Show A e QI I t C 1 1 I II I I 1 S i iE i I II II E E WAS very youn young He was also very chubb There was a kind of pink shining newness about w el him delightful to behold And he stood waiting g M on th near side of twelve o'clock midnight I E WAS very old He was also very bent There was a kind of shining sadness in his eyes as if he had seen more than any one one else in the world And he stood the far side of on twelve o'clock midnight I I it v v t. t HAT I cant can't understand chirped up Chubby la ls why anyone need look so aged when they are year year old people ople would take you for Methuselah any day What I cant can't understand rumbled the ancient one is how I ever looked as pink and inexperienced as you youl So there they stood regarding each other Chubby and the ancient one Why Wh Y must you look so old lr persisted Chubby Because I have lived more than a million lives 1 Whew whistled Chubby How Hoy do you make mak that o out tl Yeull know well enough my myson son said the ancient one this time next year But tell me now I 1 insisted the young cherub is I I 1 look old because I have been part Pat of the sorrow the gladness the misery the joy and happiness of everyone in the world I have been a n year every day hour and minute in the lives of people all over the globe They could no more escape me than I could lose them We e were one one one- one one-I I and those teeming millions I will live with them as long as they live through the influence of what happened during our year of acquaintance Imay I Imay Imay may live after them not only in memory but in the good or bad they accomplished while whale they knew me and I them Chubby wrinkled up his white babyish brow and tried to follow the words of the ancient one But he could not It was impossible for him He could see sec and feel and act perhaps perhaps- but buthe buthe buthe he could not think wisely he needed experience two three the bells began ringing out the midnight hour Goodbye son called out the th ancient one May you see as much happiness as sorrow And may you learn to read the high hopes in peoples people's hearts and see what they see no matter how differently their lives turn out This is all that really matters remember the voice of the ancient one grew faint and far away remember son son alt it is their aspirations that really count not their visible and worldly success He was quite gone now He was part of yesterday 1 Chubby stepped over the threshold Into his first minute minte of being The Happy New Year C that's hats hat's all very well h he thought but I cant can't understand why he should look so old I Perhaps he will by midnight of eo JQ J. J A |