The Florence tribune., 1898-12-31
Mr. pooIey on smsarInn off

rdtn or SHOW, eolu or heat. But now tn heat stings an tn cold wrencbes me bones an if l go out in tn rain with less on me thin ton iv rubber I'll pay dear fir it in achin' j'ints, so I will. That's what old age means an now onother ycar's been put on to what we had befure, an, we're ex- pected to be gay. Ring out tn old,' says guy at tn Brothers School. | Ring out tn old, ring in tn new he says. Ring out tn false, ring in tn thrue, says he. It's . pritty sin timint, Hinnissy; but how ar're we goin' to do it? Nawthin'd blaze me betther thin to turn me back on tn, wicked an ingloryous past, rayform me life, an live at pace with tn wurruld to tn ind iv me days. But how tn divvle can I do it? As th' fellow says: Can tn leopard change his spots or can't he? a
 "You know Dorsey, in coorse, tn cross-eyed Mayo man that come to this counthry about wan day in advance iv a warrant fir sheepstealin? Ye know what he done to me, tellin' people I was caught in me cellar poorin' wathe- into bar'l? We'll, last night says to mesilf, thinkin' iv Dorsey, I says: T swear that henceforth I'll keen me temper with me fellow.men. I'll not let anger or jealousy git tn betther iv me- 7ays. "I'll lave off all me old teuds; an if l meet me inimy goin' down tn sthreet, I'll go up an shake him be tn hand, if Pm sure he hasn't a brick in tn other hand.' Oh, was mighty complimenthary to mesilt. I set be the stove drinkin' hot wans, an ivry wan dhrank made me more iv a pote. 'Tis the way with tn stuff. Whin I'm in dhrink have many fine thought; an if I wasn't too com fortable to go an look fir tn ink bottle, cud write pomes that'd make Shaks- pere an Mike Scanlan think they were wur-rkin' on dredge. Why says I, carry into tn new year tn hatreds iv tn old?' I says. Let th' dead past bury its dead,' says I. Turin yer lamps up to tn bluh sky I says. (It was rainin' like tn divvle an tn hour was midni ght; but give no heed to that, bein' comfortable with tn hot wans.) An I wint to tn dure, an whin Mike Duffy cume by on number wan hundred an five, ringin' tn gong iy tn ca-ar' hollered to him: Ring out tn old, ring in th' new Go back into yer stall he says, 'an' wiring ye'ersilf out,' ho s.ys. svo,.~-. .-~t through he says.
 "Whin I woke up this mornin' tn po- thry had all disappeared, an begun to think tn las hot wan sock had some thin wrong with it. Besides, tn Ilumbago was grippin' me till I oud hardly put wan foot befure th' other. But I raymembered me promises to mesilf, an 1 wint out on tn sthreet, intindin' to wish ivry wan a Happy New Year. an hopin' in me hear-rt that tn first wan I wished 1t tod tell me to go to tn divvle, so cud hit him in tn eye. hadn't gone half block befure spied Dorsey acrost tn sthreet. I picked up a half brick an put it in me pocket, an Dorsey done tn same. Thin we wint up to each other. A Happy New Yeur,' says I. 'Th' same to you, says he, 'an' nanny of thim, he says. 'Ye have brick in yer hand, , says I. T was thinkin' iv givin' ye B New Years gift, says he. 'Th' same to you an nanny of thim, says l, fon- dlin' me own ammunition. 'Tis even all around, says he. It is,' says l. i was thinxin' las night I'd give up me gredge again ye,' says he. I had tn : same thought mesilf,' says l. But, since seen yer face, he says, I've con-cluded that I'd be more comfortable hatin' ye thin havin' ye fir frind, says he. Yer a man iv taste, says l. An we backed away firm each other. He's tip, an can throw stone like ri- heman; an Hinnissy, Pm somethin' iv an amachoor shot with half brick mesilf.
 "Well, I've been thinlsin' it oyer, an I've argied it out that life'd not be | worth livin' if we didn't keep our in imies. can have all tn frinds I need. Amy man can that keeps liquor sthore. But rale sthrong iniIny, specially Mayo inimy-wan that hates ye hazard, an that ye'd take tn coat off yer back to do a bad turn l to-is luxury that l can't go without in me ol' days. Dorsey is tn rig ht sort. I can't go by his house without bein' l in fear he'll spill tn chimbly down on me head an, whin he passes me place, he walks in tn middle iv tn sthreet, an crosses himsilf. I'll swear off on an- nything but Dorsey. He's good man, an I despise him. Here's long life to him."
 While making good resolves for the