Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1875-03-04


g strike the mystic hour of twelye-th
hour of ghostly visitations, and o
strange transformations sceptr
of the seasons would pass from thu
t trembling hands of old Fortv-sevcI
to the vigorous grasp of the youthful
Forty-eight. He spoke of himself al
one who was about to be gathered L
tile venerable throng of the years be
. fore the flood. He then rapidly re
counted the leading events of his reign
We were then engaged in the Mexi-
can war, and naturally the events OIL
that struggle figured prominently il
the recital. Our people, you remem
Der, gentlemen, were not all of one
mind in the matter of the Mexican
war, and we are yet not quite unani-
nous upon the subject. The willy
old year left the Major in doubt as to
whether he was Wing or Demo
crat. He glorified old Rough and
Ready and his brave boys; and he al
so applauded Santa Anna and his
greasers for their well.meant efforts to
welcome the invaders with bloody
hands to hospital graves. During
this part Of discourse the old year
arose from his snow bank and flour
ihsed his staff, and become highly an.
mated, in a tremulous old man fash
ion, while recounting the stirring
deeds of arms beyond the Rio Grande.
Then, seated again upon his snow
bank, he talked like a garrulous old
village gossip of the lighter and more
common events Of the past twelve
months. Some of these he touched
up with a grotesque humor that evok-
ed loud smiles from lis audience
Then the old year took off his iron
crown and bowed his venerable head
while he called the roll of the illustri-
Gus dead who had rested from their
labors since he had borne the sceptre
Of time. He bowed still lower and
spoke with deeper pathos in memory
of the innumerable throng, old men,
withered women, strong men and
matrons, young men, blooming maid
ems, tender babes, who had crossed
the dark river during the days and
nights of l947, and whose names We're
unknown beyond the little circles they
had quilted, and would soon be for
gotten there. This part of the old
years discourse had so much of pa
thos in the matter and the delivery
of it, as to bring tears to the eyes Of
the tough, whisky-soaked miner who
constituted the audience. Then the
old year undertook to recast the old
parallel-the seasons of the year, and
the periods of human life. This part
of the speech the Major considered
commonplace and tedious, and was
glad to have it interrupted, as it seem
ed to be, by the first stroke of the
clock striking twelve. This stroke,
and those which followed, seemed to
be produced by striking tin pan with
a pewter spoon. The first of these
sounds of doom brought the old year
to his feet; and gathering his robes
about him he commenced slow Gid
ing movement toward the left wing,
leaving young Winter quietly sitting
on the snow bank and composedly
waiting the issue of events. At the
second stroke of the clock there APP
peared from the right wing a tall fe-
male figure clad in ample glittering
robes, and wearing upon her head
well designed golden diadem, upon
the front of which blazed in lines of
gems the figures 1913. AS the strokes
of the clock continued to sound the
old year and the new continued to
glide toward the left wing, until at
the twelfth stroke l847 disappeared,
and 1848 stood upon the center of the
stage.
"While this was going on it occur
red to the Major to wonder why l847
was a male and l848 female year.
He was ready mathematician, and
the fact that four is factor of 1849
came to his aid before the clock was
half through striking. 'Of course
said he to himself, st IS all right for
leap year to wear long trailing skirts,
and let her hair down over her white
shoulders. He recognized in the new
year the stately, fair haired, milk
white beauty called Clara.
"Immediately upon the disappear
ance of her venerable predecessor,
l848 turned to young Winter and d.
rected him or her, in deep voice, to
see to it that there should be no lack
of sleigh-rides and balls, and theatre
calls and music, and Preside amuse-
ments, to relieve the rigors of his or
her frozen and clustering season.
She also enjoined upon him or her the
Importance of feeding the snow birds
and other small fowl who had not fled
southwark, and various duties of that
sort, after which she dismissed Win.
ter and called aloud for Spring, who
came briskly forward from behind
the icy mountains in the form of
bright young lady clad in light gauzy
robes and crowned with fower-buds.
The Major recognized the lively little
brunette called Jennie.
'1848 charged her with the duties
of looking after the buds ard bios
SONS, the young plants, and newborn
animals OF her season. She seemed
to be specially soIicituous about the
young sheep and the infant robbins
"Spring, being discharged, disap-
peared behind the mountains and the
next moment came out from behind
the curtain, and drawing a chair near
to the Majors seat by the stove, join
ed the audience without any change
of costume except the addition Of a
shawl around her shoulders.
"Is48 called for the Summer, who
came from the left wing in the per
son of the stout lady clad in green
robes and crowned with curiously
wrought diadem of leaves and grass
es, and full blown flowers. She was
duly lectured upon the duties appro-
pirate to her season, such as the care
of the ripening grain, the new-mown
h6v. and the growing flocks.