Then there was a deep groan. A young man—somebody's Grandson—suggested a round game. At first the suggestion was received with derision.
"You can't get up a Missing Word Competition," said one. "No, my Grandson, you can't."
"Can't I?" said the youngster, who had been called 'Grandson.' "Can't I? Look here, I will write out a Word, and I will bet you none of you will guess it."
And "Grandson" wrote out a Word on a piece of paper, and sealed it in a packet. Then he called out the sentence, "The present season of the year is known as——"
Then they all tried to guess it. Some one said "unfavourable," another "pleasant," a third "dreary," and a fourth "troublesome."
But they all were wrong.
At last the sealed-up packet was produced, and opened. For the first time there was a smile when the Word was known.
"Who would have thought of it?" was the cry.
The word chosen was "Christmas."
"Fancy anyone remembering Christmas! Even for a Missing Word Competition! Everything seems changing nowadays!"