The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1907-07-04
FLITTlNBY'S REFORM
CLEANS UP THE AccuMuLATioNs
OF YEARS.
Reaches the Mature Age When He
Throws Away Dead Matter and
10 Ready to Begin Life
Again.

"I am beginning to throw away
things" said Mr.. Flittinby; going
through my papers and things and
throwing things away.
Il find among them newspaper clip
pings about things that l would never
have thought of again but for this
reminder, and some things l have
forgotten SO completely that even the
sight of the clippings does not recall
to me why cut them out and saved
them; so important, really, are many
of the things about which we bother
ourselves or which at some time we
found of interest.
There are letters from men long
since dead, and old bills that recall
forgotten periods of our life, that now
seem strange to us, we live so much
In the present. And why keep these
old receipts? The men that gave them
are dead now or moved away and
these accounts will never be sent in
again. and If they were they have
long since been outlawed by the lapse
of time. Throw them away.
Here are old birthday cards, with
pretty, with affectionate, with loving
greetings; bringing most pleasant
memories, though they do remind us
of the years that have gone since first
they came to us. And why should we
preserve them? We can remember,
we can cherish those who sent them,
without them to remind us, and they
would only be there with the old pa
pers in the drawer. To the basket
gently with them.
And here, as | live, are some old
valentines! Well, well. This does
make us young again. But dear dear ;
that was long ago. Why should we
keep them longer? To the basket,
gently. We have the valentine her
self now.
There are so many things that we
put away to save, to treasure, life
seems to stretch interminably before
us when we are young, and we are
going to keep these things always.
And 1t takes US, happily long, long
time to get to where we can see
the beginning of the end. Youth en-
velops us with a buoyancy and
strength that makes life seem a Joy
| that is to go on forever, and In sturdy
middle age, indeed, we take little ac'
count of the years, but then comes
time when we begin to realize that
two and two make four and no more
NOW | have arrived at that time
OF life when ! begin to know. Don't
for heavens sake think that / am tax
ing a mournful view. Far from It,
Life never seemed 10 me so full
of JOY as now, and I'm good for a
good long stretch Of 1t yet, with
senses keen and understanding broad
ening, finding enjoyment In every
thing; and taking this broader view
of things, not occupied too much by
detail, this stored up accumulation oi
long gathering truck seems superfiu
Gus and useless and so I'm just going
through it and throwing things away
This lot that I've been goins
through to-day Is just stuff that has
accumulated in the cubby holes in my
desk; but I've got boxes and bundles
OF such stuff stored away, and
must get 1t out a box or bundle a
time and go through 1t, and throw
II away. For of what use will 1t eve
be to anybody? What becomes o
this sort of stuff, anyway, when peo
ple-er-r-I mean why shouldn't
sort this stuff out now myself. and no
leave it to cumber things up for some
body else to throw away?
There may be some things, to b.
sure, that I'll want to save, things tha
ether people will want to keep, an
these things / will save; but as t
the bulk of this stuff, why, it's just 81
much hindering useless baggage, ant
this I'll throw away, and with tn
decks cleared start life anew"