The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1908-01-04

Differing From Other Stories in
the Fact That Resolutions
Were Adhered to-.
Rev. Charles Stelzle s Skillful Pen
Gives Word Picture Contain
ing Good Lessons.

Ing OOVA AeSSVuS.
Jimmy was studying the old slate
with mingling emotions. He could re-
member just what had happened at
each marking. 1t had 4been an exciting
game, in way, but it seemed rather
tame this morning. and foolish. With
unsteady hand ne wiped it clean. Then
to make dead sure e it, he smashed
II to bits OF the edge Of the coal
scu1tle.
IF 1 can keep myanerve, TIL cut it
out-beginning with the new year" he
remarked to the stoye.
Jimmy lived alone. & Often the boys
came into his room At night for a
friendly little galne,n but. somehow
every fellow in the crowd had less
money at midnight than when he ar
rived, and the next morning IT only
that. horrible next morning could be
blotted out-every fellow felt like a
monkey. But Jimmy resolved that no
friend Of his should feel that way again
because of what he did in his, den.
When he finished the slate smashing
job, Jimmy began TO whistle a. CHEEKY
little tune which made him move about
the room with a sprightly step. AL
ready his good resolution had braced
him up so that he felt like a new man:
The sky seemed to smile at him and
the sparrows chirpingSo on his window =
sill cooked their heads as with approval
of his act of destruction. He felt tina {
pthis morning was to him as the begin
ming of life
It was Sunday. Heidi not see any
of his old friends that day, because he
kept away from their. familiar stamp
ing grounds. But 'the next day was
Monday, with its workaday jobs and
its dull routine. When night came
Jimmy started straight for bis board
ing house, even though the day for the
new years resolve. to go into effect mad
not yet arrived. He. felt so good about
it, that he determined to start in al
once. He avoided the fellows who al
ways. stopped for a half hours treat al
the saloon. After supper he courage
ously went back to- his room, and then
began the struggle mighty strange
|
ne. be such a slave to sthat !. half-hou,
! In. the saloon at the Days end? He
really hadn't intendeh to; c,lt that out
too, but !. as. he z+thoust the thtne
feIt that 50 Will
the rest OF It. ~
But the: testing time had come. Al.
most before he was aware, of what he
was doing, Jimmy was slipping into
MS coat, his hat was clapped onto his
head, he was making his way dowr
the stairs, out into the street.. and a
few minutes later he found himself be-
fore the favorite saloon of the fellows
who usually remained here from the
time that the whistle blew at until !
or 10 at night. Several times he
walker past the door, then drawn as
by an almost irresistible power, he
sneaked in. The fellows seated at the
table greeted him in surprise, 70,
Jimmy was known to rore1y come II
so late. He ordered a glass of beer
drank it. set down the glass, and slowly
made his way toward the door.
What! Going so soon, Jimmy ?
was shouted after him. Jimmy didn'1
answer. He had failed to make good
Back to the boarding house he went
and when he got to his room he sank
into a chair, without removing his ha>
and coat There ne sat for fully a,
hour, most of the time with his eyes
closed. He was thinking, and thinking
hard.
I've been Blooming idiot" he final.
ly said, aloud. "But that doesn't NEAR
that I'm going to be one all the time
He was unusually quiet during thu
rest of the week, but he didn't go. te
the saloon and no one played cards ir
his room. Now Jimmy wasn't goody-
goody sort Of a Chap. He wasn't 6
mllksOp. nor. q molly coddle. HI
wouldn't play the baby act, in any
case. But in this matter he felt thai
he had simply been wasting his time
and befuddling his brain, and he was.
MT any nearer his goal to win out as
a ttp-top mechanic, than he had beer
when he first came into this particular
SHOP.
All this happened three years ago
AS Jimmy looks back upon these years
he realizes that his ideal at the be-
ginning of this period was pretty low
Good as his new years resolution may
have been, It was largely negative
Jimmy soon discovered that in order
to make good he not only needed tc
cut out certain things, but get better
things to take their places Instead Of
playing cards, he used the old table in
his room as a drawing board, until he
got a better one. He was surprised to
find how soon he picked up some
simple mathematical principles which
were OF great value in his work. In
less than a year Jimmy knew more
about reading, drawings and laying on,
work scientifically than any other. me-
1 chanic on his floor. In two years he
was made gang boss, and now they're
talking about putting Jimmy in charge
of a department. sz .5..s. z,