Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1890-04-17
IFor the Ellsworth American
A Masquerade.

Old Father Time lived in very large
house and had numerous family. He was
a jolly old fellow In the main, the croak-
ers to the contrary notwithstanding. but
he was very strict disciplinarian, and he
had some curious rules that he insisted
should be followed by all his family.
For instance. his children, the years, all
went by numbers instead of names, and
| when they reached hundred he sent them
out into the hack country into colonies,
called the centuries. From these, espec-
| tally the older colonies, came marvellous
| reports, sometimes.
Old Father Time had his mansion divid-
ed into several apartments, and he allowed
only one of his children at time to live
In the same apartment with him. His
children were all obliged to give their fam
lilies the same names, and they lived with
him till there were twelve Of the grandchil-
dren, called in general the months Each
| of these grandchildren had his own special
work to do and none was allowed to over
|
snow and the wood hauling and sleighng
parties, and all sorts of good times, and
February, being smaller than her brother,
was to plan no work, but just continue
the work begun by January March was
allowed TO bluster and blow about what he
could do, but he made good preparations
for his sister Aprl's work, and so on all
through the family, aud they lived very
| happily together till December came with
holidays and good cheer, and then when
| his work was done they all moved into the
| back apartments and gave the front one
| up to the next family of grandchildren,
who had 20 perform exactly the same tasks
So all went on pleasantly for several gen
| eratlons.
| But at last some Of the younger ones be-
gan to murmur, and say they didn't see
why they should always do just the same
work that all their cousins had done before
them April said she could bluster and
blow as bard as March did, If they would
only let her, and July said she didn't know
as well a. January-pcople we're always
grumbling about the heat She brought,
| and December told her that 1t was no
worse than for them to grumble at him
for the cold
Grandfather Time listened, and then rca-
soned with them and told them to be good
children and do their duty and all would
be well, but they would not be satisfied,
and finally they all agreed to have grand
masquerade, and change work with each
other all round, In spite of Grandfather
Time. II was April's turn to work when
they commenced, so she came out with big
snow storm TO begin with that she had bor-
rowed from January-then she threw that
aside and took some of June's lovely sun
shine, and people said ii seemed as IL sun
mer had come. Then May took 1t up, and
after using little Of Junc's warmth she
suddenly turned about and came out with
little of December's cold, and actually
got up snow storm. Then she melted
the snow and brought rain till 1t flooded
the valleys and many people were drowned.
Then June followed, and she changed suits
with November and had cold rains for
awhile, and then she took little Of Au-
gusts heat and dried up the grass aud
made all the gardens wilt. July, not to be
behind, nearly killed what was left with
drought and then turned cold and drenched
everything. August had but little mis-
chief left for her 10 do, but she tried
all the freaks she could think of and
brought tornadoes by land and sea till peo-
pie were glad when she left and Septem-
ber came. Now they thought things
would improve, but September had no no
tion of losing his share of the fun. so he
straightway borrowed big frost from
January, and nipped the gardens and near
y killed everything. Then he turned about,
aud 0, how good he was-so warm and
pleasant that the grass actually thought 1t
was June, and started up all anew. Oc-
tober. who is generally SO agreeable. now
came in. and for variety got up some ex-
ira billiards. and tornadoes November
was discouraged when she came in, the
rest had so surpassed themselves so to be
original she got up some tidal waves and
tornadoes and fires, but she refused to bring
any snow for Thanksgiving sleighrdes as
most of her predecessors had done. De
cember took upon him to reverse his or
der of business, and instead of snow and
cold he took some of June's and July's
Lat,,
and rains Then when they gave up the
room to the next family they just invited
their cousins TO carry on the masquerade,
| and they were ready enough to consent.
So January began with some of Mays
weather and little Of June's sun, and the
trees actually blossomed. deceived by the
appearance of things into thinking spring
had come. February then came along,
and, to disappoint those who expected a
change, she confined the mild weather till
she was nearly ready to leave, and then
she brought a little of her own kind of
work to finish with. March was left to
pick up all the cast-oifs of the others, and
he began with will. He brought the
whole of Decembers and Januarys SHOWS
and piled them up, and then he burst out
| with some of July's sun, to melt it, then
he brought out little of his own bluster
| and some of January's cold snaps and
he acted so wildly that at last Grandfather
| Times patience was worn out. He had
| often reproved them for their pranks, but
| they always had an excuse ready: Some
| times it was "Grandfather, the magnetic
currents vary now" and sometimes it was
80, Grandfather, don't you know the gulf
stream is changing?" and sometimes they
said they couldn't follow the old rules be-
cause the forests had been cut away; but
now Grandfather Time was tired Of so
much nonsense and he told them that if they
didn't behave better in future he would
pack them all out of the house together
He said his children had always obeyei
his rules before, and If they did not do
so now he would know the reason why,
and it would have to be something better
than change in the gulf stream. too.
But whether they will heed his advice, or
continue their carnival in spite of his rules
this deponent saith not at present.
R. S. W.