with it. He had stuck the Twenty-First of June next to the Twenty-Second of December, and the former looked like a maypole siding a marrowbone. Ash Wednesday got wedged in between Christmas and Lord Mayor's Days. How he laid about him! Nothing but barons of beef and turkeys would go down with him—to the great greasing and detriment of his new sackcloth bib and tucker.

6. At another part of the table, Shrove Tuesday was helping the Second of September to some broth-which courtesy the latter returned with the delicate thigh of a pheasant. The last of Lent was spunging upon Shrovetide's pancakes, which April Fool perceiving, told him he did well, for pancakes were proper to a good fry-day.

7. It beginning to grow a little dusk, Candlemas lustily bawled out for lights, which was opposed by all the Days, who protested against burning daylight. Then fair water was handed around in silver ewers, and the same lady was observed to take an unusual time in washing herself. May Day, with that sweetness which is peculiar to her, in a neat speech proposing the health of the founder, crowned her goblet (and by her example the rest of the company) with garlands. This being done, the lordly New Year from the upper end of the table, in a cordial but somewhat lofty tone, returned thanks. He felt proud on an occasion of meeting so many of his worthy father's late tenants, and promised to improve their farms and at the same time to abate their rents.

8. Then the young lord, in as few and yet as obliging words as possible, assured them of entire welcome and with a graceful turn singling out poor Twenty-Ninth of

February that had sat all this time mum, at the sideboard, begged to couple his health with that of the good company before him, which he drank accordingly, observing that he had not seen his honest face any time these four years, with a number of endearing expressions besides. At the same time removing the solitary Day from the forlorn seat which had been assigned him, he stationed him at his own board.

9. They next fell to quibbles and conundrums. The question being proposed who had the greatest number of followers, the Quarters Days said there could be no question as to that, for they had all the creditors in the world dogging their heels. But April Fool gave it in favor of the Forty Days before Easter, because the debtors in all cases outnumbered the creditors, and they kept lent all the year.

10. Day being ended, the Days called for their cloaks and greatcoats, and took their leaves. Lord Mayor's Day went off in a mist as usual, Shortest Day in a deep black Fog that wrapped the little gentleman all round like a hedgehog. Two Vigils (so watchmen are called in heaven) saw Christmas Day home, they had been used to the business before. Longest Day set off westward in beautiful crimson and gold; the rest, some in one fashion, some in another; but Valentine and pretty May took their departure together in one of the prettiest silvery twilights a Lover's Day could wish to set off in.

I. Definitions: (1) fes'ti vals, times of feasting or celebration; (2) môr'ti fied, abased, humbled; (2) vigʻilş, devotional watchings;

(3) whirl'i gig, anything which whirls around; (3) Shrōve' Tūeş'dây, the day before Lent; (4) Lady Day, the day of the annunciation of the Virgin Mary; (4) Twelfth Day, the twelfth day after Christmas ; (4) tif'få nỹ, made of a species of gauze, or very thin silk; (4) ẻ pĭph'ȧnous, pertaining to the festival celebrated on the sixth of January ; (4) Dooms Day, a day of sentence, day of death; (5) băr'on of beef, two sirloins not cut asunder at the backbone; (7) ¤ăn' dle mas Day, the second of February, the day on which the candles for the altar are blessed; (7) ew'ers wide-mouthed pitchers.

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XX. MR. WINKLE ON SKATES.

FROM "PICKWICK PAPERS," BY CHARLES DICKENS.

1. Now," said Wardle, after lunch, "what say you to an hour on the ice? We shall have plenty of time." 2. "Capital!" said Mr. Benjamin Allen.

3. "Prime!" ejaculated Mr. Bob Sawyer.

4.

"You skate, of course, Winkle?" said Wardle. 5. "Ye-yes; oh, yes! "replied Mr. Winkle. "I-I am rather out of practice."

6. "Oh, do skate, Mr. Winkle!" said Arabella. "I like to see it so much!"

7. "Oh, it is so graceful!" said another young lady. 8. A third young lady said it was elegant, and a fourth expressed her opinion that it was "swanlike."

9. "I should be very happy, I'm sure," said Mr. Winkle, reddening; "but I have no skates."

Trundle

10. This objection was at once overruled. had a couple of pairs, and the fat boy announced that there were half a dozen more downstairs; whereat Mr. Winkle expressed exquisite delight and looked exquisitely uncomfortable.

11. Old Wardle led the way to a pretty large sheet of ice; and the fat boy and Mr. Weller having shoveled and swept away the snow which had fallen on it during the night, Mr. Bob Sawyer adjusted his skates with a dexterity which to Mr. Winkle was perfectly marvelous, and described circles with his left leg, and cut figures of eight, and inscribed upon the ice, without once stopping for breath, a great many other pleasant and astonishing devices, to the excessive satisfaction of Mr. Pickwick, Mr. Tupman, and the ladies; which reached a state of positive enthusiasm, when old Wardle and Benjamin Allen, assisted by the aforesaid Bob Sawyer, performed some mystic evolutions, which they called a reel.

12. All this time Mr. Winkle, with his face and hands blue with the cold, had been forcing a gimlet into the soles of his feet, and putting his skates on with the points behind, and getting the straps into a very complicated and entangled state, with the assistance of Mr. Snodgrass, who knew rather less about skates than a Hindu. At length, however, with the assistance of Mr. Weller, the unfortunate skates were firmly screwed and buckled on, and Mr. Winkle was raised to his feet.

13. "Now, then, sir," said Sam, in an encouraging tone, "off with you, and show 'em how to do it."

14. "Stop, Sam, stop!" said Mr. Winkle, trembling violently, and clutching hold of Sam's arms with the grasp of a drowning man. "How slippery it is, Sam!"

15. "Not an uncommon thing upon ice, sir,” replied Mr. Weller. "Hold up, sir!"

16. This last observation of Mr. Weller's bore refer

ence to a demonstration Mr. Winkle made at the instant, of a frantic desire to throw his feet in the air and dash the back of his head on the ice.

The

17. "Now, Winkle," cried Mr. Pickwick, quite unconscious that there was anything the matter, "come! ladies are all anxiety."

18.

“Yes,” replied Mr. Winkle with a ghastly smile, "I'm coming.'

19. "Just going to begin,” said Sam, endeavoring to disengage himself. "Now, sir, start off!"

66

20. 'Stop an instant, Sam," gasped Mr. Winkle, clinging most affectionately to Mr. Weller. "I find I've got a couple of coats at home that I don't want, Sam; you may have them, Sam."

21.

"Thank 'e, sir," said Mr. Weller.

22. "Never mind touching your hat, Sam," said Mr. Winkle, hastily. "You needn't take your hand away to do that. I meant to have given you five shillings this morning for a Christmas box, Sam; I'll give it you this afternoon, Sam."

23. "You're very good, sir," replied Mr. Weller.

24. "Just hold me at first, Sam, will you?" said Mr. Winkle. "There, that's right. I shall soon get in the way of it, Sam. Not too fast!"

25. Mr. Winkle, stooping forward, with his body half doubled up, was being assisted over the ice by Mr. Weller in a very singular and unswanlike manner when Mr. Pickwick most innocently shouted from the opposite bank :"Sam!

26.

27. "Sir?" said Mr. Weller.