The Tupelo journal., 1906-01-05

new wear soon to De enteTeu upoH' I'm
always made a fair start, and with ne
roic fidelity carried out for q time Tue
course of conduct marked out, but
somehow or other the newness OF the
new wear had scarcely worn 1tseli
away ere he had grown weary IN wen
doing, like many another, ana alter q
few spasmodic efforts against Iallurei
and some sharp twinges OF conscience
that found relief in self reproaches
more or less bitter, had gradually SET
tied back into the old habits n the
former, easy-going, aimless drlftlns
with the current.
ayes" he remarked to his sister
who had been Gliding him for MS iaet
hours and corresponding late rising
which made him go slipping shame
facedly into the office after all the resi-
were busy at their desks, yes L"
going to turn over a new leaf with the
New Year. l know I'm running around
too much but what's a fellow going
to do. when there's so much gong on
The rest Of the fellows are on the go
all the time, and why shouldn't 1!
NV, but I'm sleepy" he added, as ne
tried to repress the rising of a persist
ent yawn. ''Dozed off over my books
to-day" he laughed, guilty.. Inc
boss looked soul enough to curdle all
the milk in a dairy. Oh, by the way,
there's a rumor about the ONCE ina
Jim Roe is going to get a promotion
and raise the first of the year. He al
ways was lucky"
WAS it luck or hard work." asked
his sister, quietly. Wasn't it jim
Roe who excused himself from join
ing your club because he was study
ing nights to fit himself as auditing
bookkeeper?'
YES" reluctantly admitted her
brother. Jim has worked hard. !
guess he deserves all that is coming
to him."
And thrusting his hands into his
trousers pockets, he struck an attitude,
and with a voice that would have been
serious had it not been so charged
with boastful assurance, he added:
But I'm going to dig in next year,
and earn a well-done, good and faith
full servant, as we'll as a promotion
that will make even Jim look envious.
What do 0 say, sis""
And with an air of self-approval he
waited for her response.
Better begin now," she replied, half
beseechingly.
ooh. the first of the New Year is
the best beginning time. 1t sort OF
fits in better.
But if your good resolves are desir-
able for the New Year, why are they
not desirable now?"
"Oh, pshaw," he calculated, with
good-natured Impotence, as he drew
on his coat and reached for his hat,
undue haste is unseemly."
The slam of the door and the merry
whistle that peat time for the quick
stroke of the receding footsteps came
as the emphatic echo of the good-by,
and made sister Kate realize that she
must be patient and wait.
Those were strenuous days for
Ralph-those last days of the old year
and when New Years morning came
it found him taking an extra snooEe,
an indulgence which seemed quite rea-
sonable in view of the fact that it was
a holiday for him, and that he had not
retired until long after midnight, hav-
tNg attended a New Years Eve party
as a final wind-up before turning over
the promised new leaf. And then, too,
he felt more in the mood to think over
his good resolutions while lying in
bed. 1t was so easy and comfortable
to plan there.
'Ill just map out the programme in
my mind and then get up in time to
write it down before dinner" he NUT
tered to himself when sister Kate
called him for breakfast, and he halt
dreamily recalled that it was the first
day of the New Year on which he was
to start his many reforms.
Once during the morning, after he
had risen, his sister passed the door
of his room, which was ajar, but MOTTO
ing that he was busy writing at his
desk, she did not disturb him. She
half guessed what was engaging him
SO closely, but was hardly prepared fol-
the elaborate set of rules of conduct
which he presented for her approval
when she went to call him to dinner
There" he exclaimed, with boyish
enthusiasm, as he placed in her hands
the resolutions which he had carefully
inscribed in his bold, free hand upor
q large piece of cardboard, I'm going
to hang that up at the foot of my bed
see in the morning, and I will find II
handy to run v e the resolutions
while I am dressing. The reason good
resolutions are broken is that they
are forgotten, at least that is the case
with me, and with them staring me in
the face each morning, and me repeat
ing them over from the first one, which
schedules my hour for rising at $3.50
to the last one, that requires the read
ing of one good book a month, I'm
bound to keep that new leaf turned
and make a good record. What do you
think of it?"
WELL" she replied, hesitatingly, as
she ran her eye over the dozen OF
more resolutions that filled the card
you have certainly planned a rigor.
Gus programme, but"
"Oh, fudge, Sis, there's no but about
it. Don't discourage q fellow at the
very start"