, 1903-01-19
Eddie's New Years Resolution.
BY HARRIS.


Copyright. 1902. ~ Daily story pub. Coz
1t altogether depended on che point
Of view whether it could have been
called a bad habit, but it has become
a habit, and Eddie Baxter was com
pletely its slave. First he dallied with
it occasionally. He did not have to
acquire the taste; 1t struck him as
rather pleasant from the first, still.
If he INDUCED himself once in two
weeks or SO it was as much as he
particularly cared for. That might
have gone oil much longer. or at
least merged by more imperceptible
gradations into the habit If he had
not left town for a month.
1t Is II thing to be near a thing of
that sort, where you know hat If you
are in pressing need of it you can
satisfy your y%earning 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 it, 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 a
vague feeling of uneasiness and empti,
ness all the time. He took it for
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 a 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 ey-
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
"ANHih nv 'aso hS v
more Of the elixir; but for some time
after that even, he remained unaware
that it was O 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
we'll meant advice, but he only laugh
ed at these solicitous friends.
Shortly after that he tried it. It
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
u~neasiness 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 a 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. II you took a hair off the dog
that has bitten youth fact, several
hairs-I think it would do you good.
l have known that to answer in sew
eral cases that have come under my
observation. I can not recommend
total abstinence, because l am pretty
sure that you would not be equal to
it. Do you really want to quit?"
I'm no dead sure" replied Eddie,
frankly.
We'll, If you do, you can easily
enough, if you'll only allow yourself
time"
That may be in some cases, but an
allowance of eternity wouldn't affect
me. I'm sure enough of that. That is,
unless there was something else to
bring my will power into action. I
used to think hat l had will power"
"The longer most habits continue
the stronger they get" observed the
person of experience, but it's differ
! ent with this m To begin with,
it is seldom well nourished after it
| gets we'll started; it becomes hollow