THE

THE NEW YEAR

BY LUCY LARCOM

HERE'S a New Year coming, coming
Out of some beautiful sphere;

His baby eyes are bright

With hope and delight;

There's an Old Year going, going

Away in the winter drear;

His beard is like snow

And his footsteps are slow;
Good-by to you, weary Old Year.

There is always a New Year coming;
There is always an Old Year to go;
And never a tear

Drops the happy New Year

As he scatters his gifts in the snow.

1. At exactly what time does the New Year begin? What is

the New Year pictured as above? The Old Year?

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ΤΟ

IS

OUR OWN COUNTRY

All of us belong to the same great country The United States of America. It is the country of Washington and Lincoln. We believe it is the best country in the world. It is our duty as its citizens to love it, to defend it, and to make it better in every way we can.

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Who made each mast, and sail, and rope,
What anvils rung, what hammers beat,
In what a forge and what a heat
Were shaped the anchors of thy hope!
Fear not each sudden sound and shock;
'Tis of the wave, and not the rock;
'Tis but the flapping of the sail,
And not a rent made by the gale!
In spite of rock and tempest's roar,
In spite of false lights on the shore,
Sail on, nor fear to breast the sea!

Our hearts, our hopes are all with thee,

Our hearts, our hopes, our prayers, our tears,
Our faith triumphant o'er our fears,

Are all with thee, are all with thee!

1. Study the full-page picture opposite the poem. What kind of ship is it? Why did the artist not make it a steam vessel?

2. Notice the decoration on page 149. What is the bird at the top? Why not a dove? What are the stars for? The rope?

3. Who is the Master, line 6, page 149? Who are the Workmen, line 7? Do you know what the Fourth of July means? old is our nation?

How

4. What word would you probably have used in place of wrought, page 149; rent, page 150; triumphant, page 150? Show on the picture of the ship what is meant by "ribs of steel"; keel; mast. What is a forge; an anchor?

5. How many lines of the poem can you say without looking at your book?

IO

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