ink?

in which all the days chiming in, made a merry burden.

They next fell to quibbles & conumdrums.

The question being proposed, who had the greatest number of followers--the
Quarter 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
favour of the Forty Days before Easter; because the debtors in all cases
outnumbered the creditors, & they kept _lent_ all the year round.

All this while Valentine's Day kept courting pretty May, who sate next
him, slipping amorous billets-doux under the table, till the Dog Days
{who are naturally of a warm constitution} began to bark and rage
exceedingly.

April Fool, who likes a bit of sport above measure, & had some
pretensions to the lady besides as being but a cousin once
removed,--clapped & halloo'd them on; and as fast as their indignation
cooled those mad wag's, the Ember Days, were at it with their bellows, to
blow it into a flame; & all was in a ferment: till old Madame Septuagesima
{who boasts herself the Mother of the Days} wisely diverted the
conversation with a tedious tale of the lovers which she could reckon
when she was young; & of one Master Rogation Day in particular, who was
for ever putting the question to her; but she kept him at a distance, as
the chronicle wd: tell--by which I apprehend she meant the Almanack.

Then she rambled on to the Days that were gone, the good old Days, & so to
the Days before the Flood--which plainly showed her old head to be little
better than crazed & doited.

Day being ended, the Days called for their cloaks & great-coats & took
their leaves.

Lord Mayor's Day went off in a mist as usual; Shortest Day in a deep black
Fog that wrapt the little gentleman all round like a hedgehog. Two
Vigils--so watchmen are called in heaven--saw Christmas Day safe
home--they had been used to the business before. Another Vigil--a stout,
sturdy patrole, called the Eve of St. Christopher--seeing Ash Wednesday
in a condition little better than he should be--e'en whipt him over his
shoulders, pick-a-back fashion, & Old Mortification went floating home
singing--

"On the bat's back do I fly,"

& a number of old snatches besides, between drunk & sober; but very few
Aves or Penitentiaries {you may believe me} were among them. Longest Day
set off westward in beautiful crimson & gold--the rest, some in one
fashion, some in another; but Valentine & pretty Ma