Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1889-01-06
His GOOD LUCK.
A New Years Story with the Secret Of suc.
cess In IL.
BY GERTRUDE GARRISON.


We had been talking about the turn Of
fortune which comes to some people with
the New Year. DR.. Mason, the Oldest
man in the room, said:
will tell youa story worth writing and
prini ing. rec that it is now the fashion.
able thing for men and women who have
made little stir in the world to tell all
about the books which inluencei thsm
and the incidents which turned them into
the highways which led 10 fortune or II
fame. Well, l am not famous. thank
heaven, but perhaps the experiences Of q
man who has escaped fame may not be
without use TO somebody.
l have always believed in luck. I
don't attempt 70 justify my belief. l
know that can't hold my ground in al
gument against those who ssy there is no
such thing l only know that I believe
IN 1t. Tbs sup rstitiOn was BORN in me
There Is pr0verb in the Castilian tongue
which says: HE who expects good luck
will surely get il" l read that before |
was II years old, and at once pu, faith in
1t. 1t confirmed the hope within me, that
the future held something exceptionally
good for me. Perhspl each one OF rs has
that feeling, but not everybody evolves
1t into faith and regularly lives by IL.
did
had a dreary childhood, e difficult
youth and a struggling early manhood.
That prJverb helped me to 20 through
everything with courage. Usually hated
proverbs. My father had a stock of very
disagrseahle ones which he showered upon
me at all seasons and hours. "They who
know nothing fear nothing" "Birds that
fly high light low" and Others ofequally
discOuragiDg power were ever on the end
Of his tongue. But the provsrb that
promised good luck simply because one
expected it was both bslm and inspiration
to me.
When playing with other boys and
trouble Of any kind was imminent l al
ways took the most cheerful ground, and
assured them that everything would turn
out all right. And l was terrsbly in
earnest too. l felt that all would 20 well
somehow. The result was that everyone
D took hope s,d met difficulty and danger
as his master, not his victim. The boys
soon learned to depend upon me for
strength and encouragement, and they
stuck to me with romantic de-
! vOtiOn. / learned then the wonderful
r 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
pToverb was something marvellous. l will
admit, however, that / am OF a creiulous
nature. When I was young l believed
every assertion 1 ever heard or read.
was not questioner or dOubter. Ifama
asserted something l believed him becau-e
, [ supposed that he knew, else he would
not assert. 1t never occurred TO me that
be might lie. Being honest myself l be-
lieved in the honesty Of others.
/ lived in the country and lOngei to live
in the city. My parents were well-to-dO;
but il was the custom Of that locality TO
live simply and bring the children up t.
work. Mental accomplishments did not
take high rank in the circle in which l
moved for the first fifteen years Of my life.
l wanted better education than / was
ever likely to get. Somehow fancied
that would get it, Though | could not see
how. The holidays always carry me back
in memory TO some Of the main events of
my life. / believe that fortune has a
habit of making extraordinary changes
when the Old Year goes out and the new
one comes. At least il has done go 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.
was only Is years old when one bitter
cold winter | took a contract 10 chop
large quantity Of cord wood. II was one
of the few ways boys had in that locality
Of earning money. II seems like rough
way to me row; but we did not think 80
then. was up at o'clock in the morn
ing, and by had had my breakfast, and
was in the woods sending the echo of my
strokes FAR over the hills. was wOrkiug
for a purpose. The winters chopping
would give me money enough to start in a
small business upon which l had set my
heart 1t was nothing less than to buy
out tin shop at THE COrners," the near
est village. In imagination l saw myself
a "siore keeper" at once a person of dig
nifty in the community, and highly salts
factory to himself. | scared even higher
than that. / saw myself living in tine
house, growing elderly, pompous and fat,
and in all probability president Of bank,
like Judge johnson, Tor whom tnrned
of the sidewalk every time / met him al
"The Corners" as every other youth did,
because he was 30 rich and important.
New Years day found me in the woods,
chopping away rs usual. Holidays were not
observed in that community, and festivi-
ties were az rare as angels visits. An extra
piece Of pie in my lunch pail and bit Of
something unusual for supper were all that
marked the day from all the other crisp
cold winter days. Bat I thought Of its
being New Years, and dreamed my
dreams, while l made the Ak hum. The
luck | expected out of that winters work
? could scarcely put in q small kingdom
While was dwelling upon this interesting
theme something snapped far above my
, head, thtre was crash, some hlindiug
flashes of light, and them was nowhere,
at least consciously.
A heavy limb of an old dead tree had
broken and fallen upon me. When
came to" l found myself hurt and some
what frozen. I dragged myself home only
to take to my bed for the remainder of the
winter. Slch winter az it was-sO bit
ter and hopeless that at times / almost
lost faith in my good luck. couidn't
finish my contract Of wood chopping, and
so the tin store vanished.
In the spring was able to be about once
more; but thin, pale, weak, and with a
, bad limp. The doctors said would never
be strong again. This was terrible new
to me. Alas! for the good luck had ex-
pected. And yet it came, though not as
/ had planned. II has a way of doing
hat, have noticed.
In the early spring Uncle Zeph came to
see rs. He was a kind hearted, unsellish
man, aud he took an interest in me.
why, the boy isn't able TO do hard
Ia v,,uaf Ia cont N cghorl and n