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JANUARY FIFTH.-In a very old book of Sports and Pastimes I find the following:

"The King of the Bean's reign commenced upon the vigil of the Epiphany. We read that some time back, it was a common Christmas gambol in both our universities, and continued at the commencement of the last century 'to be usual in other places, to give the name of king or queen to that person whose extraordinary good luck it was to hit upon that part of a divided cake which was honoured above the others by having a bean in it.' The reader will readily trace the vestige of this custom, though somewhat differently managed, and without the bean, in the present method of drawing, as it is called, for king and queen on Twelfth Day. I will not pretend to say in ancient times, for the title is by no means of recent date, that the election of this monarch, the King of the Bean, depended entirely on the decision of fortune the words of an old kalendar belonging to the Romish Church seem to favour a contrary opinion: they are to this effect: On the Fifth of January, the vigil of the Epiphany, the Kings of the Bean are created; and on the Sixth the feast of the Kings shall be held, and also of the Queen; and let the banqueting be continued for many days. At court, in the eighth year of Edward III., this majestic title was conferred upon one of the king's minstrels, as we find that sixty shillings were given by the king to Regan the trumpeter, the court minstrel, in the name of the King of the Bean."

JANUARY SIXTH.-THE EPIPHANY-TWELFTH DAY.

I WOULD have you know that midwinter is now over, and the day has dawned for us to look forward to the glorious awakening of Spring, and no longer are we to dwell on the deadness of things. We pass to-day " that point in the earth's orbit, where the North Pole is turned most from the sun." A little more faith, a little more patience, and the sun will shine forth, so much the brighter for a touch of gloom. I must try not to moralise in my Kalendar! I follow the lines of one Agricola, Doctor in Philosophy at Ratisbonne. "I only write," he says, "for those who take any Delight in Gardens, for their Diversion, that walking in a Garden with my Book in their Hand, it may furnish them with all manner of Thoughts. But I'll never be at the trouble of proving what I say, my printed Works containing nothing but what has either Truth or Likelihood in it. I'll never wilfully say or write anything that is unjustifiable, or against my Conscience: Neither do I design any harm to any Body, as being of no Advantage to me." .. I like the comfort of that sentence, "I will never be at the trouble of proving what I say." It is such a delightful way out of every difficulty. I have studied the old Herbals, and am more than charmed thereby. "So may I call it that I have learned and gathered of manye good autoures not without great labourue and payne my booke."

JANUARY SEVENTH.-Note this is St. Distaff's Day. Why is it so called? I will tell you. Or rather I will quote from William Hone so that I may make no error. "It is so called because it was celebrated in honour of the rock, which is a distaff held in the hand, from whence wool is spun by twirling a ball below. It seems that the burning of the flax and tow belonging to the women was the men's diversion in the evening of the first day of labour after the twelve days of Christmas, and that the women repaid the interruption to their industry by sluicing the mischiefmakers." I am glad those days were not my days, though they were merry days, I ween.

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ST. DISTAFFS DAY.

"Partly worke and partly play
Ye must on St. Distaffs day:
From the Plough soone free your teame ;
Then come home and fother them.
If the Maides a-spinning goe,
Burne the flax, and fire the tow:
Bring in pailes of water then,
Let the Maides bewash the men,
Give S. Distaffe all the right,
Then bid Christmas sport goodnight;
And next morrow, every one
To his owne vocation."

-ROBERT HERRICK.

If the Janiveer calends be summerly gay,

'Twill be winterly weather 'till the calends of May."

JANUARY EIGHTH.-In Foster's Calendar I read the quaint news that Quakers oftentimes named the months for themselves. The following is a happy example of my meaning :

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Snow Month.

Rain Month.
Wind Month.

Bud Month.
Flower Month.

Heat Month.

Hay Month.
Harvest Month.
Fruit Month.
Grape Month.
Fog Month.
Winter Month.

It would be almost impossible to remember these names, but they are fascinating, I admit. Here, in Surrey, September would have to be called Hop Month, and I would fain think of another name for Grape Month. Would Chestnut Month do? or can you give me a better one? I should like to make out a Bird Calendar, calling each month after the bird I see most frequently. Let each one make a Calendar for himself.

"Who in Janiveer sows oats
Gets gold and groats;

Who sows in May,
Gets little that way."

JANUARY NINTH.-I would have you know, Cynthia, that on this eve the farmer goeth forth (so I have been told, and I would not disbelieve it if I could), attended, doubtless, by all the men who laboureth for him, into the orchard. There encircleth they one of the full-bearing apple-trees, and three times three they give this toast :

"Here's to thee, old apple-tree,

Whence thou mayst bud, and whence thou mayst blow !
And whence thou mayst bear apples enow!
Hats full! Caps full!

Bushel-bushel-sacks full!
my pockets full too!

And

Huzza!"

Cynthia, I crave in my heart to be present at such a merrymaking, but the world is prudish, and I am bidden stay indoors.

If you would plant mistletoe in your garden, you must take a berry and rub it into a crevice in an old knarled apple-tree branch. Cover it perhaps with a little earth, and it will quickly grow. I know a garden where dark crimson eastern poppies blow, and there, in many apple-trees, are mistletoe boughs.

"The snow had begun in the gloaming,

And busily all the night

Had been heaping field and highway
With a silence deep and white.

Every pine and fir and hemlock

Wore ermine too dear for an earl,
And the poorest twig on the elm-tree
Was ridged inch deep with pearl."

-JAMES RUSSELL LOWell.

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