I
THE 8EMI-WEEKLY TRIBUNE, NORTH PLATTE, NEBRASKA.
MA VKG
RESOLUTION
i
.
itfe editorial talk
about joys and sor
rows, failures and
achievements of the old
year, and hopes and
promises for the new : :
Suggestions for a New
Year's Eve party : : Also
a few words by a doctor
about " swearing off"
4
.TANDING, as wo lire, upon tho
'threshold of nnothcr year, ninny of
us will, In funcy, go buck over tho
'twelve months that have passed
nnd smile when wo recall tho "New
Year resolutions" wo mado a year
ago.
"Yes." a woman will sny, "I
imado good resolutions last New Year's my In
dentions woro of tho very best, hut I did
inot have tho will power to llvo up to them.
Pray, what Is tlio sense of malting now onoa?"
Well, forget last year's good resolutions and
Iforget tho pust year entirely. Turn with hopo
land conll.dcnco to tho great now year about to
Idawn, and yes, mnku now good resolutions, ns
(many of them as your brain can conjuro up. Per
haps you did fall to keep tlio good Intentions
ithnt tniulo you bo happy when you thought them
iout, but remember you are very human. Indeed,
,'tf wo all were not so very human there would bo
inbsolutely no need of our ever making any kind
lof good resolutions.
, Many of us will seo tho old year go with few
iregrcts. It brought us, perhaps, an extra share
lof cures and disappointments, but tiro wo not all
tho better uml stronger for them, nnd will not
jthe tesaonrt tliuy taught us stand us In good stead
ilurtag tho coming days? Dear friend, lot mo nB
(sure, you that tho difficulties and discouragements
yoa surmounted during this still present year will
without question mako you a better and braver
wman.
i Welcome the new year; and by nil means mako
'new good resolutions. Every ono of us noeds to
'make them, because ns I havo said, we are all
ftian or woman.
In tho hearts of most of us Is a wonder, n curl
(olty, as to what tho coming yenr may bring to
rua, whether good fortuno or bad, sorrow or Joy.
now many of us rcallzo that tho shaping of-our
fortunes during the year to como Is In our hands?
We do not need to depend on somo Imaginary
tfttto to deal us out good luck or had, ns sho will,
ft we have tho earnestness nnd tho deslro to suc
ceed, ' All Desire Happiness.
But, nftcr all, we wnnt something more out of
,tho year to como than Just material success, wel
come though that may be. Success Is not always
attended by happiness, and what wo nil deslro
in .reality In 1017 Is happiness, no matter what Its
ource. To bo contented and happy, that Is tho
most wo can wish for nnyono, Including ourselves.
Wo can find true happiness by limiting and keep
ing tlio proper kind of Now Year's resolutions.
The nnnunl period for taking stock of our
mental, spiritual nnd material resources finds
most of us nbout where wo woro a yenr ago. Wo
nro living nbout tho same. Wo nro thinking about
tho same thoughts.
Wo nro anlmnted by nbout tho same expecta
tion. When wo nro depressed It is because of
the tamo old fears.
I'tmo hnvti learned something In tho dying
yenr. Somo have not. Some hopo to learn during
the coming year.
Most of us spend tho mnln portions of our lives
(n (llsuppolntment over the falluro of that which
we hoped might como to pass, bnlancing Unit with
pur washed-out pleasure that tho worst of tho
things wo feared did not happen, Somo of us
lack grip upon ourselves.
This annual stock-taking of our mentality
mould light tho future of tho coming year with
Uio experience of tho year just passed. If it
Soesn't do thnt wo nro not doing tho Job right.
Tho extent to which wo hnvo learned our les
ions In tho old yenr will bo tho measuro In which
ivo mny gaugo our expectations for tho new year.
Turning the New Leaf.
From tlmo inmicmorlal It has been tho custom
f the forehanded good old-fashioned neighbor to
wunro Up his uccounts, mnko now resolves, start
putting oft certain bad habits, and "turn over a
leaf." , t ....
(This is perfectly reasonable nnd nntural. An tlio
JTcnditr ninrkfj a now cyclo of time, so w la-
Htlnctlvcly puuso and mako ready for a fnlr new
stnrUIn life, even though wo know that neither
life nor tlmo hns any pauso In Its onward sweep.
It Is probnblo that there aro many moro New
Year's resolutions broken than aro kept strictly
through tlio year. Even so, there Is good value In
tho making of thorn, In splto of what somebody
has said about tho downwnrd road being paved
with good Intentions.
Giod new resolves nro good for us any time,
nnd n backward glanco will not hinder our for
ward march. Wo cannot mnko too many efforts
to prune oft bad habits and such other dead wood
as we llnd In our lives ench year. All who havo no
faults, please standi
However, It may bo thnt tho best Now Year's
resolvo wo can mnko this first holiday of 1017 will
bo to stnrt the good habit of beginning new every
morning.
After all the mistakes and disappointments and
bunInc-88 battles that lcavo us tired and sour nnd
sick, there comes n,now day, so that wo can begin
over ngaln and do better. If wo start such a plan,
the coming yenr and thoso following It will bo
happier now years.
New Year's Entertaining.
Now Year's ovo Is au occasion of big celebra
tion all over tho country, every man and woman
huvlng n deslro to speed tho old year and wcl
como tho now with somo form of festivity. In.
the cities tho hotels and restaurants mnko a big
fcaluro of this holiday, and each and overy ono
advertises n special supper, with dancing, etc.
This Is nil very well for thoso who do not hnvo
to count the pennies when seoklng plcnsuro, for
entertainment on Now Year's ovo comes high.
Everyone wants to be amused, to greet tho incom
ing twolvo months with Jollity nnd song,
and tho consequenco Is thnt tlio restaurants de
mand nnd get high prices for entertainment on
tlnit occnslon.
There nro.no end of cnjoynblo ways of enter
taining In one's own homo on Now Year's
eve, and tho woman who wishes to gtvo pleasure
to the' family and friends on this occuslon can
do so at very little expense. All sho needs Is to
nskx n Jolly crowd, to think out n clover schcrao
of tnblo dqcorntlon, to arrange somo forms of
amusement and all will bo well.
The, womnn who has fairly largo rooms In her
house will do we'll to select dancing ns tho chief
form of ontertnlnmcnt for tho evening. Dancing
lion lost nono of its fascination for tho majority
of folks, and If It is mndo tho big feature of tho
party It Is sofo to say .that most of tho guests
will bo well pleased. A small danco need not bo
an expensive affair. If you havo a phonograph
nil Is well; If not surely you have some friend
from whom you cnu borrow an Instrument for
the evening. Dnnclng to n phonograph Is Just ns
good fun ns dancing to nn orchestrn, provided
ono's partner Is skillful nt trcudlng tho "llgljt
fantastic."
When giving a Now Year's ovo party whero
dancing Is to bo tho chief attraction of tho eve
ning It Is n good Idea to uslc ono's guests to como
to tho affair masked. This will lend mystery and
excitement to tho party and thoro will ho great
fun when the guests unmask as tho hour strikes
twelve and tho now year Is ushorcd In to tho
tuno of many happy volcos wishing each other
"Happy Now Year."
After tho usual felicitations nro ovor, supper
should be served. This may bo slmplo or elab
orate, Just as tho hostess desires.
As for table decorations, n pretty centerplcco
la to hnvo n star mndo froin a brilliant red poln
scttln. In tho mlddlo of tho star plnco n tall
candlestick with n long white cnndlo for tho now
yenr. Each, point of tho star should bo marked
by n low candlestick holding a shorter white
candle. At tho left of each pinto hnvo n spray of
polnscttln. A pretty way to servo Ico cream on
tills occasion would bo to hnvo It molded In tho
form of u cnndlo nnd candlestick, the cnudlo to
bo tho vnnllln crenm nnd the candlestick to ho
of pistachio green. A tiny war taper may bo In
serted nt tho top of ench "cnndlo" nud lighted
Just'nu all aro brought In.
A filmplo supper menu for Now Year's ovo
might consist of hot bouillon (n thin soup) served
In cup 0 that It Is easy to hand around, chicken
Hiilud, sandwiches, lco cream, enko nnd coffee.
Th6 supper should bo of tho buffet order, tho
men guests helping the girls, to tho food they ro
qulro. On this wny tho need of extra help Is
dispensed with and no additional expense Is In
curred ou this score.
Izola Ibrrcsfcl
For those who do not care for dancing, cards,
either bridge, "rum," fantnn or somo other popu
lar game, will do to pass tho hours before twelve.
Doctor Smith Talks.
Drinks, smokes nnd candy are not the only
things to swear off on New Year's day. There
aro plenty of others, nnd for most of us the others
aio much more important, as fortunately the
readers of this department arc not victims of
rum nnd tobneco.
Now Yenr resolutions, however, should not con
sist entirely of "swear offs." Too many "don'ts"
nro not advisable. "Do" Is much better thnn
"don't." Posltlvo resolves are better than nega
tive ones. If you "swear on" enough good habits
It will not bo necessary to "swear off" any bad
ones. In other words, posltlvo or constructive
policies nro better than ncgntlve or destructive
ones. This applies to health Just ns much ns to
unythlng elso In life. So, don't think you enn "get
by" simply by swearing oft on ono or two of your
pet vices. Not nt nil. Your New Yenr resolu
tions, to bo of any real value, must bo construc
tive. You must decldo not only to quit somo
things, but to begin some things, also. N
Good resolves and swear offs mny be grouped
In pairs, and to advantage, It seems to me. Let's
try It thnt wny for n change
J will take good care of my body.
I will not abuse It.
Hold Up Your Right Hand.
This first pair of resolves looks pretty simple,
but If you think a minute you will see that It In
cludes a multitude of things. It actually Is tho
wholo thing In n nutshell. If you swear tills par
ticular pair of swears, and keep your oath, you
will hnvo health nnd happiness nil tho yenr, nnd
your bill nt the doctor's nnd tho drug storo will
be so small that you can hnvo nn extra new dress
Instead. Let's seo what It docs Include.
I will havo "houso cleaning" In tho houso I
llvo In. I
I will not procrastinate In Instituting prcpnr
cdness against disease.
This means thnt you will hnvo tho dentist go
over your teeth with nbsoluto regularity onco or
twice n year, but It also means thnt you hnvo
senso enough to know that tho rest of your body
Is at least as Important as your teeth and that
you will hnvo your doctor examine you from head
to foot and fir up anything thnt needs It beforo
nny symptoms nppear, which would simply mean
that tho process had gone on so far that correc
tion would bo much moro difficult If not impos
sible. This would Include nn cxnmlnntlon of tho
urine nnd the blood pressure, both of which
should bo Investigated onco overy yenr In tho
enso of , every person over forty yenrs of ago.
I will keep clenn Insldo nnd out.
I will avoid dirt.
This means not only tho dnlly bath, but It
means the flushing of tho Insldo of tho body so ns
to keep tho sowers working. It menns tho drink
ing of nbout a gallon of fluid per day. It also
means keeping tho teeth scrupulously neat,
cleansing them morning, noon and night, so thnt
they will not Infect overy slnglo mouthful of food
you swallow. What Is tho uso of pure-food laws
If you snvo a cholco selection of germs between
your teeth so ns to sprend thorn on tho food which
Uncle Sum certifies Is "pure."
It also means sufficient cxcrclso to maintain
bodily activity, so thnt circulation will keep things
clenn Insldo nnd prevent stagnation. It also means
plenty of fresh nlr, so that tho oxygen will oxl
dntc, or hum up, nil tho debris and tho poisons
nud tho toxins which are being formed In every
body nil tho tlmo ns the result of eating and of
living.
Keep Smiling.
I will cultlvato good cheer.
I will avoid anger, hate and moroseness.
It doesn't hurt to smile. Jtcmcmber that. It
Isn't hard work. It doesn't cost anything. It
Isn'c simply for others thnt ono should smile. It
helps ono's self oven more thnn others. Sing I
Whistle I Lnughl Thoso things do not cost nny
thing, cither, nnd they help n great deal. Wo
doctors know that It wo can get n patient to
laugh and sing It ts pretty suro thnt ho Is cm tho
meud and on It good and strong. We nlso know
thnt anger, hate, sulks, pessimism and nil such
horrid things nro actually destructive. This Is
not Christian Kclenco or any other sectarianism.
but Just plain common senso backed up by the
lntest wborotory experiments. All theso mental
coudltlous cause the formation of actually poison
ous chemlcnhi In the body aud nt tho samo time
hinder tho activities of normal health proccsse.
(.Copyright)
T was a supreme
test of friendship,
visiting tho Del
ia n r s on New
Year's. Wrapped to
her cars In fur,
with n cap meeting
her collar, Wini
fred stopd on the
bleak little platform at Eyers' Cor
ners and looked through tho snowfall
for anything that seemed to bd a con
veyance. ' 1
She had left Boston at 5 :45-ulenty
of time to teach "Wlndyheath lit good
Urn, Anno hud written her. ,
"It's jus) a nice little run over from
Providence on the Providence and Wll
llmantlc line. We'll meet you nt Byers'
Corners. The trains only stop there on
signal or to let oft visitors, and the
only visitors thnt ever come nro ours.
If Itolf or I can't como over I'll send
n wonderful substitute."
Evidently Itolf, Anne nnd the sub
stitute had been overcome by the
storm. Trains had been delayed from
Boston to Providence nnd on tho little
local line they had waited again and
again along the wny. There had been
no real need of any signal to let her
off when Byers' Corners came In view.
Tho drifts were so high that It took
the train 20 minutes to get out of
Byers' Corners, let alone getting in.
But again Anne had written:
"Don't feel discouraged getting to
us. We llvo In the quaintest little
village perched on the top of a hill,
but It Is wonderful when you get here,
and we're piling on big logs for you
and the latchstrlng dnngles, so be
suro nnd come. Also, I havo your
romance! He hns come true, Win, nt
last, and he's all that nnyone who
loves you could wish for you."
It certnlnly wna stimulating, If noth
ing else, both tho lure of the letter
and the trip Itself. Winifred went
around the other side of the tiny stn-
was up to tho top of the fencestfs
far ns ono could see. He eould turn
around and get them up to-tliei.
Annabelle Smith place, where titer
wns a telephone, nnd they could call
up Wlndyheath.
"It's only nine-thirty," Gregorynsald
reassuringly. "And wedpn't get an
ndventuro overy day. Let's go."
The Smith plnco was dark when they
reached It, but tho driver knocked
lustily and flnnlly there wns a faint,
frightened voice from tho Inner sldo
of the front door asking who It was at
that time of night. Gregory explained,
with the driver's help, and they wcr
admitted.
"But you can't got word through to
night. The wires don't work. They
never do after a big storm on these
hero pnrty lines," said Miss Smith,
holding up a big oil lamp. "Just step
right out Into the kitchen nnd you stir
up tho fire, Irn. Mnko yourselves to
homo, folkses. Ira can drive bnck and
muybo telephono from tho vlllnge up
there."
Winifred never forgot that New
Year's eve. After Ira had gone, they
snt out in the cheery old kitchen,
drinking. tcn, eating nuts nnd apples
and mince pie, nnd getting fearfully
well acquainted, as Miss Smith put It
II . S S I -
Stood on the Bleak Little Platform.
tlou and heard voices. A man was
nrgulug about some way of reaching
tho Delmnrs, nnd the stocky driver of
a two-horso sleigh demurred evasively.
"It's nine miles ordlnnrlly up there
und we'd hnvo to go roundbout by
Butts' bridge tonight 'cause tho roads
ain't been broke through t'other way,
nnd then llko enough we'd never mnko
It. It's worth five dollars to drive over
there, every cent of It."
"I'll pay you five," sold tho stranger
"Hurry up."
"I can't guarantee to get you there,
but I'll do my best. This hero's tho
only team In town you could get to
night. There's a donee over at Poiu
fredt Green nnd everybody's gone. I
meant to go, but I hud to tako somo
folks down to this train, so I don't
mind nuiklng n little going slnco I had
to earn somo coming."
"Oh, could I go with you, please?"
Winifred broko In. "I'd pay half, don't
you know, and there's plenty of room
I'm going to tho Delmnrs, too."
It seemed too good to be true -when
iho found herself safely tucked away
on the back seat, with buffalo robes
around her nud the two horses taking
up the road splendidly, their hoofs
throwing back a spray of light snow.
Ho was XJregory Ilnmsdcll, he told
her, writer nnd gloho trotter. He had
Just got back from a year at tho front
In Europe and ho snld Connecticut
hills looked better to lilin thnn nil the
old world put together. Even In tho
darkness the pine trees stood out, their
branches heavy with snow, and before
them hero nnd there In the fields were
clumps of whlto birch nnd red onk,
with dry lenves still clinging to their
boughs. The stars shone famously up
In tho winter sky.
Gregory half turned In his seat and
talked. They had many friends In com
mon. Ho had known Itolf since they
wero hoys back in Denver. Neither of
them noticed hft'er five miles hod been
covered that tho horses Wero walk'
Ing, breasting tho drifts nnd literally
wndlng through, until they came to a
dead halt and tho driver Jumped out.
fThey couldn't go on, ho said. Tho enow
Breasting the Drifts and Literally
Wading Through.
lnughlngly. Gregory carried In wood
nnd split kindlings for morning, nnd
locked up for the night. While Miss
Smith went up to look nfter her old
bedridden father, they sat together by
the fire, and somehow talk died away.
The old clock up on the chimney man
tel softly struck twelve In tho silence.
Winifred looked up and smiled, her
head leaning back on tho cushioned
top of the old black rocker.
"Happy Now Yearl" she said. "Isn't .
. . .... - - , -
it uie queerest tntng, our ocmg way
up hero miles from everyone we know,
nnd not knowing ench other even, and
starting off the new year together?"
"It's great," Gregory clasped his
hands around one knee, seated on the
woodbox under the big Dutch oven.
"I'm not superstitious, but after ramb
ling for n year over there this seems
awfully much worth while. You know
I'd almost begun to think, if you won't
mind my saying so, thnt thero wasn't
anyono llko you In the world."
Miss Smith hurried through tho en
try wny.
"Ira's back with a bigger team and
bo's going to take you through all
right, he says. He drove over that
bad spot In tlio roads and broko It for
you. And bo's telephoned to Mrs. Del
mar that you're coming."
It was nearly two when they reach
ed Wlndyheath. All of the windows
of tlio big country house were lighted
up, nnd Anne herself, wrapped In a
wonderful velvet and fur houscgown,
ran down the steps to meet them.
"Oh, my dear, my dear I" sho cried
when she had Winifred safely upstairs
In her room. "You poor child I"
"I'm not poor," Winifred said ra--dlantly.
"I've had tho most beautiful
adventure of my wholo life, nnd I'm In
love. I ngreo with you nnd fate this
time."
"But It Isn't Gregory I wnnt you to
meet," faltered Anne. "You haven't
gono nnd fallen In love with dear old
Greg?"
"I have," Winifred laughed happily.
"Both of us have. I never believed In
love at first sight before, or anything
llko It, but I've mado some wonderful
resolutions for tho new year this
time."
"Now listen to me nnd the wholo
comedy. Anno curled up on the bed
confidentially. "Tho man you wero to
marry Is right down smoking with
Itolf this minute. Ho's Madison Forbes,
with money, position, everything, my
dear. But ho didn't think you'd try
to mako tho trip such a night, so I've
been 'phoning madly everywhere to
find opt if you had arrived and where.
Then I would have tried to get to you.
We sent out a car and it couldn't get
through, nnd the horses couldn't ei
ther." "Don't worry," Winifred smiled at
her reflection in the triple mirror nt
tho dressing table. "I don't give a rap
about the money or position or any
thing, Anna. We've been right out in
to the primitive world together, lost
In the snow, nnd I'd go with him to
tho ends of the world if this blessed
old world hud nny ends. Ho snld, Just
ns wo wero driving In here, It wus tho
most promising .New Ypar's he had
ever known."
1
The reason so mnny churches hnvo
flnancltil trouble Is because of tho Jit
ney members who think tho sermon
und the blessing they get Is only worth
a nickel.
i
$ I"
..ft J'7
A..
