Morgan County republican. (Versailles, Mo.) 1906-1914, 1907-12-26

"hNS"H hhaANAAh StANAT
at the holly.wreathed
| clock IN the mantel.piece,
ON to know where TO begin
fS reforming yourself?"
EcS Great h~eavens!" en-
HSSW claimed the bachelor,
N you are o going TO do
T anything like that, are
ErFy your"
eaanp4AA The widow pointed SOL
EMMY TO the hands OF the clock,
which Indicated 1880, and then to
the calendar. on which hung n fiut-
tering leaf marked December 81.
1T is time" she sighed, ito begin
mental house-cleaning; to sweep out
our collection OF last years follies and
dust of our petty sins and fling away
our old vices and"
That's the troubled" broke in the
bachelor. IT'S so hard TO know lust
what 70 throw away and what to keep.
Making New Years resolutions Is like
doing the spring housekeeping or
clearing out a drawer full OF old let
tiers and sentimental rubbish. You
N-N 1ANsS oAS lOlG vi hllukH
you ought TO get rid Of, and that are
Just in the way. and that you would
be better on without, but the minute
you make up your mind to part with
anything. even q tiny. insignificant
vice, 1t suddenly becomes 80 dear and
attractive that you repent and begin
10 take q new interest In It. The only
Hma aNar hnA a. ho yLAr 49, A.
a cab was the day after / promised TO
sign the pledge" and the bachelor
sighed reminiscently.
And the only time ! ever overdrew
my bank account" declared the wild
ow. was the day after / had resolved
10 economic. suppose" she added
pensively, that the best way to begin
would be 10 pick out the worst vice
and discard that"
And that will leave heaps Of room
for the others and for a lot OF new 1T.
tie sins, beside, won't IT." agreed the
bachelor cheerfully. We'll" he added
philosophically, I'm give up murder
ing"
What" the widow started.
Don't you want me to?" asked the
bachelor p~lainuyely. rubbing his bald
spot. Or perhaps / might resolve not
TO commit highway robbery any more
or to stop forging Or"
IAN Of which is so easy!" broke in
the widow sarcasucally.
"There'd be some glory and some
reason in giving up a big vice." sigh.
ed the bachelor. III a fellow had one.
But the trouble is that most OF US men
haven't any big criminal tendencies
merely a heap OF little follies and
weaknesses that there isn't any par,
ticular virtue in sacrificing or any
particular harm in keeping"
And which you always do keep, IL
spite OF all -FOUR New Years vows,
remarked the widow ironically.
HUH" The bachelor laughed cyni
cally. IT'S our New Years VOWS tina
help us 10 keep EN-. The very fac
that a fellow has sworn TO forego any
thing, whether It's a habit or a girl
makes II more attractive. I've Thrown
away a whole box OF cigars with tn,
finest Intentions in the world and theI
gotten up IN the middle OF the nigh
10 fish the pieces out Of the waste has
ket And that midnight smoke wa
the sweetest | ever had. II wa
sweeter than the apples / stole whei
] was "a kid and the kisses stol
when"
IF you came here TO dilate on tn
Joys OF sin, Mr., Travers," began tn
widow coldly.
And" proceeded the bachelor
1--WE made up my mind TO stop Cir
ing with a girl. because l found gu
that she was beginning toto"
Il understand" interrupted tn
widow alphabetically.
And, by Joye!' finished the bach,
Tor, 4 had TO restrain myself TO kee