e American New Year. The Pilgrim fathers took no note
of the day, save in this prosaic record: "We went to work betimes";
but one Judge Sewall writes with no small pride of the blast of
trumpets which was sounded under his window, on the morning of January
1st, 1697.

He celebrated the opening of the eighteenth century with a very bad
poem which he wrote himself, and he hired the bellman to recite the
poem loudly through the streets of the town of Boston; but happily
for a public, even now too much wearied with minor poets, the custom
did not become general.

In Scotland and the North of England the New Year festivities are of
great importance. Weeks before hand, the village boys, with great
secrecy, meet in out of the way places and rehearse their favourite
songs and ballads. As the time draws near, they don improvised masks
and go about from door to door, singing and cutting many quaint
capers. The thirty-first of December is called "Hogmanay," and the
children are told that if they go to the corner, they will see a man
with as many eyes as the year has days. The children of the poorer
classes go from house to house in the better districts, with a large
pocket fastened to their dresses, or a large shawl with a fold in
front.

Each one receives an oaten cake, a piece of cheese, or sometimes a
sweet cake, and goes home at night heavily laden with a good supply of
homely New Year cheer for the rest of the family.

The Scottish elders celebrate the day with a supper party, and as the
clock strikes twelve, friend greets friend and wishes him "a gude New
Year and mony o' them."

Then with great formality the door is unbarred to let the Old Year out
and the New Year in, while all the guests sally forth into the streets
to "first foot" their acquaintances.

The "first foot" is the first person to enter a house after midnight
of December 31st. If he is a dark man, it is considered an omen of
good fortune. Women generally are thought to bring ill luck, and
in some parts of England a light-haired man, or a light-haired,
flat-footed man is preferred. In Durham, this person must bring a
piece of coal, a piece of iron, and a bottle of whiskey. He gives
a glass of whiskey to each man and kisses each woman.

In Edinburgh, a great crowd gathers around the church in Hunter Square
and anxiously watches the clock. There is absolute silence from the
first stroke of twelve until the last, then the elders go to bed, but
the young