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The Commoner.
13
JANUARY 10, 1913
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My Real Wishes
I've made some hefty wishes for the
year that's just ahead,
And I'm hoping from the numher
just a few will round me spread.
Hero are some: I wish for riches,
and I wish for power and place;
And I wish for wide dominion over
ov'ry climo and race;
For the chance to show my power
over all my fellow men
But if none of these aro granted I
will be contented then
With a chance to hustlo dally and
provide in modeBt way
For the loved ones who surround me
and make joyful every day.
I have wished for many millions and
for private yachts and cars,
And for airships to go sailing up
among the shining stars;
Wished for lordly powor an 3 sta
tion, wished for scepter and for
crown;
WiBhed for cheers from subject mil
lions, wished for greatest of re
nown. But above and far beyond these 1
have greater wishes still
Wishes that I hope the New Year in
its gracious goodness will
Grant me that I still may labor and
provide in fullest store
For the ones who daily greet me at
my humble cottage door.
All big wishes are but playtime
just the merest "make believe,"
That I voice to speed the hours when
my children in the eve
Gather Tound to talk with Daddy
" " what career fprgold or fame?
What care I for place or power In the
world's great fighting game?
Of the wishes I am voicing not a
one I'd care to see
Coming true if in the coming to a
one about my knee
It would bring a pane of sorrow,
hring a moment of regret,
For the old days in the cottage whore
in love each day we met.
Grant me, New Year, not great
riches keep the light of love
aglow!
Grant me not the place of power
let me watch the roses grow
In the cheeks of wife and children!
X-et me see the lovelight shine
In the eyes of those about me, of
these little ones of mine!
Grant me, New Year, not dominion
I'm content with humble
place
If lo me is given power to bring
smiles to ev'ry face
That I know I'll see'at even, when
my daily task is o'er,
And I greet my loved ones waiting
at my little cottage door!
New Year Resolutions
Never did have much patience
with the fellows who waited till New
Year's day to make good resolutions.
As a rule such resolutions don't pan
put very well. That's the reason I
made none not a, single, solitary
one. I might have "sworn off" on
the old pipe, but the Little Woman,
with a vivid recollection of the time
she had with me the time I did
"swear off," remarked that it would
be just as well, perhaps, if I rej
frained. She said she could stand It
all right, but she was afraid the
children might not profit by my atti
tude towards them and the world in
general as a direct result of such
action upon my nerves. To be real
honest about it, I'm glad she looked
at it that way.
They do say that what one doeg
on Now Year's day one will do
every day in the year. Of course it
isn't true and I'm glad of it. I
shudder to think of what would hap
pen to one's family if every day of
1913 was put jn by mo as I put in
its flrsL day. Aside from about ten
minutes spent in helping put up a
clotheslines, I didn't do a thing but
just lazy around and eat, and read.
By the way, I read of how the peoplo
of New York and Chicago and other
big cities ushered in the New Year.
And tbat reminds me that J did make
one resolution, which was that I'd
never make such a blithering fool of
myself as those peoplo made of themselves.
wraps no sealskins or fur-lined
overcoats, or anything llko that.
Just good, thick overcoats, and knit
"comforters" and mittens and wrist
lets. And then homo in sleighs and
bobsleds. Crlml-neo, how wo would
sing going homo! "Goodby, my
lover, goodby," and "Hear doin
bells," and "Slngin' skcwl," and "My
Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean," and
"One More Rlbber for t' Cross," and
O, you remember 'em just as well
as I do.
Believe mo! These Now Yorkers
and Chicagoltea don't know a bloom
ing thing about having genuinely
good times on a New Year's eve! Do
they, now?
I'll wager a four-dollar dog against
a couple of two-dollar cats that with
all their champagne drinking and
drunk-en orgies those city folks
didn't have half so good a time with
their New Year eve pastime as you
and I had on similar anniversaries
when we were young folks.
Ah, I Bee you catch what I mean!
Didn't "wo have just a bushel of
fun with our "watch parties" in
those old days? Maybe a bit sleepy
New Year's day, but nevdr a head
ache and never a pang of regret.
Most of the old folks would sing and
pray the old year out and the new
year In while gathered in the villatre
churches, but we young folks usually
managed to dodge that. We had
"taffy pulls" and "corn poppln's" and
Buch like diversions. And if wo
didn't drink champagne out of "my
ladv's slipper" like those fool New
Yorkers, we did drink spicy cider out
of tin cups. Of course we didn't
dance the old year out and the new
year in. It would havo been little
short of social ostracism to have
danced in those days in the villages
where you and I lived. To bo sure,
we didn't dance. You can not danre
without a violin to make music. But
wo did play "weevilly wheat" and
"there was an old miller that lived
by the mill." and "Old Dan Tucker,"
and such like games. And if we did
"alaman' left" and "right and left,"
and "all promenade," and "forward
and back," and "forward and cross
over," and "two ladies change," and
"change right back," and "half
promenade," and "right and left
home," even if we did, I say, H
wasn't dancing for we had no other
muBic than our lusty voices tuned
to song.
Gceminy Christmas! You couldn't
trade me a dozen of those big cltv
eroings on for the memory of just
one of those old New Year's eve
parties away hack yonder.
But hilarious as we might be on
one of those occasions, we always
sobered down just before the clock
struck twelve. And at Its first
stroke some one would strike up
"Coronation," and we'd all sing, and
sing our level best, too. Of course
you remember
"Joy to the world, the Lord is come!
Let earth receive her king.
Let ev'ry heart prepare Him room,
And heaven and nature sing!"
We seldom resumed our noisy
fun after midnight. There was some
thing just a hit solemn to us about
the birth of a new year. So we just
sat around and talked a while, and
pretty soon the stamping of snowy
feet on the front walk would Inform
us that the old folks were back from
the watch meeting which was a
pretty sure sign that it was time for
us youngsters to be scattering to our
homes. Then we'd hurry into our
In 1018
I want to see some things take placo
Ere 1913 rolls away;
Some things I know will help tho
race,
Ere 1913 rolls away.
I want tho kibosh put to greed;
A full supply for every need;
An end to war of creed on creed,
Ere 1913 rolls away.
I want to see a world-wide peace
Ere 1913 rolls away.
And hatreds, too, I hope will cease
Ere 1913 rolls away.
I want men judged by honest worth;
I want a' newer, fuller birth
Of peace and good will o'er the
earth,
Ere 1913 rolls away.
I want foul schemes to go awry
Ere 1913 rolls away.
All lusts" and hates hung Hainan high
Ere 1913 rolls away.
I want youth's playtime sacred made;
I want tho wolf of hunger laid;
Arid joy in every home displayed,
Ere 1913 rolls away.
I want to see toil recompensed
Ere 1913 rolls away.
The era of fair play commenced
Ere 1913 rolls away.
I want all men both near and far
To know and feel they're on a par
That they their brothors's keepers
are,
Ero 1913 rolls away.
These, some few things, I'd like to
see
Ere 1913 rolls away.
If so, this world would better be,
Ero 1913 rolls away.
Here's hoping, then, that you and I
Will buckle down and gladly try
To help the glorious time draw nigh
Ere 1913 Tolls away.
Brain Leaks
President-elect Wilson says that
1913 is his lucky year. Ho can make
it a lucky year for a lot of us if ho
only will. But I haven't yet made up
my mind just what 1 want.
Men who have mounted tho "water
wagon" would bo wise to tie them
solvcs on.
Job dld'nt have all tho trials. He
never had to dig tho clinkers out of
a furnaco grate.
Pooplo who still insist that talk
Is cheap aro thoao who do not havo
to pay telephone bills.
1 always fcol sorry for children
who are not allowed ever to enter tho
front room.
Don't
Now comes word that tho supreme
court io going to turn its attention
to tho "telephone trust."
With lively recollections of what
happened to us right after tho su
preme court busted the oil trust wo
hope that august court will follow
tho elder Weller's advico to his son,
Samivel.
A FIGHTING PltKSIDKNT
President-elect Wilson is starting
off well. His statement upon his re
turn from Bermuda, and again on
the evening of tho same day at tho
banquet In New York cILy, In which
ho breathes defiance to the tory ele
ment who would precipitate a panic
In order to thwart policies, evinces
that his square underjaw means just
what it looks.
We take it that the American
people have elected another fighting
man to the chief executiveshlp. And
that is precisely the kind of a man
for whom they have been looking.
We havo In this country a certain
element which Btops it nothing save
promoting their own welfare. They
would plunge the nation into all
sorts of distress in order to carry
out their nefarious ends. If a panic
was necessary to intimidate tho
highest authority and cause him to
hesitate in carrying out the policies
for which the peoplo had spoken in
unmistakable tones, they would not ,.
scruple to precipitate It.
The president-elect seems to havo
had them squarely in mind when ho
announced his intention of driving
them out of business, or out of tho
country in disgrace, when he stated
that any attempt on their part to
ward disturbing business conditions
when he took up his new duties
woud meet with prompt and efficaci
ous rebuke.
Wo indulge the hope that the new
president will adhere firmly to this
policy. He may rest assured that in
doing so he will have the great bulk ,
of tho American people behind him,
not only passively, but assertively
and unmistakably. Oklahoma' City
Oklahoman.
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