ning this year. The missionary, aided
by his musical family, had been for weeks diligently employed in
teaching the Indians to sing Christmas carols and other appropriate
songs for this joyous occasion. The native choir acquitted themselves
admirably, and everything passed off to the pleasure and delight of all.

New Year's Day is, however, the big day to the Indians, as it is on that
day that the great annual feast is held in the church. This Christian
festival has taken the place of the once heathen dog feast and other
pagan ceremonials that the Indians held, with disgusting rites, before
the missionaries came among them.

New Year's Day is called by the Indians Oo-che-me-ke-se-gou, which
literally means "the kissing day." On this day the men claim the right
to kiss every woman they meet, and, strange to say, every woman expects
to be kissed, and is quite offended if she is passed by without being
saluted in this way, which is so much more ancient and historic than the
meaningless modern one of shaking hands. This Indian definition of New
Year's Day vastly amused the boys, and when in the morning Mrs Ross and
Wenonah came in, they, of course, had to be saluted in the orthodox
fashion. This was very agreeable, but when the Indian cook came into
the dining room, in answer to Mrs Ross's ringing, Wenonah shouted out
to the boys:

"This is Oo-che-me-ke-se-gou, and you must all kiss Nahkoomah, the
cook."

Nahkoomah was not at all handsome, but she knew what day it was and
claimed her rights, and so when the boys made a rush to get out she
blocked the way in that direction, while Wenonah bravely cut off the
retreat by the other door. Seeing themselves thus captured, they
gracefully accepted the inevitable. A resounding smack was given her
first by Sam, which was gingerly imitated by Frank and Alec. The boys
afterward said that it paid grandly to give the cook the national kiss,
as from that day forward she was ever pleased to prepare them the best
dishes she could.

"I say, Frank and Alec," mischievously exclaimed Wenonah, "don't you
know they keep Oo-che-me-ke-se-gou over at the mission?"

This sally very much amused all, and of course gave Sam a chance to
remark that it was an elegant day for a sleigh ride; that he thought
Frank and Alec's dogs needed some exercise; that the road to the mission
was in capital condition, and perhaps they had better be off, and the
sooner the better, for fear the young ladies