"And Nature, the old nurse, took
The child upon her knee,
Saying: 'Here is a story-book
Thy Father has written for thee."--Longfellow.




The Little New Year

One cold morning Maurice awoke from his dreams and sat up in bed
and listened. He thought he heard a knock at his window; but
though the moon was shining brightly, Jack Frost had been so
busily at work that Maurice could not see through the thickly
painted panes. So he crept sleepily out of bed, and opened the
window, and whispered: "Who is there?"

"I am," replied a tinkling voice. "I am the little New Year, ho!
ho! And I've promised to bring a blessing to everyone. But I am
such a little fellow I need somebody to help me distribute them.
Won't you please come out and help?"

"Oh, it's so cold!" said Maurice; "I'd rather go back to my warm
bed; " and he shivered as Jack Frost, who was passing, tickled
him under the chin with one of the frosty paint brushes.

"Never mind the cold," urged the New Year; "please help me."

So Maurice hurried into his clothes, and was soon out in the