The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1905-12-29

From the Chicago Record.
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 yes"
n shaking it when he meant no.
no one could say that he was not the
town academy. Another thing tina
everybody had to admit was that Jim
my was in owe With his mother, hut
tonight he scowied and worked on.
He heard lEva's suodued laugh. ana
without raising his eyes he saw Tom
kick Ned.
He did not SEQ his mothers face. but
he knew without looking that panied
surprise wa written There, Jor lie Rad
eve been the boy 10 trea, hrs mother
with disrespeet. lie lf,1hl TYP Yela,
or strike Ned. he nlisiit even iaase .-issa
or gru,i.oie when his father aSl,.t nt!n
to Leave his problems TO post a ielier
for him or to NOV the sr4s.s ou lne
lawn. but his mother aiMass Aolla haze.
ready to so on an errand or do the
chores.
BY and by the figures began 10 act
Qu9eTIS. Tie IOuuu HlIIlSelL sd ing nine
times eight equals fifty-SiX,' ald once
he discovered that he had multiplied the
interest by the principal to get the rate.
Determined not to give up. he tried 10
get his mind bac to his work by add
ing a set of figures, three c~oiunlns "a,
q time. but he failed. and dropped to
two columns; it was still too much for
him, and when he had gone to one col
umn and a said five and eight are
ISwon't talk to her before the others
eight and five are-they'd laugh If | 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 criclS in my
neck" he gave up n slammed o.
and tablet upon the table with such u
bang that his mother dropped her work
and Eva gave a frightened little screech
that set h other boys into q roar of
laughter.
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 to-
gether they went In silence UP to his
room. Pushing her into his own cush-
Toned rocker, he vent to a table and
took from one Of the drawers a little
red book. Then he came and sat on
the arm of the chair. Still he had not
spoken, but his mother was accustomed
to his silent ways. Some people thought
It quee that he should be SO quiet, but
when they mentioned 1t to his mother,
she only smiled and called it "Iimmie's
way
Opening his book well toward the
back. he said: you know l keep my
school records in here and my monthly
accounts and anything else that I want
to have convenient to refer to. I've
had 1t two years."
He paused a moment. but hts mother
knew that he Was warming to his sub
ject, and at such a time he was sure to
find the words that he needed
Back here l "a written my New
Years resolutions. and you know how
1 have broken every n OF them. jan
uary 4, 1871 hereby resolve to quit
nodding my head and to say yes in
stead. II I stick to 1t. mother will
give me a new watch What hap
pened7.
His mother laughed. but he repeated
almost fercely. What happened?"
why. on the second day OF January
I tool o to the jewelers. and showed
you the kind OF watch l would get you
IL you kept your resolution. and then
l asked: Isn't it worth the effort
And l like a Ounce, I nodded my
head!"
And so you did, and you have tried
ever since to earn that watch, but 1t
has proved too hard a battle. Never
theless 1 Will say Try again."
We'll. here's January /, 1898. Once
more l firmly resolve to quit nodding
my head; moreover. I resolve not to
give SO much attention to arithmetic
that I neglected my grammar What
happened? Why I nodded my head
worse thar yer and my years average
in grammar was one less than 1t was
the year BEFORE"
Still, I believe that you made a de-
termined effort. and you helped me to
see how strongly your mind was turned
toward mathematics. I think we have
both been happier since" said his
mother. From his elevated position on
her chair arm Jimmie patted his
mothers head approvingly.
Now 1t ome to this year, and I
know just what you want me 10 re-
solve to do. You want me first, to say
this: I am determined that the third
time is the charm, and that not once
during the entire year will ! nod my
head Tor yss or shake It for no. Don't
your"