It was New Year’s Day, and into the room where Robert and William were playing, came a fairy. Her wings were silvery like a wisp of clouds, and her face shone like a full moon. The children stopped playing at once startled by this magnificent creature of white and gold.
    In her hands were two packages done up in white wrapping paper, tied with red and green ribbons, stamped with a gold seal. It was just like Santa coming all over again. They were very excited and kept wondering what was in the two packages.
    Then suddenly a look of recognition flashed over Robert’s face, and he said; “Aren’t you the same fairy that came last New Year’s Day and left special books for William and me?”
    “Of course I am”, said the fairy, and I’m very happy to think that you remembered me. I have come from Father Time to take back those books that I gave you a year ago to day”.
    “But”, William protested, “I haven’t got mine written full up yet. Really, I haven’t thought so much about it for ever so long and I’d like to keep it a little longer where I could fill it up”.
    “Sorry,” said the fairy, “but Father Time can’t wait. He has to pack the books up in his library in the land of yesterday.”
    “But can’t I just look at what the pages are like before you take my book away?” Robert sighed. “Every time a page turned over in my book it got stuck down and I never could turn it back to see what I had written, and some days I didn’t write anything at all.”
    “Oh yes you did!” said the Fairy. “There isn’t a blank page in the whole book. But now as a special favor, I will turn back some of the pages and let you see what you have written.”
    The first page had a picture of a bird sitting in a beautiful tree with its throat wide open, singing as if its soul would burst its bounds. “Why, I didn’t do that picture”, said Robert.
    “Oh yes you did,” said the fairy. You did that the day you let the baby have your ball, although you wanted to take it with you into your room to play.”
    The next page had a very large red blot on it and the whole page was very untidy and smeared up.
    “I’m sure I didn’t do that,” said Robert, for I have no red ink or crayon.”
    “That red blot is what we fairies call an anger patch,” said the fairy. You put it there when you fought with William over the skates.”
    The next picture was that of a beautiful landscape through which there flowed a wonderful river with trees on its bank. “Oh what a beautiful picture,” exclaimed William. “Robert couldn’t make a picture like that!”
    “Certainly he could,” replied the fairy. “He did that picture the day your mother was sick and you were away at Grandmother’s. He cleaned the house and took care of the baby all afternoon to give mother a rest.”
    “And now I must be going,” said the fairy. “I know that Father Time is getting anxious for the books. Here is a present for each of you, and God bless you in the New Year.” So saying, she vanished, taking the books with her.
    The boys stood speechless and were awed with amazement. Then they slowly untied the packages. In each one was a book with three hundred sixty five blank pages, waiting for the records of the New Year.
    “Let’s try to make every page a beautiful picture this year,” said Robert.
    “Let’s,” said William.

    The Apostle Paul wrote some encouraging words along this line. “Time is short . . . they that weep as though they wept not . . . They that rejoice as though they rejoiced not . . . They that buy as though they possessed not . . . They that use this world, as not abusing it, for the fashion of this world passed away . . .Be steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, for as much as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord” (I Corinthians 7:29-31; 15:58).

    HAPPY NEW YEAR AND GOD BLESS US EVERYONE.