Christmas, A Happy Time | Page 6

Mr. Mortimer and his children continued their walk towards the
house, they heard a shrill shouting from the direction of the village;--it
seemed like the shouting of young voices, and was evidently that of
joyfulness. The attention of the children was immediately attracted
towards it, and Mr. Mortimer indulged them by moving in its direction.
John and Frederick were very soon out of sight, and in a few minutes
they returned to relate the cause of the acclamations they had heard.
They proceeded from the children of the parish school, who had just
been dismissed by their master and mistress, and were to be treated
with a week's holiday. Hurra--hurra--cried all the little noisy fellows, as
Mr. Mortimer came up; while the squeaking voices of the little girls
joined in the cry, at the same time as they jumped, and danced, and
frisked about happy and joyous as little birds. The young Mortimers
hastened towards the gate, and as they opened it, the young crowd gave
them another hurra; and two or three of the biggest of the boys
approached, and making their village nods to the squire, at the same
time touching their hats, they offered their Christmas pieces for
exhibition. Mr. Mortimer gave these little lads sixpence each, and
calling to the gardener to get him a few shillings' worth of halfpence
from the village shop, he bade the happy group of children stop a few
minutes near the gate. This they were most glad to do, and on the return
of the gardener, John and Frederick, commissioned by their father, gave
each of the little girls two-pence, and Harriet and Elizabeth had the

same pleasing commission to execute towards the boys. All was joy
and hilarity; and when Mr. Mortimer told them that on Christmas-day
they were to come to his house, to have some beef and plum-pudding,
all the little happy countenances shone with delight.
'And now run on, and get home,' said Mr. Mortimer: 'for your parents
will be waiting for you at their dinners. And take care you do not get
into any mischief in the course of the next week: and if you go out to
slide mind that the ice is well hardened before you venture on it. And a
merry Christmas to you all.'
'Merry Christmas to you, Sir,' replied the biggest boy, who was a very
well-spoken lad, and looked as happy, though he made less noise than
the rest. 'Merry Christmas--Merry Christmas,' was echoed from a
number of little voices around him; and with another joyous shout, the
motley group proceeded onwards through the village.
Mr. Mortimer now left his children, and proceeded also through the
village where he had himself business to transact. The children went
into the house to get their luncheon of bread and jam, and after the girls
had rested themselves, their mother promised to take a stroll with them
and their brothers round the garden and through the green-houses. At
this time of year there was little to see; but still what little there was,
was worth seeing, and a stroll with mamma was always a treat.
'What piles of shirts and round frocks! mamma,' said John, while they
were eating their luncheon. 'And what numbers of frocks! why, you
might set up a shop almost.'
'Cannot you guess what these frocks and shirts are all for?' said Harriet.
'I can,' said the quick little Frederick. 'They are for the children we saw
in the lane just now; and they are to have them against Christmas.'
'You are right, Frederick,' replied his mother; 'and I have been taking
the opportunity of this holiday of your sisters, to look them over and
parcel them out.'

Just now the door opened, and a housemaid appeared with a large
basket of shoes and stockings, and another with women's gowns and
men's frocks.
'How pleased all the poor people will be, mamma!' said Elizabeth,
taking up a gown from the basket; 'it is rather coarse cloth though, I
think, mamma.'
'It would be very coarse for you to wear, Elizabeth,' replied Mrs.
Mortimer, 'because you are born in a state of affluence, and therefore it
is becoming that you should be drest according to the fortune of your
papa. But to give fine garments to the poor would be no kindness to
them, nor a fit manner of shewing our benevolence towards them.'
'I think papa is very good and kind, do not you, mamma?' said Harriet,
looking very steadfastly at her mother.
'Your father has a great pleasure in benefiting any one it is in his power
to serve, and is as you observe, Harriet, one of the kindest of men. But
he does no more than his duty, and this he would himself tell you, in
being a