The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1889-08-15

RESOLUTIONS.
One of the most agreeable WAYS of EN-.
plOying leisure time. in prison, is passing
resolutions to regulate conduct when Still
water will be only memory. A resOlu-
ton is regulator, but the regulator does
not get in its work very extensively. Next
to weakness Of will. the principal cause of
this sad state of affairs is that resolutions
are very often extreme. unreasonable. A
resolution to do, or not to do any partic-
ular thing. is generally made at a time
when the reSolver is suffering from the re-
suits of that which his resolution is in
tended to prevent in future. For Instance.
when are people most inclined to resolve
never again to touch wine or liquor? When
sWelled heads are most numerous | it is
true that resolutions in general are made at
such moments, it is evident that person
is in danger of giving too great an influence
to the cause of his present misfortune. and
not properly considering either the practica.
bility of executing his resolve. or tie evils
which would result if his resolve We're eX-
q
repetition of his present misfortune at any
cost. lie allows present circumstances to
OverShadoW those that are remote As an
Illustration. suppose that a person entrusts
great secret to a supposed friend. and
has the pleasure of seeing that secret pub
lished i'll the newspapers next morning.
That person would feel very sore. He
would resolve to never again trust any hu-
man being. His resolution is one that it is
possible 10 execute, but it is not practicable
to do So That is. BY strictly adhering to
his resolution he would suffer greater incOn-
venienceS than he would otherwise. He
could not enter into business or social rea-
tiOns with any person. These inconven-
fences would cause him to modify his rad
lcai resolution. The remote, the uncOn-
Sldered circumstances. will i'm time cause
the modification of ali extreme resolutions.
Future events cause what foresight should
have effected at the time the resolution was
made.
When person makes an extreme resOlu-
tiOn it is generally the unreasonable part
thereof which causes the circumstances
that Lead to its violation. For example,
suppose a man listens to the voice of the
tempter and is beguiled out of certain
Shekels under the usual irOn-clad promise
OF payment ''tO-mOrrOW morning if | am
alive" When tomorrow morning arrives
and no ShekelS are in sight, the man re-
solves to spurn in future all heart breaking
appeals for financial aid-never thinking of
the hardship this would cause to many an
enterprSng bunkO-Steerer. He will not
keep this resolution. Suppose he meets on
the evening of that very day solid citizen
enjoying himself With few of the boys.
For private reason, satisfactory to him.
self. he has been watching for chance to
do this citizen favor. Will he accom-
modate the gentleman if the latter runs short
OF pocket money about day break? Well
rather 1t was the unreasonable part of
his resolution that caused its violation. If
he had simply resolved to accommodate no
more of the fraternity. there is remote
possibility that he would have adhered
theretO-at least until our friend Shine bids
farewell to prison bars.
A resolution wisely made. undoubtedly
gives person moral strength in the mo-
ment of temptation. But a resolution is an
entirety. unit, and if it is an extreme I'M
reasonable resolution. the violation of the
unreasonable part thereof deprives the per-
son OF this moral strength. 1t is swept away
in its entirety. 1t no longer exists The
resolution is violated. and the person re-
peats to himself the order given to the i'm
mortal Gallagher. Until then the reason
able part of his resolution had not been vi
Olated, but the violation of the extreme
part causes the destruction of the resolution
in its entirety. il his resolution gave him
moral strength. he is deprived of it. 'Be
temperate in all things" is very wise
saying; and in making resolutions it is an
excellent guide T. B. F.