Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1902-01-02
HOW JIMMIE KEPT
HIS RESOLUTIONS

On the first day of January Jimmie
Wilson's mother said: "Well, my son,
what are your New Years resolutions
this year?"
1t was evening, and Jimmie was
working on a problem in interest at
the time, for, say as much as they
might about his not being neat in his
dress or his unpleasant habit Of nod
ding his head when he meant Eyes,
and shaking it when he meant mo"
no one could say that he was not the
leading pupil in arithmetic in Lees
town academy. Another thing that
everybody had to admit was that JIM
mic was in love with his mother, but
tonight he scowled and worked on.
He heard Eva's sub1ued laugh, and
without raising his eyes he saw Tom
kick Ned.
He did not see his mothers face,
but he knew without looking that
panied surprise was written there, for
he had never been the boy to treat his
mother with disrespect. He might trip
Tom or strike Ned, he might even
tease Elsie or grumble when his IA
ther asked him to leave his problems
to post letter for him or to NOW the
grass on the lawn, but his mother al
ways found him ready to go on an
arrand or do the chores
BY and by the figures began to act
queerly. He found himself saying
mine times eight equals fifty-six," and
once he discovered that he had multi
piled the interest by the principal to
get the rate. Determined not to give
up he tried to get his mind back to
his work by adding set of figures,
three columns at a time, but he failed,
and dropped to two columns; it was
stil too much for him, and when he
had gone to one column and had said
"fve and eight are-I won't talk to her
before the others-eight and five are
they'd laugh if I did-are twelve; no,
are-like as not Ned would ask me the
time; pshaw! Five and eight-or else
Tom would tell me to catch cold and
get a crick in my neck" he gave up
and slammed book and tablet upon
the table with such bang that his
mother dropped her work and Eva
gave a frightened little screech that
set the other boys into roar of laugh
ter.
Taking advantage of the confusion,
Jimmie whispered to his mother:
"Come up to my room," and made his
escape. He waited in the hall until
his mother came out, and then he took
her arm and together they went in
silence up to his room. Pushing her
into his own cushioned rocker, he went
to a table and took from one of the
drawers a little red book. Then he
came and sat on the arm of her chair.
Still he had not spoken, but his moth
err was accustomed to his silent ways.
Some people thought it queer that he
should be so quiet, but when they
mentioned 1t to his mother, she only
smiled and called it "Jimmie's way"
Opening his book we'll toward the
back, he said: you know I keep my
school records in here and my monthly
accounts and anything else that want
to have convenient to refer to. I've had
1t two years"
He paused a moment, but his mother
knew that he was warming to his SUBJ
iect, and at such time he was sure to
find the words that he needed.
Back here l have written my New
Years resolutions, and you know how
I have broken every one of them. Jan
uary /, 1917 hereby resolve to quit
my head and to say Eyes" in
stead. If I stick to it, mother will give
me a new watch What happened?"
His mother laughed, but he repeated
almost fercely: What happenedP"
"Why, on the second day of January
I took you to the jewelers. and showed
YOU the kind of watch would get you
If you kept your resolution, and then
I asked: Isn't it worth the effort?' p"
"And like a Ounce, nodded my
head"
$50 you did, and you have tried ever
since to earn that watch, but it has
proved too hard a battle. Neverthe-
less will say: TRY again."
swell, here's January I, 1898. Once
more l firmly resolve to quit nodding
my head; moreover I resolve not to
give so much attention to arithmetic
that 1 neglect my grammar What
Why, 1 nodded my head
worse than ever and my years average
in grammar was one less than it was
she year before"
"Still, 1 believe that you made de-
termined effort and you helped me to
see how strongly your mind was turned
toward mathematics. / think we have
both been happier SINCE" said his
mother. From his elevated position on
her chair arm Jimmie patted his moth
er's head approvingly.
snow it comes to this year, and
know just what you want me to re-
solve to do. You want me first to say |
this: 4 am determined that the third
time is the charm, and that not once
during this entire year will nod my
head for yes OF shake it for no. Don't
your"
81 should like it" she answered with |
a smile. 81 should not like to have you
give up what once you have under
taken to do"
"Then you'd like me to add that
will be neat in my personal appear
ance. Now ] want to ask you ques-
ton. Does being neat mean wearing
a stiff collar and a white shirt and
keeping my shoes blacked?"
II should think So"