The Portland daily press., 1878-12-30

question was
SIS the substance hard or soft, Goldie?"
swell, neither hard or soft-rather hard
sometimes"
"Umph! not very satisfactory answer,
certainly"
Now Frank took up the question.
SIS the person man or a womanT
ga man."
SIS the substance thing in common
use?n
A pause.
"Not that part of it-some part of 1t is"
Is the character person in story?'
asked puzzled Frank.
eyes"
SIS the substance something to eat?' con-
tiuued Amy.
"Part of it can be eaten"
SIS the person some one in fairy story,
Preenie ?''
eyes, yesw cried Preenie, eagerly.
"Ah! then think have it," cried Frank.
"Hurrah! Jack and the Beanstalk! Is that
right2"
"Yes. How did you ever guess it so
?" exclaimed everybody. "Whom did
you guess it from?''
"From Preenie, because she said it was
some one in fairy story"
"She must 60 out next"
''She is too small to guess anything" said
Amy Eckertall, who was rather disconnected
at her own failure.
'sNot at ALL" replied Frank; 'she is sharp
er than any of US. And here is Willy Arthur
who has just carried off the best scholarship,
he will 60 out with her. Between them they
will guess anything"
So indeed it proved, and they had hard
puzzle to guess nothing else but Mrs. Camp
his Observation-Disclosures and his axe-Aladdin
and his lamp-Alice and the looking glass.
At length Agnes Thornton announced that
there had been enough of that game, and
thyt they would try the feat of blowing out
candle. A lighted candle was placed at the
end of the room, Amy Eckersall was blind
folded and told to take three steps backwards,
to return, and then blow the candle out.
The three steps were duly taken backward
and forward, but 10 and behold! when she
went to blow the candle was three yards
hranslai. oa. sa.ssss- ef faughter: SIX or seven
others tried with equally bad success; at last
Mr.. Thornton himself in lucky moment got
opposite the candle and blew 1t out with one
Whit. Now came the key game. The whole
party sat round in circle except two, who
Thorntons' were lively Aunt Mary and
Cousin George. She put large key into
his hand, whispering to him that he was to
give it to whoever he thought the clevefest
in the room without saying a word. He
came in, looked round and presented the
mystic key to Agnes Thornton, who had to
60 out, while he took her place. She was
told to give it to whoever had the longest
nose. She presented it to her warm admirer,
Charlie Eckersall, who, in his turn, was told
by Aunt Mary to give it to whoever he
thought the besl-dressed person in the room.
So it went on, every time the key changing
hands, till at length Aunt Mary reappeared
and began:
''Why did you give the key to Agnes
George?"
because she is the cleverest person in the
ROOM"
".Why did you give the keyt to Mr.. Ecker
sail, Agnessw
because he has the longest nose."
So the questions went on. and some of the
answers were so ridiculous that bursts of
laughter followed. 1t was decided this game
ought to be called Compliments" Now
came supper, and the great feature was a
large dish of smoking snap dragon. The little
ones nearly burnt their mouths and fingers
as they pulled out the hot raisins, screaming
with delight at the blue flames that blazed so
prettily. When all had returned TO the
drawing room 1t was very plainly to be seen
that another performance in the bay window
was yet to come. Now and then a hand or
iOOb COulu NC uCCCCLcu Uculuu TUG CuILdlu VI
whisper with long "Hush p after it could
be heard which was evidently not intended
for the ears of the audience. Presently the
curtain was drawn back, and 10 and behold!
there was old Father Christmas standing out
In large ermine mantle; his beard of frosted
tow reached to his waist, he had wreath Of
glistening holly round his white head,
branch of mistletoe in one hand, and gilt
tering basket hung round his neck. No ono
recognized Frank Thornton, he was so COM
pletely transformed into the we'll known fig
ure long familiar in picture books. The Sol
diers' Chorus from "Faust" was Low played
on the piano, and all, old and young, had to
60 forward and make low bow or courtesy
while Father Christmas solemnly presented
each with some gift from his basket. To one
he gave box of sugar-plums, to another
book, to another an illuminated almanac, TO
another doll or bunch of charms. The
gifts were not very valuable, but they created
a great deal of surprise, excitement ard
whispering. The curtain was now drawn
again, but only for few minutes. Very
soon the lights were lowered, the room
left in partial darkness, and the curtain
was drawn back, this time to display two
figures; one was that of very old man
crouching on heap of rags, as ii he were at
looking perfectly radiant. His wire wings were
covered with silver-striped gauze; he had a
tunic Of pink gauze, studded with silver stars;
he. had a glittering bow and arrow in one
hand; his long, shining hair fell over his
shoulders like an aureole, and had one silver
star just at the top. The stars were only
made of bright tin toll, but they shone bril-
lantly. and Mrs. Thornton was not the only
one who thought that little Goldie looked like
little angel. Over the crouching figure was
seen in dingy red letters, THE Old Year."
vuhi1o GoIdiatr hoad ut in hriuhf
gilt letters, 1.-THE New Year."
Every one pushed forward to get a better
view OF this dazzling apparition, and just
then Tennyson's poem, "The Death of the
Old Year," was recited by voice which only
few of the initiated knew to be that of
Cousin George, who was hidden behind the
curtain. He had a full deep voice and recited
well. The worcs, SO familiar, but always
beautiful, sounded doubly approprlatate just
now, for the old year had only few mole
minutes to run:
Full knee-deep lies the Winter snow,
And the Winter winds are YEARLY signing,
Toll We the church bell sad and slow,
And tread softly and speak low,
For the Old Year he's dying.
The crouching figure uttered now low
groan, the lights were almost extinguished,
radiant Goldie advanced and shook his gilt
tering bow aud arrow, while the voice pro.
ceeded:
"His face is growing sharp and thin,
Alack! our friend is gone.
Close up his eyes, tie up his chin,
Step from the corpse and let him in,
That standeth there alone,
And wateth at the door.
There's new foot on the floor, my fIieud
And new face at the door, my friend,
And new face at the doors
just as the last words died away tho clock
struck twelve, the gas was turned on, the
church bells rang out merry peal, every one
started up, shook hands with whoever stood
nearest and cried, ''The New Year! God
bless itv'
And so say we.
BOGUS CERTIFICATES.
1t Is no vile dragged staff, pretending to be
made of wonderful roots, barks, &C., and puff
ed up by long bogus certificates of pretended
miraculous cures, but q simple, pure, effective
medicine, made of we'll known valuable reme-
dies, that furnishes its own certificate byits
cures. We refer to Hop Bitters the purest