Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1907-12-28

~ W huO" hHtIt ~ utSll
\ aSA1M reforming yourself?'
I've Tk Great heavens" ex-
DI36SNN claimed the bachelor,
\ I'M you are not going to do
1 =zER anything like that, are
4 kE1Ad YOU"
blasMRxaiuS The widow pointed SCI
EMMY TO the hands of the, clock,
which indicated 11:30, and then to
the calendar, on which hung one fut-
tering leaf marked December 81.
1T is time she sighed, ito begin
mental housekeeping; to sweep out
our collection of last years follies and
dust off our petty sins and fling away
our old vices and"
That's the troublel" broke in the
bachelor. It's so hard to know Just
what to 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
ters and sentimental rubbish. You
know that there are lots of things
you ought to get rid of, and that are
just in the way, and that you would
be better off without, but the minute
you make up your mind to part with
anything, even tiny, insignificant
vice, it suddenly becomes SO dear and
attractive that you repent and begin
to take new interest in it, The only
time ! ever had to be taken home in
n 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
to economize. | suppose she added
pensively, that the best way to begin
would be to pick out the worst vice
and discard that"
And that will leave heaps of room
for the others and for lot of new lit
tie sins. beside, won't it," agreed the
bachelor cheerfully. Well" he added
philosophically "Ill give up murder.
ing"
What" the widow started.
Don't you want rue tor asked the
bachelor plaintively, rubbing his bald
spot. Or perhaps might resolve not
to commit highway robbery any more
or to stop forging Or
"All of which is so easy!" broke in
the widow sarcastically.
"There'd be some glory and some
reason IN giving up big vice. sigh.
ed the bachelor, "if 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, in
spite of all your New Years VOWS,
remarked the widow ironically.
Huh" The bachelor laughed Cyni
cally. Its our New Years vows that
help HIS to keep en- The very fact
that fellow has sworn to forego any
thing, whether it's a habit or a girl
makes it more attractive. I've thrown
away a whole box of cigars with the
finest intentions In the world and ther
gotten up in the middle of the might
to fish the pieces out of the waste bas
ket. And that midnight smoke was
the sweetest | ever had. 1t was
sweeter than the apples | stole wher
was a kid and the kisses | stole
when"
IF you came here to dilate on the
joys of sin, Mr., Travers," began the
widow coldly.
And, proceeded the bachelor
'Ive made up my mind to stop flirt
ing with a girl because | found out
that she was beginning Toto"
Il understand interrupted the
widow sympathetically.
And, by Jove!" finished the bache
lor, Il had to restrain myself to keeI