Year: 1875




OUr.-Little Nelly Neal couldn't quite
understand it. She heard folks talk
about the Old Year ''going out" and
the New Year looming in" and she
wondered to herself where the Old Year
went to, and if any one ever saw him 60
and where the New Year came from,
and if anybody ever saw him come. 1t
was a puzzle. Sac determined, how
ever, that she would watch this season,
and see for herself the Old Year ''go
out with her own eyes. Therefore,
when she overheard mamma say to
Aunt Josie one night, as she undressed
the children, "When Nelly goes to
sleep veil go down to Trinity watch
meeting and see the Old Year out, F"
Nelly Just made up her mind she
wouldn't ''go right to sleep" as mamma
bade her, but she would stay wide
awake ever so long instead. and then,
may be she would see the Old Year go
too.


But pfter mamma and auntie had
kissed her good night, and she heard
mamma say to papa, .'You sit up for
us, the girls are tired, and look at the
children once in a while, Nelly felt very
sleepy. Her eyelids felt so heavy they
wouldn't stsy open at al, not even when
she tried to hold them apart with her
TAT little fingers and it wasn't very
long before Nelly wss away off in that
beautiful country of childhood's dream
land. She must have been there some
time, for she had been having some real
good times with her dollies, who always
conversed with her in real voices In that
happy land, when suddenly with little
start Nelly opened her eyes, and, sure
enough, there stood the Old Year.
right by mammals bureau. He was a
dark, cross-lOoking, old man, to be
sure, and he seemed to be rowing
around very cautiously. Nelly saw him
open the top draw and take cut man.
mas new watch that papa had given her
Christmas. She supposed, in a sleepy
sort OF way, that must be Time he was
taking along with him. She did not
stir or make any noise, but Just watched
him put things in bag he held in his
hand, and waited to see where he'd
Ego" to, so as she could tell DOllie Dean
and Susy Silver all about it next day.
She lay very still until she saw him
move over toward the crib, where Baby
Bum lay sleeping. Oh, no; she
couldn't let him take the baby too.
Why, the New Year only brought him
to them last winter and-no, no-the
Old Year should not ''go out" with
their baby


just then a very sbrill, piercing
scream startled papa. mo, mol" 1T
shrieked ''you shan't have my baby
brother p From the library to the
nursery was but a step, and papa rushed
wildly over to discover the cause of the
outcry. On the stairs he met a figure
which pushed past him swiftly and
rushed rapidly down the stairs and out
of the door, dropping package as he
ran.


What is it. Nelly2 Speak, my
darling Are you hurt 2" cried papa,
with pale lips, as he came towards the
little white-robed figure that stood be-
side the crib.


''No, papa,-but he was going to take
Bum too, and L wouldn't let him-and
L hate him, and I'll never watch to see
another Old Year go out" and Nelly
burst into a passion of tears.


ecCluS
his little ones were unharmed, he bsde
Nelly take care Of baby, who opened
his brown eyes and seemed to quite
enjoy the excitement and dissipation of
the hour, while lie should go down
stairs to see if there were any traces
left of the burglars.


1t was too late, however, to catch the
thief, but ali his spOils were secured,
for the bundle he had dropped in his
haste to escape contained all the valu-
able booty he had selected.


Mamma hugged her darlings close to
her bosom when she came home and
heard the story, and declared she would
never leave them again to go to ''watch
Nelly felt herself quite a
heroine when papa tod everybody next
day how brave she had been to give the
alarm and frighten OFF the burglar. But
Nelly still declares when she tells the
story to her playmates that it was the
Old Year she saw ego out l''-Hearth
and Home.