CHRISTMAS IN CANTERBURY. THIRTY YEARS AGO.

Oxford Observer, Volume 1, Issue XI, 26 October 1889, Page 6

CHRISTMAS IN CANTERBURY. THIRTY YEARS AGO.

(Continued.)

Christmas eve arrived. We were all up betimes. Father and my five elder brothers all went into the bush and got a great quantity of green stuff, with which they built an immense bower, using one side of the stock-yard for a sort of background, all the front being left open. It was a rude erection of rough polos, latticed and thatched — Maori fashion — with fern fronds and flax. Delightfully cool and nice it looked. Our four nearest neighbors lent us their tables, and everybody hi the Bay was to bring their chairs and stools, while Maori Betty brought down three large flax mats, which were to be spread m front of the bower for the Maori friends, as they were not to sit at the table with us. Meanwhile, mother, with the help of three neighbors' wives and myself, was hard at work cooking. We had three large fires going at the back of our house, meat and poultry roasting, plum pudding boiling, pies baking, and I know not what going on. When all was done, and we were sitting on our bower, m the cool of the evening, adII king our work, Mr Parsons came up to tell us lie had just got back from Port, and that the Rev. Dudley would hold service for us hi the morning. Father at once proposed that he should hold service m the bower, instead of Mr Parson's house, as was customary. As church was to be at ten, and dinner not until two, we all agreed that it was a good plan. At last the eventful morning arrived. I turned out at six, and met my brother Fred returning from the beach, where he had been for his morning bath m the sea. "A merry Christmas, Peg," he shouted. "Come along down to the beach, I see a boat coming ; I expect it will be the Farquhar's. "Oh ! it can hardly be them so soon," I answered, Vas I ran down with him. But it was, and very soon they were up on the beach, and shaking hands all round and wishing "Merry Christmas." I felt very happy when George, the eldest son, and four years my senior, came up, and, taking both my hands into his, said, "A merry and happy Christmas, dear Peggy," and looked into my eyes with his own, straightforward, honest look, which said all there was any need to say, without words. So the breach was healed between us, and he was my own dear George once more. And very tender and kind he was to me that day. Ah, me ! little did I think that was the last day I was ever to spend with him. It is good for me to look back and feel there was nothing to regret m that day ; that all was peace and love between us. And shall I not meet him m a far more glorious happy Christday than any we could have here. Life would have nothing for me if I did not think so.

{To be concluded.)