The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-01-04
a Talk with Father Time.


From The Washington Post.
| was walking alone at midnight, shivery
Midnight, when met him. don Ike TO meet
strange beings at midnight. IL rais-s goose
pimples on my soul But l make it practice
always TO let on that am not frightened for II
my long and varied intercourse with spooks and
COLLINS and ghouls, | have found that when
they cannot frghten me they usually take
fright themselve8 There is, after all, good
deal of human nature about ghosts.
He wore a long, white beard on his face and
an old, sharp scytle on his SHOULDER That
was about all he lad on. There was something
familiar about his appearance too, out ! nave
a poor memory for names and forget where L
have met folks 1 could not classify him at
first.
Happy New Year said I, by way Of show
ing friendly spirit and testing his attitude.
Same TO you. said ne.
he seemed to be well disposed.
Haven't l met you somewhere beforeg'
asked.
Shouldn't wonder. I've been going up and
down this earth for good while. once year
come around these parts and do business in a
small way. Maybe you've seen me now and
then on New Years cards"
All, l exclaimed, ARE you the old gentle
masn that picks up the last figure of the date
line, and goes hobbling off the edge of the card
with it, while a little tod of a naked boy runs
and puts new one in its placer
Il m that same old codger."
And your name ISL
Time
Sure enough, Father Time. ought to have
known you at sight. I'm intimately acquainted
with several members of your family. | know
Hi fustrate."
"Who?"
Hill Old Time, you know"
An, yes"
Well we chatted on pleasantly enough until
asked the old gentleman why he made 1t point
every year to come around and carry OFF the hg-
ures, so that we had to set up new ones and
spoil our letter heads until we became accus-
toned t. the change.
81 admit, " said he there is a good deal of
nonsense about it. presume people would live
as long and be as happy if there were no such
thing as change of years. l suppose you don't
care snap We ther this IS 1889 or 1880, ana, to
tell you the honest truth, am convinced it is a
very foolish thing to shift about SO much but
must carry out my contract. and l expect to
spring new year on the world every now and
then as long as | live"
w nat contract
why, my resolution. "
What resolution
Did you never hear of my resolution? Well.
then, will tell you" and he leaned upon his
scythe
y od see, you people make New Years reso-
luttons, but they don't amount TO anything.
You swear off drinking, and then get full as
ticks before nj Eht. You break off smoking, and
begin again before the week is out. You resolve
10 keep diaries. but you give up before January
is gone. Now with me it is different. When |
make resolution stick to it. A long, long
Tune ago made a resolution that | would keep
the Past chocK-ful of minutes and hours anu
days and years, and have been tossing them in
ever since. 1t keeps me pretty busy, and 1
don t mind coniiding to you the fact that If !
mad 1t TO do over again wouldn't make such a
resolution, but there is no help for it now, and
shall have TO go onforever, l suppose.
Father Time gave his scythe a swish and
gathering up a handful of minutes flung them
into the Past, and resumed:
You have no idea how | have to hump to
keep the Past full. l no sooner drop year or
month or a week into it than 1 discover that
there is room for more
What becomes of all these years you feed
to the Past?' | asked.
THAT'S 1t; what becomes of them? If they
did anybody the least good l shouldn't mind
doing this work but they don't; they are a
dead waste. True, they feed and sustain the
Past, but what is the of doing that? If
people knew enough TO make use of the Past
and learn something from it, there might be
some excuse for maintaining it, but they don't;
so all this work of mine ia in VAIN
why don't you quit it? Why don't you let
the Past rip and turn your attention to making
more Present? That is what we need. People
would think good deal more of you if you
would quit carrying away the Present and
dumping it into the Past"
so they would, and | should like to accom-
MEDIATE them, but my pride keeps me at this
work.
'.PrideY'
Yes; 1 am probably the only person on
earth who has consistently and unfalteringly
fulfilled his New Years resolution, and | am
voice and spoke earnestly to me, IF | had it to
do again should be very sure not to make a
New Years resolution
Then he left me to reflect upon what would
better do in the way of resolutions on this first
day of the brand-new year.