Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1902-01-16

"How many New Years resolutions
have you fractured, jane" | asked as
she came in to supper this evening.
None, for | made none. Believe ne,
| it weakens one to continually be making
and breaking ,h5 laws one lays down
for oneself. So this year | make none,
but 80" and Jane gave one of those
| chances OF hers that ! have learned
mean determination.
| Dear readers, you ask me why Jane
and not Beth is with me this New
\ Year Dear little Beth You must have
| heard has at last yielded to Jack g
pleadings and put on the yoke of inatri-
mony a yoke that Its her young neck
most becomingly, and, God grant hap
pily. So Jane-dear old Jane with her
| theories OF life SO we'll defined and her
practices SO at right angles with those
theories has come to cheer my iireslde
on lonely evenings. Jane has a few
scars-auarR made by the hard world
She has battled and won honors, aud if
Old Tabby cat by the crate could hear
sume of our talks he would feel that
pretty gray hair of his stand on end
II had talk today, began Jane,
walking about, Jane has most un
comfortable habit of walking about the
room when talking. Eyes. | mad a
4 talS with Nature today, | didn't look
startled, for | knew ii ] waited all
would be explained.
1.-The bulls of 1902 have rung. ;"
nature began, land where do they lind
you and Portiaf You have asked for
gifts, have you asked for the right one,
and asking was tha price too big
"Wbs 1T Portia? What do these lines
about your eyes mean? Are they the
price Nature asked you? As for me,
was it worth this hardness about the
Inouth2
Mature will have the price, Jane,
you know" answered.
Shs mas her coinage, and demands
payment in her own currency. At
natures shop it is you yourself must
cay. Your unearned increment, your
inherited fortune, your luck, are not
legal tenders across her counter. You
want good appetite. Nature IS quite
willing to supply you. Certainly,
sir, y she replies, :" can do you very
excellent article, indeed, | have here
real genuine hunger and thirst that
| will make your meal a delight to you.
You shall eat heartily and with zest,
and you shall rise from the table re-.
frsshed, invigorated, and cheerful ~
| ohbu hho WY ththF = ""apB
claims the gourmet, delightedly. Tell
me the price. y
1.-The price Il" answers Mrs. Nature,
sis one long days hard work. - The
customer 8 face falls; he handles
nerVously his heavy purse. Cannot l
pay for it ia money! he asks. II
don It like work, but | am rich man.
can afford to keep French cooks, and
can purchase old wines. ~
Nature shakes her head.
II cannot take your cheques; tissue
aud nerve are my charges, For these i
can give you au appetite that will
make rump stenk and q tankard OF
ale more delicious to you than any
-dinner that the greatest chef in New
York could put before you. can eVen
promise you that hunk of bread and
cheese shall be banquet to you; hui
you must pay my price IN my money
do not deal yours, "
, And next the Dilettante enters, de,
J manding taste for Art and Literature,
and this also Nature is quite prepared
to supply. II can give you true de-
: light in all these things,n she answers.
Music shall be as wings to you. lift
ing You above the turmoil Of the world
Through Art you shall catch GLIMPSE
| VI Atulh "a lbGE bhp pionpnut pppho u!
Literature you shall walk as beside still
waters. -
And our charger" cried the de
lighted customer.
"These things are somewhat ex
] pensivs,n replies Nature II wan
t from you life lived simply, free from
all desire OF worldly SUCCESS, lift
from which passion has been lived out
! life to which appetite has been sub
dued -
And next there comes the woman
asking with blush for love, anC
!. NATURES motherly old heart goes out t,
| her, for it lie an article she loves to sell
: ard she loves those who come to pur
9 chase 1t OF her. So she leans acros
, the counter, smiling, and tells her tina
] she has the very thing she wants, ant
r she, trembling with excitement, liSs
Q wise asks the figure.
Q sit costs good deal" explain
i Nature, but in no disooursgIng tone
n ut is the most expensive thing in al
my shop"
4 am rich, replies the woman
r MY father worked hard and saved
\ and he has left me all his wealth.
have stocks and shares and lands an
8 factories and will pay any price il
Q reason for this thing.
But Nature, looking graver, lays he
r hand upon her arm.
= Put by your purse, woman" sh
q says my price is not price il
It reason, nor is gold the metal that
I deal in. There are many shops i
i various streets where your banknote
!. will be accepted. But il you will tax
an old woman 8 advice, you will moi g
to them The thing thew will sell va
4 will bring sorrow and do evil to you
n 1t is cheap enough, but, like all thing
cheap, IL is not worth the buying. y
a woman purchases 1t, only the fool. "
ii And what IS the cost of tn
T thing you SELL then?n asks th
n woman. "Self- forgetfulness, tenderness
strength, answers the old Dame; tn
love of all things that are Of gou
repute, the hate of all things evil
,r courage, sympathy. selfraspect, -thes
things purchase love. Put up you
n purse, woman, it will serve you
3, other ways; but it will not buy Tor 70
the goods upon my shelves. " "Then
D am no better off than the poor man?
- demands the woman. II know nG
wealth or poverty as you understan
n it, answers Nature Here | g!
4; change realities only for realities 70
]. ask for my treasures; | ask for vol
brain and heart in exchange your
ly woman, not your father's, M
2 RnoThsrs " ..."
J. "And this price, " she argues, tho
70 shall | obtain it?'' go about IL
"a world, " replies the great lady. 'Labo
>, suffer, help. Come back to inc wht
4. you have earned your wages, al
r. according to how much you Firing IL