spell of interest in her own biography, although its incidents were remembered without pleasure.

"Have you done much for the improvement of the City?" asked the New Year. "Judging from what little I have seen, it appears to be ancient and timeworn."

"I have opened the Railroad," said the elder Year, "and half a dozen times a day you will hear the bell (which once summoned the monks of a Spanish Convent to their devotions) announcing the arrival or departure of the cars. Old Salem now wears a much livelier expression than when I first beheld her. Strangers rumble down from Boston by hundreds at a time. New faces throng in Essex Street. Railroad-hacks and omnibuses rattle over the pavement. There is a perceptible increase of oyster-shops, and other establishments for the accommodation of a transitory diurnal multitude. But a more important change awaits the venerable town. An immense accumulation of musty prejudices will be carried off by the free circulation of society. A peculiarity of character, of which the inhabitants themselves are hardly sensible, will be rubbed down and worn away by the attrition of foreign substances. Much of the result will be good. Whether for better or worse, there will be a probable diminution of the moral influence of wealth, and the sway of an aristocratic class which, from an era far beyond my memory, has held firmer dominion here than in any other New England town."

The Old Year, having talked away nearly all of her little remaining breath, now closed her Book of Chronicles, and was about to take her departure. But her sister detained her a while longer, by inquiring the contents of the huge bandbox, which she was so painfully lugging along with her.

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These are merely a few trifles," replied the Old Year,

“which I have picked up in my rambles, and am going to deposit in the receptacle of things past and forgotten. We sisterhood of Years never carry anything really valuable out of the world with us. Here are patterns of most of the fashions which I have brought into vogue, and which have already lived out their allotted term. You will supply their place with others equally ephemeral. Here, put up in little china pots, like rouge, is a considerable lot of beautiful women's bloom, which the disconsolate fair ones owe me a bitter grudge for stealing. I have likewise a quantity of men's dark hair, instead of which, I have left gray locks, or none at all. The tears of widows and other afflicted mortals, who have received comfort during the last twelve months, are preserved in some dozens of essence-bottles, well corked and sealed. Moreover, here is an assortment of many thousand broken promises, and other broken ware, all very light and packed into little space. The heaviest articles in my possession are a large parcel of disappointed hopes, which, a little while ago, were buoyant enough to have inflated a balloon."

"I have a fine lot of hopes here in my basket," remarked the New Year. "They are a sweet-smelling flower, a species of rose."

"They soon lose their perfume," replied the sombre Old Year. "What else have you brought to insure a welcome from the discontented race of mortals?"

"Why, to say the truth, little or nothing else," said her sister, with a smile," save a few new Annuals and Almanacs, and some New Year's gifts for the children. But I heartily wish well to poor mortals, and mean to do all I can for their improvement and happiness."

"It is a good resolution," rejoined the Old Year; " and, by

the way, I have a plentiful assortment of good resolutions, which have now grown so stale and musty, that I am ashamed to carry them any farther. Many other matters go to make up the contents of my bandbox; but the whole lot would not fetch a single bid, even at an auction of worn-out furniture; and as they are worth nothing either to you or anybody else, I need not trouble you with a longer catalogue."

"And must I also pick up such worthless luggage in my travels?" asked the New Year.

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"Most certainly; and well, if you have no heavier load to bear," replied the other. "If these ridiculous people ever see anything tolerable in you, it will be after you are gone forever." But I," cried the fresh-hearted New Year,-“ I shall try to leave men wiser than I find them. I will offer them freely whatever good gifts Providence permits me to distribute, and will tell them to be thankful for what they have, and humbly hopeful for more; and surely, if they are not absolutely foolish, they will condescend to be happy, and will allow me to be a happy Year. For my happiness must depend on them.”

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Alas for you, then, my poor sister!" said the Old Year, sighing, as she uplifted her burden. "We grandchildren of Time are born to trouble. But hark! my task is done."

The clock in the tall church steeple struck twelve; and while the strokes were yet dropping into the air the Old Year either flitted or faded away. As the clock ceased to strike, the maidenly New Year arose from the steps of the City Hall and set out rather timorously on her earthly course.

"A happy New Year!" cried a watchman, eying her figure very questionably, but without the least suspicion that he was addressing the New Year in person.

"Thank you kindly!" said the New Year; and she gave the

"May

watchman one of the roses of hope from her basket. this flower keep a sweet smell long after I have bidden you good-by."

Then she stepped on more briskly through the silent streets; and such as were awake at the moment heard her footfall, and said "The New Year is come!"

NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE (Slightly abridged).

NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE was born in Salem, Massachusetts, in 1804. In this historic little town and in that of Concord he spent most of his life. From a boy he was accustomed to take long walks and to pass much time in solitude. He was full of romantic imagination and delicate fancy, ever ready “to explore dark corners." His stories, which are almost all of New England life, abound in fascinating mystery and whimsical humor. His "Grandfather's Chair," sketches of New England history, and his "Wonder Book" were written specially for children. Among his best known works are "Mosses from an Old Manse," "The House of the Seven Gables, ""The Scarlet Letter,' ""The Marble Faun," "Tanglewood Tales" and "Twice-Told Tales," from which "The Sister Years" is taken. Hawthorne died in 1864, and was buried in Sleepy Hollow Cemetery at Concord.

All nouns have gender. That is, they show by their form or use, whether they refer to a male, a female, or an object without life or sex. Gender is of three kinds.

Masculine gender denotes the male sex.

Feminine gender denotes the female sex.

Neuter gender denotes the absence of sex.

Example: man.

Example: woman.
Example: book.

THE NEW YEAR

Ring out, O bells, ring silver-sweet o'er hill and moor and fell!
In mellow echoes, let your chimes their hopeful story tell.
Ring out, ring out, all-jubilant, this joyful glad refrain:
"A bright new year, a glad new year, hath come to us again!

Ah, who can say how much of joy within it there may be
Stored up for us, who listen now to your sweet melody?
Good-bye, Old Year! Tried, trusty friend, thy tale at last is
told.

O New Year, write thou thine for us in lines of brightest gold.

The flowers of spring must bloom at last, when gone the winter's snow;

God grant that after sorrow past, we all some joy may know; Though tempest-tossed our bark a while on life's rough waves

may be,

There comes a day of calm at last, when we the haven see.

Then ring, ring on, O pealing bells! There's music in the sound. Ring on, ring on, and still ring on, and wake the echoes round, The while we wish, both for ourselves and all whom we hold dear,

That God may gracious be to us in this the bright new year.

moor, heath or marsh.

SELECTED.

fell, rocky hill; also, a field.

Nouns that denote either male or female are sometimes said to be of common gender. Examples: children, mortals, people, friend.