custom Of that locality to live sim
ply and bring the children up TO work.
Mental accomplishments did not take high
rank in the circle in which I moved for the
first fifteen years of my life | wanted a
better education than | was ever likely to
get. Somehow fancIcd that would get it,
though l could not see how. The holidays
always carry me back in memory to some Of
the main eyeDts OF ny life. | believe that
fortune has habit of making extraordinary
changes when the Old Year goes out and the
new one comes At least it has done 50 more
than once in my case; and that is why now
tell this story to you younger people, who
naturally think of new leaves Of many kinds
In connection with the New Year
l was only 10 years old when one bitter
winter | took a contract to chop a large
quantity of cord wood 1t was one of the
few ways boys had in that locality Of ear1r
ing little money. 1t seems Ike rough
way to me now. but we did not think sc
then l was up at o'clock in the morning
and by 9 had had my t'aakfast, and was IL
the woods sending In, no Of my strokes fal
over the hills | was working 10" purpose
The winters chopping would give Inc money
enough TO start in Il small business upoI
which had set my heart. 1t was nothing
less than to buy out a tin shop at ''The Cor
ners, the nearest village. In imagination
saw myself store keeper, at once a per
son Of dignity in the community and highly
satisfactory to himself. Isoared even hlshe
than that. | saw myself living in q fin
house, growing elderly, pompous and fat
and in all probability president Of II bank
like Judge johnson, for whom ! turned Of
the sidewalk every time l met him at TIL
Corners, as every other youth did, becaus
he was so rich and important
New ears day found mo IN the woods
chopping away as usual Holidays were nc
observed in that community, and festvitie
were as rare as angels visits. An extra piec
OF pie in my lunch pail and bit Of sOmt
thing unusual for supper were all thG
marked the day from all the Other crisp, col
winter days. But I thought Of its bein
New Years, and dreamed my dreams Will
| made the ak hum The luck expected O,
of that winter work I could scarcely put
small kingdom While I was dwellin
upon this interesting theme somethin
- snapped far above my head, there was
crash, some binding flashes OF light, an
them Yves nowhere. at least consciously.
A heavy limb of an old dead tree ha
broken and fallen upon me. When "can
to" l found myself hurt and somewht
frozen. | dragged myself home only to tai
TO my bed for the remainder of the winte
Such q winter as it was-so bitter and hop,
less that at times ! almost lost faith in m
good luck couldn't finish my contract {
wood chopping, and so the tin store vanished
In the spring l was able TO be about one
more; but thin, pale, weak, and with a ba
limp. The doctors said would never |
strong again. This was terrible news to IN
Alas for the good luck had expected. An
yet it came, though not as | had planned
1t has way of doing that, have noticed.
In the early spring Uncle Zeph came
see US He was kind hearted unselfis
man, and be took an interest in me.
why, the boy isn't able to do hard worl
He must be sent to school aud to college,
said, after he thoroughly understood tt
situation. But my father WINGED and sal
nothing Education was but little respecte
in those parts
IN TX