THE INFANT YEAR

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 241, 31 December 1927, Page 23

THE INFANT YEAR

6 nno was waiting up to see the Old Year out. She had no idea where it was going, but nurse had told her: that if she could keep awake until midnight she was sure to find out. The sun had set long ago and Susan Anne was kneeling up on the edge of her bed, looking through the window at the star-powdered sky. It seemed a long, long time before anything happened, then suddenly there was a rush and a scuffle and a queer little person with his shoes on the wrong feet was beside her on the win-dow-sill.

“Come quickly!” he said. “I am afraid we are too late to see the Old ?; ea^-r 0ut ■ , but * we hurry, we will see the New Year in.” "I have never met you before,” said Susan Anne as they sped through the rushing wind. “Where have you come from V”

I? Oh, I am the Lord Mayor of the Other Side of the World. We are nea r J y there. Don’t be frightened.” With a bang they alighted, and. looking up, Susan Anne saw that they were behind the sun, which is just on the edge <Tf the Other Side of the world. It was a strange sort of place, with three mist-blue walls—the fourthwall was the back of the sun and near b ° 4t lb r looked like red cardboard. YY here’s the New Y r ear?” Susan Anne whispered. “Over there in that corner!” the Lord Mayor said softly. And there, sure enough, was a huge straw basket with a tiny baby in it, size ° Unde<i parcels every sort and =s„‘3^ la ! ; ever are all those?" cried nic?” 1 Anne - Is lls soing for a picstupid child,” said the Lord thi y J? r brlsl s ly: "those parcels are all m m ? lh S , a nl We . e r and mon ths packed . P the things that will happen in IJ~S—the wet days, and sunshinv days, laughter and tears, happiness and sorrow, naughty and good deeds—y ® ee them all by their colour." ..pat what does ho do with them?” it isn t a he, it’s an IT,” interrupted the Lord Mayor. “Oh, look—it's goiiigl" “ p ;. up T ln the air went the basthS Lord Mayor cheered; then . r, . tar away came the sound of bell-* ringing out in the mortal worid to welcome the little New Year. “Quick, we must go before the sun rises, or else stay here tiU next New Years Eve!”

And busan Anne suddenly found herself standing in the night nursery, and she has never been able to understand b°vt it was that nobody missed her Did you see the Old Year out?” asked nurse in the morning. at.'P" 0 '” said Susan Anne. "The Lord iWn ° r ßut S ra » her late and we missed

~,, 'f' i,b appy Mew Year," said nurse, who knew nothing whatever about the Lord 6 the basket, or the little wrong^fe 5 ? r Wlth his shoes on the