Christmas, A Happy Time | Page 9

On Christmas-day the expected party met round the hospitable
dinner-table of Mr. Mortimer, having all of them arrived on the
preceding day at the grove, excepting the other branch of the Mortimer
family, who attended their own parish church in the morning, and did
not arrive till the hour of dinner.
The children of the village school, all in their new clothes, and with a
sprig of holly in their bosoms and button holes, walked from the church
to the Grove; and there partook, as they had been invited to do, of beef
and pudding, and good home-brewed beer. The young Mortimers
waited upon them at dinner, and before they left the Lodge, presented
them each with a plumb cake; and Mrs. Mortimer gave them each an
amusing little book to read to themselves and their parents, who had
not like themselves possessed the advantages of learning to read.
The family dinner party went off as happily as that in the kitchen. The
young Mortimers all sat together at the side table, and their papa, had
not once occasion to call them out for being noisy, though they were
merry and cheerful enough. It was certainly true, as Harriet had said,
that her cousins would be noisy; on this day, however, being dispersed
amongst the party at the large table, they were very orderly and
well-behaved; and after dinner, when the young people had had taken
as much fruit as was good for them, they retired into their play-room
together: they sat round the blazing fire there provided for them, very
comfortably and happily, and without one word of dissension till they
were again called back for tea into the drawing room.
The next day was the day appointed for the dinner of the tenantry, and
busy indeed were the young Mortimers, in dressing up the Hall, and
making it look smart and lively. A very large party assembled here to
enjoy the squire's hospitable table, at which he himself presided; and

the day after this, the labouring cottagers and their wives met in the
same room at one o'clock, round a table well covered with meat pies,
legs of mutton, roast beef, potatoes, and plum pudding. They brought
with them those of their children, who were too young to be in the
school: and, on this occasion, all the new round frocks, and cotton
gowns were exhibited. Little Frederick led his nurse up to the head of
the table, and was very attentive to her; and whenever her plate was
empty, he took care that it should not remain long so.
This party went off as happily as the last; and two days after was to
take place the little dance, so anxiously looked forward to, not only by
the Mortimers, but by all the young people in the neighbourhood. The
Wexfords came very early in the morning, to assist their young friends
in preparing the ball-room: and the gardener had taken good care to
provide plenty of shrubs and flowers, for the necessary decoration. Mrs.
Mortimer lent her assistance where it was required, and she was only
fearful that the children would tire themselves before the pleasure of
the evening commenced; for Mr. Mortimer had now pronounced the
sheet of water in the park sufficiently frozen to bear any weight that
might be ventured on it; and he had given several village lads
permission to slide there, and prepare it for the use of his own boys. He
now called upon both his own lads, and the young Wexfords, to join
him, and for John he had provided a pair of skates. John met with a
great many tumbles, to the amusement, not only of himself, but of his
companions; but he had no serious bruises, and soon jumped up and
laughed at his own awkwardness. Frederick longed to try the skates out.
Mr. Mortimer thought him too little to venture upon them, so that he
was obliged to be satisfied with sliding. And very prettily he did slide,
and very much did Elizabeth wish to slide with him; for she was indeed
a merry little girl, besides being always desirous of doing every thing
which she saw her brother Frederick engaged in. But mamma thought it
not a very fit amusement for little girls; so Elizabeth joined Harriet and
the Miss Wexfords in a run round the park, all of them occasionally
returning to the ice, to see how the skaters and sliders went on.
The hour of dinner was a very early one on this day, for the evening
party was to be an early one. The young people, with their papas and

mammas began to assemble at a very unfashionable hour, as early
indeed as seven o'clock, and by eight they were all dancing away very
merrily.