The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-12-31

"Whats the use to start another Diary with a brand new set of resolutions?" Peggy began.
 Because" I interrupted, tomorrow is the New Year. The day returns"
 T know" Peggy anticipated, "but there's no diary with refrigerated leaves, guaranteed to Make New Year Resolu- tions keep. Then-why-why make them?'
 "So you can break 'em," I answered.
 "To begin with" Peggy averred there's no resolution left to make"
 But one can always RE-MAKE them." l reminded. "A good resolution, like q good hat, can be made over indefinitely Besides, good resolutions go with the New Year-just as Eggnog and Fruit cake, and Holly and Mistletoe, and Pa pier Mache Santa Clauses go with Christ mas Don't rob the day of it's ancient traditions. Make a few good resolutions, Peggy
 'T positively decline to make another good resolution" said she emphatically.
 Tn that announcement" I observed, you've already made one-a very bad resolution. It's no harder to make a good resolution than it Is to make d bad one"
 "They are both equally brittle" Peggy suggested. Just about as substantial as spun sugar baskets"
 But as spiritual support" I returned.
 Peggy wavered for moment; then she said:
 Tt IS rather like throwing brick bats at a church or like jerking a chair ou, from under your grandmother
 Tt is a most woeful lack of respect for ancient traditions" I amended, not to make New Years Resolutions.''
 T haven't the courage not to- sighed Peggy. Just gaze at these, if you please"
 Peggy crossed the room to her writing desk, and took out of it several shining red Morocco volumes, and pointing to them, said:
 Tn these I have recorded New Years resolutions by the score, and broken them before Lent ever began. So-what's the use?'
 What's the use of any thing?p I asked. When it comes down to brass tacks, we don't do any thing because there is any special use in doing it. The New Year isn't dependent upon us making resolu- tions on the 1st of January. Time has little habit of skipping on, forever young and cheerful-no matter how old and gray and faded and blase we get to be. It's not question of Whats the use?' to anybody but just ourselves.'' In these diaries" said Peggy handling them tenderly. T have mis-spelled all the important words-but, even then, am ardent in my resolutions. I recorded later on that I kept at least two of them up to the 18th of January" And you weren't any the worse for having tried to keep them 13 days" l asked
 How many does 1S from 365 leave?" asked Peggy hopelessly. ''Well-No matter the rest of the year, couldn't look that diary in the face. Who can keep the dis position of a Christmas Card angel over 13 days, any way?'
 Here's one saintly resolution I started out with" she continued presently Y" See no evil; hear no evil; speak no evil | lost ont on that, too. Its always like that with me- though"
 Always like what?" I asked.
 "One gets the feeling that have now" she answered. That making New Year S resolutions is as futile as blowing soap bubbles"
 That shouldn't be your feeling at all about New Years resolutions,'' in- sisted
 What should it be them" asked Peggy.
 That's simply the gastronomic after lnath of Christmas" I explained that produces that mental attitude It is con- posed not of broken resolutions and van ishing Illusions, and world weariness- not much! But of too much fruit cake and eggnog, mince pies and candy" ''W-h-a-t?' Peggy inquired curiously. You mean"
 Its just this" I explained You've eaten too much. Like Laura in the Sec ond Reader-we are all naturally greedy and you've eaten too intemperately. You've gotton on a most awful food 'spree'-and the result has overlapped the Yuletide week, and there's the I-did-it- last-year disgust of New Years resolu- tions and
 You are trying to say. Dolly" Peggy interrupted, that my VOW not to make any New Year resolutions this year is due to the fact that I ate too much Christmas week.
 Exactly" said I peremptorily You ate everything that everybody offered you everywhere you went Christmas week. Now, 'fess up--didn't your"
 We were speaking of resolutions" re- minded Peggy.
 And tomorrow is New Years Day." unused
 And it's time to start a new diary" Peggy sighed.
 Diaries aren't necessarily resolutions" observed "so why waste the time writ ing them?"
 Somehow things look much more i'm pressive in writing" said Peggy. sin cerely, and l like to see in cold ink what I would like to have been"
 (Which is a commendable attitude declared. ."I know Browning well enough to know that Rabbi Ben Ezra spoke the truth when he said What I