her intense
surprise, she found herself reciting:

"Miss New Year dressed herself in white,
With crystal buttons shining,
A spangled scarf, all lacy-light
About her shoulders twining;
A bunch of pearly mistletoe,
A twig of ruddy holly,
She tucked among her curls, and oh,
She was so sweet and jolly!

"She tapped upon my window-pane
And waked me, bright and early.
'Come, come,' she cried, 'the sun's outside,
The winds are gay and whirly!
'Neath winter frost and summer sky,
In spring or autumn weather,
Come out, dear child, and you and I
Will be good chums together!'"

J. M. was the next one to get caught. January had just asked the three to
stay to lunch.

"Wish we could," said the Journeying Man, "but in spite of all these
clocks there is no time. I can smell your stew cooking, January--, such
stew!"

A clock struck eight just as the Journeying Man said "such stew." Without
hesitation he went on:--

"'Such stupid days!' said Willie Green
With long and doleful face.
'Suppose to-night the whirling globe
Should drop us into space:
Hooray! I'd ride the moon astride,
And, if a cloud sailed up,
Pretend it was a feather-bed,
And dive right in, kerplup!'

"'What if the moon went in eclipse?'
Said little Johnny Brown;
'Or if the clouds turned into rain
And sent you drizzling down?
Or if a thunder-bolt went off
And knocked you rather flat?'

"'Now that's the truth,' said Willie Green,
'I hadn't thought of that!'

"But, 'Earth's so poky,' still he mused;
'It must be finer far
To play _I Spy_ across the sky,
And skip from star to star.'

"'Stars fall, sometimes,' quoth Johnny Brown,
'To where, nobody knows.'

"'Oh, dearie me!' cried Willie Green,
'I only said _Suppose_!'"

Amos had a question to ask as the travelers turned to leave the January
house.

"Don't you keep any pets?" he said.

January grinned. "It would have to be a cold kind of pet," he replied.
"And I don't like seals and walruses. The very animal that I want I can't
have: the alligator has always been my favorite."

"The alligator?" echoed Amos and Ann.

"Yes," said January, firmly. "Always the al--"

But a little nickel clock caught him just there, so he remarked instead:--

"Always the alphabet to me
Is like a happy family.