Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-01-14
HOW MASTER NEW YEAR TRl-
UMPHED.

the NEW Of which he was to be king.
He was making his toilet very care
fully, DOMINIC a garment of crested
ice. trimmed about with bands of
softest, downy snow. And over the
garment glistened the most beautiful
frost germs, laid out in fantastic de-
signs. A cap, fringed round the back
with slender icicles that sparkied like
diamonds, was set jauntily upon his
head. In his hands he carried a great
book, book whose leaves were as
yet uncut, and whose covers were
sealed. On the stroke of -, December
81 he would come into his power;
then he would break the seal Of the
great volume and cut the leaves, pre-
- 'r~~riNing within it the
events Of the 366 days of the time that
- - Gim hing New Year he
W. ~ md ,.e,,. son
Many ice fairies assisted Master
New ear with his toilet, hailing nm
as the coming king. And as he de
parted from out the greet oor+' -
cave, the stronghold of all the New
Years that hau gone Delote u. ii. -.
gave voice to mighty anthem
which ended with the lines, Peace
on earth and good will to man And
smiling in his happiness, warmed
through with anticipation, Master
New Year, as yet a child shook out
his flaXen hair of spun ice and cried
farewell to the place that had given
him birth. the place were his fore
fathers had come into life. for 10!
these thousands of years Then he
was off like the wind, carrying ,ne
great volume as easily as though it
had been Of feathers weight
But hardly had Master New Year
got beyond the icebergs of the ereat
northern circle. en- route southwark,
when his progress was retarded by Il
little chap he had never met before.
The youth stopped Master New Year,
saying: Come. young sir, what's your
nance Mine is Jack Frost
Master New Year was displeasad
that this upstart, as he deemed Jack
Frost to be. should have stopped him
in his progress, for he was determined
to be on time when the bells rang out
the hour Of his coming. So, frowning
slightly, he replied: BE on your way,
Jack Frost. and delay me not Know
you that am Master New Year, soon
to be crowned king of all the land,
and I am intent upon my journey. So,
delay me not
But there is always time to play
bit" declared Jack Frost. Now that
his work for the year was over, and
finding time heavy on his hands as
he wandered toward his icebound
home in the north whittier old win
ter had driven him = he wished to
daily on the road and find any idle
pleasures that might come his way.
Come, let's have a chat. If you're re-
ally Master New Year, l may be able
to tell you many things OF the land
and the people that you are going to
reign over for the next 366 days"
"Ah" and Jack Frost sighed "if
only you knew the task before you!
Why. I've been visiting with King
Present Year soon to be known as
Old Year, and he told me lot of his
worries. You see year grows old very
quickly after he has got his inning,
SO to speak
Although Master New Year knew
he should not tarry moment his in
terest had been reused by the words
of the sprishtly youth who was SO
bold. And. deciding that he would
travel faster to make up for lost time.
he granted few minutes to the
young stranger who had in way fas-
cinated him.
We'll, l shall be glad of q few
words with you, Jack Frost" said he,
resting himself on the edge of a snow
bank / should like to hear something
of my father Present Year - who
is so soon to give over the throne to
me. Did he have a successful reign?"
Jack Frost laughed till his sides
shook, the frost that covered them
flying about in the air like so many
bits of down "Ah, ha! just listen to
that! Why. don't you know that every
New Year, no matter how much he
tries to be kind and just, he is govern
ed by the Elements and Man? Yes,
my child. you are really not king II
or. that is to say, you'll not be the real
king on January /. The Elements and
Man, my kind sir, are the rulers. All,
ha, ha! Now if only you could hear
the words Of Present Year who,
within twenty-four hours will have
passed into that strange country call
ed the past, and who, on the moment
of your advent. will be designated as
Old Year We'll, he is quite content to
go. The Elements have used him
rain on one part Of the country, while
a drouth burned up another part of it.
Men joined together in bands to cheat
and rob each other. In vain did Pres
ent Year and his fairy court sing
their coronation anthem Peace on
earth and good will to man., no one
listened to the words or the music
And Present Year became melancholy
finding that he had work to do that
was beyond his power.
Master New Year sat quite still,
listening with head bent. After Jack
Frost had spoken he looked up, ask
ing: Would l better return to my
cave and keep my volume sealed
you cannot do that" laughed Jack
Frost. You have you mission on
earth and You cannot shirk it. No. go
on and do your best or worst | al
ways wreak all the mischief | can
while on my exploits. l nip at every
thing in my path. l kill plants and
vines; send people hurrying under
shelter to get away from the chill
breath | blow upon them Oh, how l
do wreak ruin wherever l get the
chance! But get to make myself
felt only once year just after that