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THE MONTHS:

A Pageant.

PERSONIFICATIONS.

_Boys._ _Girls._ Janary. Fe!rary. Mar"#. A$ril. Jly. May.

Agst. Jne. O"to!er. Se$te%!er.

&e"e%!er. No'e%!er.

Ro!in Re(!reasts) *a%!s an( S#ee$) Nig#tingale an( Nestlings.

+arios Flo,ers- Frits- et".

_S"ene_: A Cottage ,it# its Gron(s.

A roo% in a large "o%/orta!le "ottage) a /ire !rning on t#e #eart#) a ta!le on ,#i"# t#e !rea0/ast t#ings #a'e !een le/t stan(ing. Janary (is"o'ere( seate( !y t#e /ire.1

_Janary._

Col( t#e (ay an( "ol( t#e (ri/te( sno,- &i% t#e (ay ntil t#e "ol( (ar0 nig#t.

Stirs t#e /ire.

Cra"0le- s$ar0le- /agot) e%!ers glo,: So%e one %ay !e $lo((ing t#rog# t#e sno, *onging /or a lig#t- For t#e lig#t t#at yo an( I "an s#o,. I/ no one else s#ol( "o%e- Here Ro!in Re(!reast2s ,el"o%e to a "r%!- An( ne'er tro!leso%e:

Ro!in- ,#y (on2t yo "o%e an( /et"# yor "r%!3

Here2s !tter /or %y #n"# o/ !rea(-

An( sgar /or yor "r%!) Here2s roo% $on t#e #eart#rg-

I/ yo2ll only "o%e.

In yor s"arlet ,aist"oat- 4it# yor 0een !rig#t eye-

4#ere are yo loitering3 4ings ,ere %a(e to /ly5

Ma0e #aste to !rea0/ast- Co%e an( /et"# yor "r%!- For I2% as gla( to see yo

As yo are gla( to "o%e.

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T,o Ro!in Re(!reasts are seen ta$$ing ,it# t#eir !ea0s at t#e latti"e- ,#i"# Janary o$ens. T#e !ir(s /ltter in- #o$ a!ot t#e /loor- an( $e"0 $ t#e "r%!s an( sgar t#ro,n to t#e%. T#ey #a'e s"ar"ely /inis#e( t#eir %eal- ,#en a 0no"0 is #ear( at t#e (oor. Janary #angs a

gar( in /ront o/ t#e /ire- an( o$ens to Fe!rary- ,#o a$$ears ,it# a !n"# o/ sno,(ro$s in #er #an(.1

_Janary._

Goo(6%orro,- sister.

_Fe!rary._

Brot#er- 7oy to yo5 I2'e !rog#t so%e sno,(ro$s) only 7st a /e,-

Bt 8ite enog# to $ro'e t#e ,orl( a,a0e- C#eer/l an( #o$e/l in t#e /rosty (e,

An( /or t#e $ale sn2s sa0e.

S#e #an(s a /e, o/ #er sno,(ro$s to Janary- ,#o retires into t#e !a"0gron(. 4#ile Fe!rary stan(s arranging t#e re%aining sno,(ro$s in a glass o/ ,ater on t#e ,in(o,6sill- a so/t !tting an( !leating are #ear( otsi(e. S#e o$ens t#e (oor- an( sees one /ore%ost la%!- ,it# ot#er s#ee$ an( la%!s !leating an( "ro,(ing to,ar(s #er.1

_Fe!rary._

O yo- yo little ,on(er- "o%e66"o%e in- 9o ,on(er/l- yo ,oolly so/t ,#ite la%!: 9o $anting %ot#er e,e- "o%e too- An( lea( t#at tottering t,in Sa/e in: Bring all yor !leating 0it# an( 0in- E"e$t t#e #orny ra%.

Fe!rary o$ens a se"on( (oor in t#e !a"0gron(- an( t#e little /lo"0 /iles t#rog# into a ,ar% an( s#eltere( "o%$art%ent ot o/ sig#t.1

T#e la%!0in tottering in its ,al0 4it# 7st a /lee"e to ,ear)

T#e sno,(ro$ (roo$ing on its stal0 So slen(er-66

Sno,(ro$ an( la%!- a $retty $air- Bra'ing t#e "ol( /or or (elig#t-

Bot# ,#ite- Bot# ten(er.

A rattling o/ (oors an( ,in(o,s) !ran"#es seen ,it#ot-

tossing 'iolently to an( /ro.1

Ho, t#e (oors rattle- an( t#e !ran"#es s,ay5 Here2s !rot#er Mar"# "o%es ,#irling on #is ,ay 4it# ,in(s t#at e((y an( sing.

S#e trns t#e #an(le o/ t#e (oor- ,#i"# !rsts o$en- an( (is"loses Mar"# #astening $- !ot# #an(s /ll o/ 'iolets

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an( ane%ones.1

_Fe!rary._

Co%e- s#o, %e ,#at yo !ring) For I #a'e sai( %y say- /l/ille( %y (ay-

An( %st a,ay.

_Mar"#._

Sto$$ing s#ort on t#e t#res#ol(.1

I !lo, an arose

T#rog# t#e ,orl(2s ,i(e #ose To 8i"0en t#e tor$i( eart#:

Gra$$ling I /ling Ea"# /ee!le t#ing-

Bt !ring strong li/e to t#e !irt#. I ,restle an( /ro,n-

An( to$$le (o,n) I ,ren"#- I ren(- I $root)

9et t#e 'iolet Is !orn ,#ere I set T#e sole o/ %y /lying /oot-

Han(s 'iolets an( ane%ones to Fe!rary- ,#o retires into t#e !a"0gron(.1

An( in %y ,a0e Frail ,in(6/lo,ers 8a0e- An( t#e "at0ins $ro%ise /rit. I (ri'e o"ean as#ore 4it# rs# an( roar- An( #e "annot say %e nay: My #ar$strings all Are t#e /orests tall- Ma0ing %si" ,#en I $lay. An( as ot#ers $er/or"e- So I on %y "orse Rn an( nee(s %st rn- 4it# sa$ on t#e %ont An( !(s $ast "ont An( ri'ers an( "lo(s an( sn-

4it# seasons an( !reat# An( ti%e an( (eat#

An( all t#at #as yet !egn.

Be/ore Mar"# #as (one s$ea0ing- a 'oi"e is #ear( a$$roa"#ing a""o%$anie( !y a t,ittering o/ !ir(s. A$ril "o%es

along singing- an( stan(s otsi(e an( ot o/ sig#t to /inis# #er song.1