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cular for the learned word, —-plainly saying, in brief, burly phrase,
“Humbugs !” —and has very devoutly sent them all to the devil.
From Cheves and Chesnut, Burt, Barnwell and Orr,
To Preston and Pressley, and twenty-five more,
With Petigru thrown in to make up the score !
But we must eschew politics, in a Christmas Legend, lest we
take away some poor devil’s appetite for dinner. Our cue is to be
genial and gentle, tender and tolerant, not strategetical and tragical.
Ihe fire-works arranged and disposed of, we turned in upon a
Christmas Tree, which was to be elevated within the great hall.
This was a beautiful cedar, carefully selected, and brought in from
the woods, the roots well fitted into the half of a huge barrel,
rammed with moss, the base being so draped with green cloth as
to conceal the rudeness of the fixture. This, planted and adjusted
in its place, we enclosed the piazza, front and rear, with canvas,
and hung the interior in both regions with little glass lamps of
different colours. Half of the day, Christmas eve, was employed
in these and a score of other performances. Nothing that we
could think of was omitted. Then, there were boxes of tovs for
*
the children to be unpacked, and trunks of pretty presents to be
examined, and the names written on them of the persons for whom
they were designed. They were, that night, after the guests had
all retired, to be suspended to the branches of the Christmas Tree,
which was, in the meanwhile, to be kept from sight by the drop
ping of a curtain across the hall! Ned Bulmer had his gifts pre
pared, as well as his father and aunt. I, too, had bought my petty
contributions, calculating on the persons I should meet.
Before noon, the company began to pour in. Several came to
dinner that day. Afternoon brought sundry more, who were to
spend the night, and perhaps several nights. The mansion house
was entirely surrendered to the ladies and married people;—the
young men were entirely dispossessed and driven to sheds and out
houses, in which, fortunately, ‘the Barony’ was not deficient. Ned
and myself lodged with the overseer, and had a snug apartment
to ourselves. At dinner, it was already necessary to spread two
tables. Every body was becomingly amiable. Care was kicked
under the table, and lay crouching there, silent and trembling,
like a beaten hound, not daring to crunch even his ow n bones aloud.
The ladies smiled graciously to our sentiments, and we had funny
songs and stories when they had gone. After dinner, some of the
guests rode or rambled for an hour, others retired to the library,—
chess and backgammon ; others to the chambersand the work of
preparation still went on. The holly and the cedar, twined to
gether with bunches of the ‘ Druid Mistleto,’ wreathed the doors
and windows, the fire-place, the pictures. Red and blue berries
glimmered prettily among the green leaves. At night, we had
the tea served sooner than usual, for the Major was impatient for
the fire-works. The discharge of a cannon was the signal for
crowding to the front piazza. There, as far as the eye could ex
tend, ranging along the green avenue, at equal distances, were
piles of flaming lightwood, showing the way to the dwelling.
They failed to show the spectators where the Major was preparing
for his rockets. Suddenly, these shot up amid the darkness ; a
flight of a dozen, with the rush of the seraphim, flying, as it were
from the glooms and sorrows of the earth. Then came wheels’
Roman candles, frogs, serpents, and transparencies—quite a dis
plaJ’,al.'d doi “g 8"* ored it to the Major, besides singing his cheek
and hair, and drawing an ounce of blood from his left nostril—
SUPPLEMENT TO SOUTHERN LITERARY GAZETTE.
the result of a premature and most indiscreet
billon, or something of the sort. But this small annoyance*
rather agreeable than otherwise, as tending somewhat to
the exploit. ® *
The display over, and the spectators somewhat cooled by stand
ing in the open air, we returned to the rooms and the violin
to infuse its own spirit into the heels of the company. Then fcl
lowed the dances ; quadrilles, cotillion, country dances, Virginnv
reels, and regular shake-downs. We occupied two saloons at this
business till 12 o’clock, when the boys and girls, obeying the
signal of Miss Janet, descended to the rooms assigned to offices
purely domestic. Huge bowls might here be seen displayed, and
mammoth dishes. A great basket of eggs was lifted in sight, and
upon a table. Knives and forks, sticks and goose feathers, were
put in requisition. Eggs were poised aloft and adroitly cut in
twain; the yolk falling into the bowl, the white into the dish—
seperating each, as it were, with a becoming sense of what was
expected of it. Then the clatter that followed, —the rubbing and
the rounding, —the twitching and the clashing! How fair arms
flashed, even to the elbow, and strong arms wearied, even to the
shoulder blade, to the merriment and mockery of the damsels.
With some, the unskilful, it wouldn't come; —in Western par
lance, 4 they couldn't come it I ; —and the dish had to be transferred
to more scientific hands. At length, the huge tray being uplifted,
turned upside down, and the white mass clinging still solidlv to the
China, it was pronounced the proper moment for reuniting the
parties so recently’ seperated. Then rose the golden liquid, a
frosted sea of strength and sweetness and serenity, that never
whispered a syllable of the subtlety that lurked, hidden in the
compound, born of the glowing embraces of lordly Jamaica and
gallant Cognac. Lo! now the strong-armed youth, as they bear
the glorious beverage on silver salvers to the favourite ladies. They
quaff, they sip, they smile, they laugh; the brightness gathers in
their eyes; they sparkle; the orbs dance like young stars on a
frosty night, as if to warm themselves ; —when suddenly, Miss
Janet rises, stands for a moment silent, looks significantly around
her, and is understood! A gay buzz follows; and, with smiles
and bows, and merry laughter, and pleasant promises, the gay
group disappears, leaving the tougher gender to finish the discus
sion of that bright, potent beverage, in which the innocent egg is
made to apologize for a more fiery’ spirit than ever entered into the
imagination of pullet to conceive ! Merry were the clamours that
followed; —gay songs were sung;—some of the youngsters, just
from college, took the floor in a stag dance; —while half a dozen
more sallied forth at one o’clock, called up the dogs, mounted their
steeds, and dashed through the woods on a fox hunt. But the fox
they r hunted that night was one of that sort which Sampson let
loose among the Philistines—a burning brand under his brush—
not suffering him to know where he ran !
CHAPTER XVII.
CHRISTMAS —HOW GOLDEN.
t hristmas Dawn ! The day opened with bursting of bombs
from the laboratory of Major Bulmer. lie was up and at work,
bright and early, having summoned me to his assistance.
