Show h ° rv 17argdZ Ull TUB N NrWV NEWVEAROUANCES r III W A 5P1Ul I VILLAGE e I I I f 1 Qq s i r j 0 II t It > I tU 1Sll LNIIDREN t rN NiwYeAae dt 61FUR I4 7 1 y + iIOAIEMpN ui J I When pigtails and school wero her Ii fashion Penelope was always awak sued from Indolence by the possession of a now textbook its resplendent cover > its crisp clean pages tho Incentives In-centives to an ambition that tho discarded dis-carded old yolumo could never havo wiled forth I In just such manner tho Great I I Teacher stimulates tho grownup Penelope to now thought now pur i POHO now endeavor by again and i again placing a bran new year In her caner hands The newyear Idea is almost as old and universal as the Instinct of 1m mortality but the first of January has iot always been tho starting point forp > the procession of months and even pow by no means tho whole world follws the Gregorian calendar Ir I TIll ancient Egyptians Phoenicians anti Persians began their year on Sop t tomboy 22 the Greeks of Solons tlmo t tin December 21 and the Greeks of tho if Pericles I period on June 21 Frpm Julius Caesar on tho Roman c civil year commenced January 1 but tlidjbwlsh ecclesiastical ear had always al-ways begun at tho vernal equinox I March 2IT i and this spring opening I ilayuf bud and blossom and universal uni-versal hopefulness became the honored hon-ored one with Christian nations generally gen-erally throughout tho medieval t t > ar6d I jn the latter end of tho eleventh century England which had strangely strange-ly enough been starting Its annual M records oji December 2C j began quite accidentally to pay homage to tho old human divinity Janus for by chance William the Conquerors coronation took place on tho first of January and i tjio1 birthday of tho Norman rule became be-came the birthday of the year as well Remembering the loyal old Saxon spirit i spir-it but not tamed wo are i not surprised to learn however that noon the inhabitants of England fell onto the moro general habit of Indulging 1 Indulg-ing In new year festivities upon the 2rth of March Tho Gregorian calendar formulated r In 1582 restored January 1 as Now + Years day The Catholic countries enthusiastically accepted it but tho Protestant ones adopted It slowly and II was not until 1752 that conservative I England foil into line The ancient Romans honored tho wholo of January by offering sacrifices sacri-fices on 12 altars to tho god with two faces whoso namesake tho month was Janus am t oldest of potentates Forward I look and backward and below be-low I count as god of avenues and gates Tim years that through my portals coma and GO While tho wholo month was kept tho first day was tho gala occasion Litigation was suspended reconcilia s tions effected Impressive processions nmdo to the capitol offerings laid on tho altars the emperor surprised by magnificent gifts visits exchanged i everywhere feasts spread In hospitable hospit-able houses streets ringing with laughter and music of masquoradors Tho giving of New Years gifts was not confined to old Homo The Per Hlans always exchanged Now Years eggs and It was tho pretty custom of the Druids to give a sacred sprig of I mistletoe to the faithful on their New I Years morning while tho bestowing of presents upon the monarch became Ian I-an absolute obligation I Queen Elizabeth the peoples favorIte favor-Ite was simply showered with New I Years contributions gold for her purse chains necklaces bracelets rings embroidered gowns and mantles man-tles petticoats smocks stockings and artors and for the royal larder fat oxen sheep geese turkeys swans capons fruit preserves marchpanes i ami sweetmeats S But soon this custom was regarded as a tux rather than a privilege and during tho rule of the austere Cromwell Crom-well It died a natural death never bobbing up again to make a popular 1 t bow as hometlmun happens to a dead stage hero recalled to life by tho audiences I audi-ences applause I r Closely associated with the now I year season Is the wassail bowl Its r name derived from the old Saxon phrase Was IaolTo your I health Until Queen Elizabeths reign one r wassaii love cnp w < u handed about tho clnrmed circle gathered round the + groat bowl but afterward the health was more liv lenlcalv If less pic Unequal I drunk in Individual cups I The poor ealrlf1 gum iiununie wooden wood-en bowl deccrat h J Rath W rlblutis around the ueih > 9 tooot buskins I small coin to pay fgrllfe precious In I tr idU > ntn hat lusdv tfji the festive I cuncoctlou I t Wasoallt wassail over the town Our toast It Is white our ale It IB brown Our bowl It Is made of tho maplln tree We bo good follows all I drink to thcol In Scotland on Now Years ovo for some unknown reason called hog many daytho doors of tho houses woro thrown open at midnight to let the old year out and tho now year In whllo in somo of tho towns early In tho evening poor children = nwad died In sheets so folded up In front as to form an Inviting pocket wont from door to door after bread and small coin announcing their arrival by somo naive song shrilly given In childish treble and enthusiasm Rise up RUdowlfo and shako your feathers Dlnna think that we are beggars Wo arc bairns coma to play And to seek our hogmiiny Much excitement was manifested over another Scottish custom Tho first person who entered a house after tho clock struck midnight Now Years eve was called a first footer and often parties of first footers went about calling on friends and making merry generally In striking contrast to this frivolity wan tho habit tho next morning of opening Ute Scotch Bible at random a verso In the chapter read containing a prophecy to bo mado good by fate during that Now Year At all tho courts of present day Europe Eu-rope the Now Year is celebrated with great impressiveness It being the official of-ficial feast just as Christmas Is a family ono In Belgium on New Years eve the children havo a special frolic tingling with tho thrill of suspense Early In tho day all tho door keys In tho house are spirited away from their locks Into small boys pockets A pet relative rela-tive called a sugar aunt or sugar uncle is then beguiled Into a room and while her or his attention Is diverted di-verted A key Is whisked out from Its hiding place and cllckntycllck tho door Is locked Of course the prisoner pris-oner confronted by a hardhearted giggling jailer Is glad to negotiate freedom at any price a ransoms possibilities pos-sibilities no doubt ranging from a candy cano to a rocking horse according accord-ing to aunties Indulgent humor 01 tho size of uncles pocketbook Tho Germans have a very Impressive Impres-sive old custom At Frankfort on tlte Main In almost every house Is a family fam-ily party and at tho first strike ol midnight from tho cathedral all open wide tho windows and tilled glasses lifted In their handscry Proslt Noiijahr = Happy Now Year Franco practically makes a Christmas Christ-mas of New Years day All Paris Is en fete and tho Latin Quarter jubilant with song fiddling and droll farces while tho poor starved art student splurges In all sorts of culinary extravagances ex-travagances In fact even the beggars beg-gars are merry singing Instead of whining their appeals for charity and dancing a jig for a sou Tho French children find their stockings filled by good St Nicholas who In his Christmas rush must havo thanked his lucky star that theso young clients would not expect a professional pro-fessional call until seven days after ho had attended to the Impatient American youngsters over tho sea After a midday dejeuner a la four chette the younger members of the family call on the older and In tho evening there Is a grand reunion for dinner Amid all this French gayety there Is that one pathetic little touch that so often creeps into this rainbow world of ours where tears mingle with tho sunshine of our smiles If a member of tho family has died during the past 12 months early on Now Years morning morn-ing the near relatives meet at tho grave and lay upon It their offerings of love and remembrance The Russians following tho Julian calendar do not celebrate their Now Years day until January 13 Tho grownup not to bo outdone by tho small fry now form a gorgeous procession to pass under the critical nose of the noblemans upper window Oxen cows goats and hogs adorned with evergreens and red berries me driven past whllo old women bring up the rear bearing gayly decorated barnyard fowls as presents In our own country we Americans ha lf pagan haIf Puritomutaho our I New Year characteristically With Mashing eyes and smiling lips won wo-n ot Its dawn dancing feasting uproariously up-roariously blowing our little tin horns And at the same time In our secret boa rtsthe < < curtains of pride and con luntlunulUy closely dra wnwo sadly fcit beside the dying embers of the past years hopes md shiver at the knocks of the iriluiiiwn future at tile door MAY C WNGWALT |