Then sing to the holly, the Christmas holly,
That hangs over peasant and king;
While we laugh and carouse 'neath its glittering boughs,
To the Christmas holly we'll sing.

FOOTNOTE:

[Footnote 27: By Eliza Cook, an English poet (1818-1889).]

EXPRESSION: Imagine that you see Mr. Fezziwig with his apprentices
preparing for the Christmas festivities. What is your opinion of
him? Now read the story, paragraph by paragraph, trying to make it
as interesting to your hearers as a real visit to Fezziwig
warehouse would have been.

THE NEW YEAR'S DINNER PARTY[28]

The Old Year being dead, the New Year came of age, which he does by
Calendar Law as soon as the breath is out of the old gentleman's body.
Nothing would serve the youth but he must give a dinner upon the
occasion, to which all the Days of the Year were invited.

The Festivals, whom he appointed as his stewards, were mightily taken
with the notion. They had been engaged time out of mind, they said, in
providing mirth and cheer for mortals below; and it was time that they
should have a taste of their bounty.

All the Days came to dinner. Covers were provided for three hundred and
sixty-five guests at the principal table; with an occasional knife and
fork at the sideboard for the Twenty-ninth of February.

I should have told you that cards of invitation had been sent out. The
carriers were the Hours--twelve as merry little whirligig footpages as
you should desire to see. They went all round, and found out the persons
invited well enough, with the exception of Easter Day, Shrove Tuesday,
and a few such Movables, who had lately shifted their quarters.

Well, they were all met at last, four Days, five Days, all sorts of
Days, and a rare din they made of it. There was nothing but "Hail!
fellow Day!" "Well met, brother Day! sister Day!" only Lady Day kept a
little on the aloof and seemed somewhat scornful. Yet some said that
Twelfth Day cut her out, for she came in a silk suit, white and gold,
like a queen on a frost-cake, all royal and glittering.

The rest came, some in green, some in white--but Lent and his family
were not yet out of mourning. Rainy Days came in dripping, and Sunshiny
Days helped them to change their stockings. Wedding Day was there in his
marriage finery. Pay Day came late, as he always does. Doomsday sent
word he might be expected.

April Fool (as my lord's jester) took upon himself to marshal