Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1903-01-31
TWENTY FOURTH YEAR. Yearla SubscriI
EDDIE'S NEW YEARS RESOLUTION.
,yright, 1909. by Daily story Pub. Co,
By KENNETF HARRIS.

It altogether depended on the point
of view whether it could have been
called a bad habit, but it had become
a habit, and Eddie Baxter was COM
pletely its slave. First he dallled with
it occasionally. He did not have to
acquire the taste; it struck him as
rather pleasant from the first, still,
If he INDUCED himself once in two
weeks or SO it was as much as ne
particularly cared for. That might
have gone on much longer, or at
least merged by more imperceptible
gradations into the habit If he had
not left town for a month.
1t is one thing to be near a thing of
that sort, where you know that if you
are in pressing need of it you can
satisfy your yearning at almost any
time, and another to be miles away
from anything approaching the alto
eether superior quality of the article
you have become accustomed to.
Under these circumstances some men
will take what they can get and make
the best of 1T, but Eddie was not that
kind of a man. What there was in
Calamus Center did not appeal to him
in the least. He was conscious of
vague feeling of uneasiness and empti-
ness all the time. He took 1t for
dyspepsia at first and endeavored to
overcome it by abstaining from the
hot biscuits that they served with
every meal and dosing himself with
some little white pellets that he pro-
cured at drug store. AS these meas
ures failed to afford him relief he set
it down to the altitude and returned
home a week earlier than he ex-
pected.
Almost unconsciously his footsteps
strayed to the place where the potion
was dispensed and the draught that
he took was somewhat deeper than
any he had taken before, whereupon,
though, he did not notice it at the
time, the feeling of uneasiness and
emptiness left him and he went away
experiencing an unwonted exhilara-
ton. He ought to have realized the
nearness of the slope of descent-that
in fact, he was already upon it, when
within three days he returned for
more of the elixir; but for some time
after that even, he remained unaware
that it was not a thing he could, in
the customary phrase, take or let
alone" Other people noticed it and
began to wag their heads wisely;
some ventured to give Eddie a little
well meant advice, but he only laugh
ed at these solicitous friends.
Shortly after that he tried it. 1t
had disagreed with him and he decid-
ed that he would be better off with
out it. He was restless and miserable
for three days, and the feeling of
uneasiness and emptiness returned to
him with tenfold force. Then he real
lied that he had in truth got into the
clutches of the habit and held long
session of self-communion. Later
he unbosomed himself to a friend of
experience and asked for his advice.
My son." said the person of ex-
perience, gravely, 81 don't see that
you have any cause for worry, though
these moments of remorse are newt
able. If you took a hair off the dog
that has bitten you-in fact, several
hairs-I think it would do you good.
/ have known that to answer in sew
eral cases that have come under my
observation. 1 can not recommend
total abstinence, because 1 ara pretty