Christmas, A Happy Time | Page 7

vigilant guardian over the necessities of his poor neighbours.
Providence has placed a large fortune at his disposal; and one end of its
being given, was, that he might clothe the naked and feed the hungry.
Christmas would not be a time of much rejoicing to the poor, were not
the rich to assist them in making it so: and I hope all my dear children,
while they are enjoying themselves with every comfort and indulgence
around them, will be rendered happier by reflecting that the inhabitants
of every cottage in the village are rejoicing at the same time.'
'We shall not have a party on Christmas-day, shall we, mamma?' asked
John.
'None, excepting our own family, John,' replied Mrs. Mortimer. 'I hope
both your uncles will be with us, and your grandpapa and grandmamma
have promised to come over from Cannon Hill. The Mortimers from
Haversly too I expect, and these I think will complete our circle 'round
the Christmas fire.

'Oh, I hope grandpapa will come,' said Frederick, 'because he has
always such a number of battles and fighting stories to tell, and he is so
droll besides.'
'And I am sure I hope uncle Philip will come,' said Elizabeth; 'for he is
so fond of play, and jumping me up to the ceiling.'
'I think you are getting almost too big for this play,' said Mrs. Mortimer;
'and so uncle Philip would feel in his arms, I believe, were he to
attempt to jump you now.'
'We shall all dine with you then, mamma, shall we not?' said Elizabeth;
'if there is no other company. You know they are relations, and are all
fond of us children.'
'You shall all dine in the room, certainly,' said Mrs. Mortimer; 'but if
the four young Mortimers come, I think some of you will be obliged to
dine at the side table, but that none of you will mind.'
'Oh, we do not mind that at all, mamma,' said Harriet; 'but we had
rather not have any of the Mortimers with us, for they are so rude and
noisy, and papa always thinks that we make the noise; and I am sure it
is always their fault, though we cannot help laughing at them.'
'You see, in the instance of your cousins, Harriet,' said Mrs. Mortimer,
'the disadvantage of never having any restraint put on little girl's
educations. I myself have seen that they occasionally are boisterous and
overbearing in their manners; but the fault is not their own. And, if you
remember, one day when they were with us, without their own father
and mother, they were as orderly and well-behaved as possible.--But
will you never have finished your luncheon, Frederick?'
'I was so hungry, mamma,' replied the little boy; 'but I have done now:
and now shall we go out again?'
'Did you call on nurse this morning?' said Mrs. Mortimer.
'No, mamma, I quite forgot her,' replied Frederick; 'but we will go now

shall we, John, while mamma finishes sorting the things?'
'You must never forget her, my dear boy,' replied the tender mother;
'for without her care of you, when your own mother was too weak to
attend to you, you would not have been the stout active boy you now
are.'
'I hope you have a nice gown and petticoat for nurse, mamma?' said
Frederick.
'She has not been forgotten,' replied Mrs. Mortimer; 'and you shall have
the pleasure of carrying the bundle prepared for her yourself. There it
is:--the cotton gown, and stuff petticoat, the shoes, stockings, and apron,
lying together at the corner of the table.'
Frederick, with a little of his mother's assistance, soon made these
separate articles into a bundle; and the two boys set off for Nurse
Winscomb's cottage.
The stroll round the garden did not take place on that day; for the boys
met their father returning from the cottage of the nurse, and he took
them with him to call on a gentleman residing about two miles distant,
and whose family were to be invited, with a few others, to meet
together in the Christmas week. The young people were to be indulged
with a little dance; and although neither John nor Frederick knew much
about dancing, they were pleased at the idea of joining with those who
did, and already began to talk over the little young ladies of the
neighbourhood, and to settle with whom they would, and with whom
they would not dance.
They came home quite tired, and only in time to have their dress
changed before dinner. Harriet and Elizabeth thought they had been
absent a long while, and on their return into the drawing-room, were
ready with their smiling countenances to receive these dear boys.
The next morning after breakfast, Mr. Mortimer employed a