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Show youngest boy of the battalion enter dressed as the high chief of anciei Ross, to represent the New Year. Th colonel shakes hands with the bo; while the band strikes up, "A Gui New Year to Ane and A'." After the colonel's greeting to th battalion the national anthem i played and the men fall out. QUAINT SOLDIER CEREMONY How Crack Scotch Regiment, the Sea-forth Sea-forth Highlanders, Ushers In the New Year. The Seaforth Highlanders, one of Scotland's crack regiments now at the front, have one of the most peculiar New Year's eve customs of the whole ' British army. The ceremony is picturesque pic-turesque and imposing. On the night of Hogmanay, at about 10:30 o'clock, the regiment assembles assem-bles in the barrack square. A few minutes later the oldest soldier in the battalion, dressed as a Druid, makes his appearance, to the accompaniment accompani-ment of a flourish of trumpets. Ascending As-cending the improvised throne, he calls on the veterans to show their uniforms and achievements of bygone times. To the music of the pipes and brass band veteran after veteran, arrayed ar-rayed In the uniforms worn by the regiment reg-iment at different periods, marches past and salutes the Druid. The Druid then toasts "The Seaforth Highlanders." Highland-ers." 1 After a displny of Highland dancing the alarm is sounded, and the second oldest soldier, arrayed as Father Time, approaches. The veterans then retreat, re-treat, leaving their honors to be guard ed by their successors, and Father Time expels the Druid. At the last stroke of midnight a loud knock is heard' at the gate and out rings the sentry's challenge: "Halt! Who goes there?" "The New Year!" comes back the answer. "Advance, New Year, and give the countersign!" is the next command. "Pass, New Year; ail's well!" The gate is then opened and the |