Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-01-01
She's got cramps, or some

DIV her here, Neddy," said Susy. ''pn
| yock her little while"
You'd better get up first and put on
| your clothes" Ned suggested, "for she's
very sick, and l may have to go for the
doctor"
But it was only by dint of great deal
OF coaxing that Susy was induced to fol-
low his advice. Not that she didn't love
Sally Ann and want to watch out the old
year with Neddy, but that she was so
.'veIiy sleepy" and kept begging so to be
let alone for zone, two, free little min
utes"
At last, though Ned was successful, and
Susy and he sat down before the fire with
a great deal of gravity. Susy held Sally
Ann, and was very much concerned at the
manner in which that young lady be-
haved.
"YOu isn't got the measles, 'tall,'' she
said. "You's jess making b'lieve. You's
velly bad gall, and keeps your muzzer
awake nights"
"Why, Susy, what if mother talked to
you that way ?" said Ned. poor thing!
She's all broke out too"
Ned was usually Indifferent to Sally
Ann's ailments, and Susy couldn't under
stand the sudden interest he took in them.
She wasn't wise enough to guess that it
was because he wanted her company.
But she put on a great deal of dignity
and replied, 81 doesn't fink you know,
much bout babies You hasn't dot any,
After that Ned thought it better to
change the subject g wonder if the
folks get sleepy in church," he said. &c
s'pose not for they sing and pray, and
have real good time. S'posing we start
a hymn, Susy? They can't hear US down
stairs"
Susy clapped her hands, and let Sally
Ann fall to the floor. a know lots and
lots" she cried" The Star Bangled
Hammer, and Yally yound the Flag,
boys, Yally yound the Flag"
The last was Ned's favOrite, as we'll as
hers. "Shall l pitch the tune, or you?"
he asked, CALAMITY, then, before she could
reply, commenced shouting it forth with
all his might. Susy joined in with her
weak treble, and to add to the confusion,
Ned kept time by stamping his feet Wig
orOusly.
Other songs followed in quick success
sion, not forgetting some of Mother
GoOse's melodies, and at last they wound
up with what Susy called free blind
mice" They wouldn't have stopped then,
only that they were so hoarse and began
to be afraid Jane would hear them. 1t
was wonder she didn't, and can only be
accounted for by the fact that she and
cook were almost equally noisy in the
kitchen.
q doesn't 'spect mamma has such
dood times as we, does you, Neddy?"
Susy asked, with beaming eyes.
Ned looked thoughtful. "Perhaps
mamma is praying" he replied. "She
said that when the old year died we
ought to think over our faults and what
ever we had done wrong, and try and do
better afterward."
Then [ dess I'd better yock Sally
Ann" Susy answered, eagerly, picking
up her neglected doll from the floor.
Ned was silent, for with the recollec-
ton of what his mother had said came
that of disobedience. Was he not sitting
up contrary to her wishes, and had he
not led his little sister into wrong too?
Somehow, when he thought of it now, he
couldn't excuse himself so readily as he
had done before.
Susy's head soon began to bob up and
down in a most comical way; and if Ned
hadn't been looking straight into the fire,
! he would surely have noticed it. But he
didn't, and strange to say soon followed
her example; and really it was enough to
make one laugh to see the three, Ned
and Susy and Sally Ann, all nodding and
bending and bowling together
Then all at once some one touched Ned
on the shoulder, and he started up very
much alarmed. 1t was neither his father
nor mother, but decrepit old man with
a long white beard
81 am the old year, he said, in weak,
quavering voice; "don't you know meg'
Ned shook his head, and trembled all
over.
"Why, I've been your constant COM
panion for twelve months" continued
the old man. There's not word you've
said, not an act you've done, in all that
time, whether good bad or Indifferent,
that | haven't put down IN this book [
carry"
No wonder Ned's heart sank at sight
oft, and that he was covered with shame
and confusion, for such a long catalogue
of sins and follies committed in the past
rushed over him at once that he was al
most ready to believe he had never done
anything praiseworthy.
Il came to give you little advice and
a word Of warning" the old year went on.
''FOr, as you have heard, | am to die at
twelve o'clock, or at least the world thinks
so, though, to tell you the truth, [ live on
in the hearts of men forever. But at that
time my youngest brother will come with
book like lnine, except that its pages
are blank and clear and white, and upon
that he will record all that men think, say
or do in the next twelve months. Just
| remember this when you harbor wicked
| thoughts, or disObey your parents, or i'll
| treat your friends, or commit any little
mean act, and it will help you wonder
| fully"
Eyes, sir" Ned stammered, turning
| led and pale by turns, and wishing that
| Jane or his mother or somebody would
come.
perhaps you'd like to know what I've
written about the little boy you ridiculed
| yesterday because he hadn't on as good
| clothes as you?" said the old year. "He's
the son of a widow, and works hard all
| day, and does what he can to support his
| brothers and sisters. That's the reason
| he can't dress better; but for all that. he
| bore your taunts with good nature. and
didn't return evil for evil Compare his
record with yours, and see which is the
most blotted."
Ned's eyes turned involuntarily toward
the pages at which his strange visitor
pointed, and the name written in great
big characters on the top of one seemed
burnt in his brain. "Neddy Raynor'-
| that must mean him; and-yes, there was
the other boys, Jake Miller. He couldn't
read much of the writing underneath
them, but knew the blots meant some
thing ugly, and moved BY a sudden i'm