The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1905-12-30

| tmS W icdu MS TtSolutiOus-ln tdCt,
OF late he had been rather neglectins
that self-imposed duty-but hurry as
fast as he could, after gulping down
his breakfast, he was unable to reach
the office until long after the schedule
time Of $3.50. After that things went
from bad to worse. and soon every
resolution on the card had one or more
bad marks against them, and some
even were beginning to be entirely
ignored. With disappointment and
encouragement at the failures came q
reckless Indifference to the fine pur
poses of the new year. and one morn
ing after late hours the night before
and spending of the sum pledged tc
the weekly savings account, Ralph
sprang from his bed as his eye fell
upon the card-his silent accuser--
and, tearing 1t from its fastening. he
threw II into his waste basket.
There sister Kate found 1t. and as
she stood looking at II an inspiration
came to her and she took 1t to her
room. She had noted her brothers
lapses. but had wisely said nothing,
feeling that the time had not yet come
to speaks Now novel plan presented
itself and she busted herself over the
card of resolutions. With her water
colors and some ribbon she, in very
short time, had quite transformed its
appearance. She covered the lines of
the writing in such a way with some
OF the deeper shades that they gave a
very pretty panel background effect
for the bright lettering she placed
across the face of the card. After 1t
was done she laid 1t away, and the
next day, which was Sunday, afforded
her the opportunity which she sought.
isis" Ralph exclaimed, dejectedly,
In response to her appeal to him to 60
with her to church, what's the use?
might just as well cut that out. too.
The resolutions are all gone to
smash"
But you seem to lie all intact"
II amt, thought" he snapped II
feel just like the record have made
crooked and imperfect"
THE trouble Is not so much with
you, Ralph, as with your methol," his
sister responded. You undertook to
be good by rote; you tried to live with
in the compass OF set of infiexible
resolutions, and they have nagged you.
and tripped you, and spoiled all your
natural impulses and made you feel
more like prisoner than a son Of
freedom"
Now you're preaching at me-" he
half laughingly complained.
mo, I'm not. I'm telling you how
you have been victimized by your good
impulses and led astray by the New
Year resolution fad and fallacy. You
are only one of thousands who think
there Is some peculiar virtue and
charm in the opening days OF the new
year and who arrange a programme
of life which even an angel OF light
would grow weary in following; and
then when the good resolutions are all
broken and forgotten, and discourage
ment comes, the rest of the year Is
lived aimlessly and even harmfully,
while the conscience Is stilled with the
promise of fresh start when another
new year shall roll around"
But you don't mean that it's foo!-
ish or wrong to make good resolutions.
even on New, Years day."
mo; but I'd rather walk one path
way than try to straddle a half dozen.
I'd rather have one purpose that
would lead me out and away from my
own little self and what 1t may Of
itself attain, than follow a dozen daz-
zling virtues that would have their
beginning and ending within the mar
row borders of my own human will,
and my own selfish ambhions. But
must be going, or l shall be late for
your wall this morning will help you
to understand she said, in parting.
Ralph was half tempted to put on
his hat and coat and hurry after his
sister, but her words had struck deep
and set him to thinking, and he felt
he wanted to be alone. And the mot
to; what was It? and how could It help
him? he unused, as he slowly went up
stairs and entered his room. Instinct
lively he looked towards the place on
the wall at the foot OF his bed where
he had hung the elaborate resolutions
drawn up. on New Years day. There,
sure enough, was the motto, and had
he not been so eager to read It's mes
sage he would have noted how really
beautiful 1t was, with its handsome
red bow in one corner, and the gold
letters standing out from the rich
background as though carved in re-
lief. He read, and reread the words:
This one thing do, forgetting
those things which are behind, and
reaching forth unto those things which
are before, | press toward the mara fer
the prize OF the high calling of God
In Christ Jesus"
And his sisters words required TO
him, and he repeated while the light
stole into his heart:
"I'd rather have one purpose that
would lead me out and away from my
own little self and what It may OF
itself attain, than follow dozen daz-
cling virtues that would have their
beginning and ending within the mar
row borders OF my own human will,
and my own selfish ambitions"
Going closer to the motto and