348 TWELVE BY THE MAIL,

“ Hurrah! hurrah!” sang the people in the houses of the town,
for the New Year was being welcomed, and as the clock struck
they stood up with the filled glass in their hand, to drink success
to the new comer.

“ Happy New Year!” was the cry. “A pretty wife, plenty of
money, and no sorrow or care !”

This wish was passed round, and then glasses were clashed
together till they rang again, and in front of the town gate the
post-carriage stopped with the strange guests, the twelve travellers.

And who were these strangers? Each of them had his pass-
port and his luggage with him; they even brought presents for
me and for you and for all the people of the little town. Who
are they? What did they want? and what did they bring with
them?

“Good morning!” they cried to the sentry at the town gate.

“Good morning!” replied the sentry, for the clock struck
twelve. “Your name and profession?” the sentry inquired of
the one who alighted first from the carriage.

“ See yourself, in the passport,” replied the man. “I am my-
self!” And a capital fellow he looked, arrayed in a bear-skin
and fur boots. “Iam the man on whom maay persons fix their
hopes. Come to me to-morrow, and I’ll give you a New Year’s
present. I throw pence and dollars among the people, I even
give balls, thirty-one balls ; but I cannot devote more than thirty-
one nights to this. My ships are frozen in, but in my office it is
warm and comfortable.: I’mamerchant. My nameis JANUARY,
and I only carry accounts with me.”

Now the second alighted. He was a merry companion; he
was a theatre director, manager of the masque balls, and all the
amusements one can imagine. His luggage consisted of a great
tub

“ Well dance the cat out of the tub at carnival-time,” said he.
“Tl prepare a merry tune for you and for myself too. I have
not a very long time to live—the shoftest, in fact, of my whole
family, for I only become twenty-eight days old. Sometimes
they pop me in an extra day, but I trouble myself very little
about that. Hurrah !”

“You must not shout so!” said the sentry.

“ Certainly, I may shout!” retorted the man. “I’m Prince
Carnival, travelling under the name of FEBRUARY!”

The third now got out. He looked like Fasting itself, but car-
ried his nose very high, for he was related to the “ Forty Knights,”
and was a weather prophet. But that’s not a profitable office,
and that’s why he praised fasting. In his buttonhole he had a
little bunch of violets, but they were very small.

“MARCH! Marcu !” the fourth called after him, and slapped
him on the shoulder. ‘ Doyousmell nothing? Go quickly into
the guard-room ; there they’re drinking punch, your favourite