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Show wore winter dresses and February was In skating costume. April and May were sitting 00 a grass bank. April was dressed like a beautiful Bloodroot, In a pure white dress, with yellow stars In her hair, and she wore shoes and stockings of a blood red color. May was lovely ; she looked like daffodlHs on a moss bank, and tiny streams trickled off her dress. June was a glorious mass of roses and green leaves. She fluttered with pleasure as Old Year approached her, and threw a rose at him crying: "In memory of the happy morning when you bade me live." July was resplendent and Old Tear felt warm all through when he got near to her. "Beautiful summer mouth," he murmured, "Is this the last time I'll feel you?" As he said this May let one of her little streams trickle down she was crying for the Old Year. August wore a sailor costume and smelled of blue grass. September and October were a mass of colors. It f rQX wasn't very long .Z&irS, since Old Year f"Lfc had visited them, CEtS& so they were quite ?u,"'s! familiar with him. SJ October tossed e?r 1 some of her pret- 7lFVV ty leaves into his lY5vAir face. This was K . YV, Y$ her way of kiss- jV November look- y Ifl ed hale and iearty, and De- ll-J rember, in snowy s robe, carried a Christmas tree over his shoulder. After exchanging kindly greetings with the whole company, Old Yeir stepped up to June and asked her to open the ball with him. For reply she strewed him with her petals, and then such a dance began as never was seen before. The Minutes flew in by the windows, and the Seconds jumped out of the cracks In the ice floor. Everyone was giddy with joy and excitement, and Old Yearwho a few hours before was meditating by the fire, now danced till even lively June began to weary. Then he took sweet April in his arms and the little red feet and legs positively twinkled round the hall. March executed a wild dance with October, and blew so hard that bits of his partner's dress were strewn over the floor. At half past eleven some of thu Minutes screamed out that supper was served, and Old Year and his friends flew to take their last meal together. Every imaginable dainty was on the table and the dancing had made the revelers hungry. The Minutes and Seconds ate like lightning, and then one after another, ,, , they fell asleep X ihi?'r They would never Jj'M 0. wake again, but their short lives fi$J)j 'VJPP- lia Deen very fyP(l)l sMlM: happy. Then the cWMm' Montn8 began to rlWfrfMl get sleepy- an( 7iBci:iki OId Year t0- He $flltM$Ml sank lnt0 a blg rl I'lfEs chair and tired L WriMi$ June fell into his IMluw arms and slept TJ!3y cozily in their em- S3) brace. At last De- cember and Old r Year were the only ones awake. Then the clock struck midnight, and they closed their eye3 and slept- too. At this moment some beautiful snow-flakes snow-flakes flew in through the wlndowy. They formed themselves 4nto a kind of blanket and wrapped Old Year tenderly ten-derly in its folds. Just as they were going to cover up his face a pale blue spirit floated over him and kissed his sleeping brow. It was the Spirit of New Year kissing the Spirit of Old Year. Old Year's I I & Party M J $ . I By Marguerite Hope , It was New Year's eve and a thin old man with a wizened face was sitting sit-ting by the fireplace. At first sight you would have said that he was rather a disagreeable old chap, but on closer inspection you found out that he had very bright eyes and quite a humorous smile round his mouth. It was surprising that Old Year was feeling rather sad. It was his last night on the dear old Earth. The next morning, long before it was daylight, day-light, he must fly away in a big snowstorm, snow-storm, and New Year, all fresh and rosy and splendid, would take his place. Old Year wasn't the least afraid of what the future might bring, only he felt a little sad 0ZZ&8! about saying rVX "good-by" to his "TjLssfB friends, and a 'tvTfln tiny bit jealous f iSj rjS aD0"t New Year's n f j p5 arrival. fjHv S J.V As he sat there Si musing a pretty mIti little snow flower dropped on the -CIfCT l '' floor at his feet A! Jt "You beautiful il 'Ylk r''' thinS !" he crled-rS crled-rS is "Where did you JTceS.Ul come from?" - As he spoke the -" flower expanded, throwing its petals all over the floor, tind a little man stepped out. He was white from head to foot. "Bless me ! If you aren't Brother January !" said the old man. "What brings you to visit me7 It's only the thirty-first of December." "But I'm last January," said the little fellow. Old Year laughed. "Of course you are. You came in my waistcoat pocket and popped out before be-fore the others they were afraid of the cold." "Oh I glad you haven't quite forgotten forgot-ten me. Now listen, Old Year, we Months have a great scheme for tonight. to-night. We're going to feast you in the Ice Palace on Time Mountain. We shall all be there, the whole lot of us, and you must come, too." "You're very kind," said Old Year, "but really I'm so tired I'd rather sit here and dream away my last hours." "Now, don't talk like that, Old Year, the party can't take place if you don't come. How can we Months hold together to-gether without you?" Old Year smiled. "All right," he said, "I'll come, but all my clothes are worn out." "Another excuse," cried January. "Come along, they're all waiting. Besides, Be-sides, there's a surprise outside." Old Year started at the word "surprise," "sur-prise," and then he strode out of the house with January on his shoulders. Now although he had lived every minute of the year there was one thing that Old Year had never done ho had never flown in an airplane. So imagine his astonishment when he saw a great white biplane covered with silver sil-ver frost outside his door. A gay, breezy little fellow, whom he recognized recog-nized as March, sat In the pilot's seat. He wore silver goggles and looked every inch an aviator. Old Year and January got in behind the pilot, and soon the great silvery bird was soaring up into the cold, starry night. They passed over cities and villages, vil-lages, lakes and forests, and everywhere every-where Old Year noticed preparations Cor the coming of his successor. "They'd be surprised if they knew where I was now," he thought. And then he gave up his spirit to the joy Of the flight. Finally Time Mountain came in sight, and as they approached they saw a dazzling sight. The whole mountain was blazing with light, and yhe trees shone as their boughs radiated radi-ated electricity. When the airplane came into view a great cry of joy was heard, and a chorus of happy x voices cried : ? ;. " ; "Hurrah! for Old Year!" March ex- ecuted a wonder- frg;.;i;',-i ful volplane and softly the Silver Bird settled to W'j earth at the foot -li of the mountain. . Xl Thousands of lit- "2fiS Xt tie people rushed Af? to greet the Old Year. These were JaW1"-" the Mi mites and j the Seconds. They J were dressed in S red, sparkling vith electricity, and they talked rery fast. Old Year putted them kindly vllh his big hands. They flew round h'm very quickly, and in some magic way Old Year was carried to the top of the mountain. There he saw a wonderful won-derful ice palace and over the door was written iu' huge letters "In Honor of Old Year." . Accompanied by the Minutes and leconds Old Year entered the palace, , and in the great bright hall he saw , 12 of his dearest friends, the Mouths. Very beautiful they looked in artistic groups about the hall. January, February and March were standing together In a miniature park, with a lake in the middle of it; they |