CHAPTER II.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XVII, Issue 3, 10 May 1889, Page 27

CHAPTER 11.

Christmas was at hand, bright and frosty, and although Christmas an a religious festival is not much observed in the Principality, owing to the prevalence of dissent, that year it was to be a festive season in the Pass. Pretty Nesta Wynns's twenty-first birthday was on Christmas Day, the very day for a family reunion, so the two spinster annts from Carnarvon and Uncle Tom—who was something in the shipping line in Liverpool —were invited, and two sprightly girl cousins from Festiniog, the minister of Farmer Wynne's own particular "Little Bethel," and to give due weight to the feast the minister of a rival " Zebedee" on the hillsides.

" And I do think, Farmer," said good Mrs. Wynne, " as the best parlour will have to be fired and lighted, you might ask the chapel deacons to come in also ; they'd be company for th' parson, and th' two aunts'll see they have pleDty to take some of the spiritual sourness out of them, I warrant."

" As you like, mother." said the farmer, cheerily ; " but you are filling up tne place with old fogies ; they'll not amuse the little girl much, and it's her birthday party, remember."

" Bless tbe man ! Whoever thought they would ? But it's neighbourly. Nesta and th' young folks will never look into the best parlour the live-long night. I've given her and th' boys permission to ask whoever they like, so there'll be a pretty show. I expect they'll turn th' house out of tne windows. What I should do if th' auats were not here. I do not know."

" We're all going to help and clear out the barn for the young folks," said one of the aunts from Carnarvon. "I do hope they'll have a good time. Nesta reminds me of sister Jenny at her age."

Sister Jenny (the other aunt) looked pleased at the flattery, and simpered out " that there was just a resemblance even now— they are both so small and lively." Pretty Nesta looked up from her buttermoulding board, and wondered if she. would ever look such a small thin woman, with a hard red tinge on her withered cheeks, as little Aunt Jenny. " Owen and Morgan are going with the farm lads to bring in cart-loads cf spruce and holly to deck the barn," cried Nesta, with beaming eyes, while she rolled out the golden butter deftly.

" Richurd Williams, the milk-boy, has got a splendid branch of mistletoe," said one of the dark-eyed maids ns from Festiniog ; "ho got it by some unlawful means from the woods around. I heird him calling Ann, the dniry-m-ud, this morning.'" " You wicked, mischievous Gwcn ! 1 believe you asked him to get it 1 " " Gwen his oeen i.i Lcagiv 1 nith Dicky Williams ev^r since hi drove her into Banuor last wck ' cr 0 1 Kitty, the other sprigLtly cousin, weighing the lumps of butter meaawhi c.

" I've no deubt you mean to play high jinks, chil iren," sud the farmer. "Well, do just as you like and enjoy youiselves; but no dancing, no dancing, lemember. I'll have no daughters of Herodias under my nnf-trte."

He was a staunch dib-senterif the olden school, and dancing savoured of Satanic orgi f. Then be went out to " play havoc and let loose the dogs of war " among the feathered fowls in the stackyard ; thus Nesta'tf buthday wa-i not a seasou of unmitigated joy to the poultry fit the farm. Heaps if geese and turkey, chickens and mountain sheep, were sacrificed to Uo honour to the feist ; Owen and Morgan and Dticle Tom went out with their guns oa Ihe mountain, and brought ago A store of. plump hares and wild birds. From the cooking that was gon>g o • in the big kitchen 3 on m.ght have thought the farmer meant to j rousion a. company of soldiers. Such a chopping of mince-meat. such •>. mixing of pudding, such a baking of apple pies, pound cakes, and -bread. Mrs. Wynne stood at her paste-board rollirjg out thin sleets of flaky pnff paste, with an antique recipe book open on the table before her. Welsh matrons are as conservative in their views on conkeiy as their lords and masters are liberal in their views a 9 to tithe n forms anei disjndowmeat. Aunt Jenny took upon herself the responsibility of the puddings after everybody in the house, m .ids included, had given a "lucky stir," and the other little aunt placed the various natches of pastry anel cakes in tie huye bake oven in tha brew hoiue, in wtich stacks of wood had been burnt to ensure a due degree 1 f heat. And if it be true that '".the proof of the pudding be in the eating," and " the proof of the pastry in tLe baking, ' then the little aunt might be considered an adept in putting her pastry to ihe pr> of, f >r the shelves of the brew-house bent beneath their store of golden-brown cakes anel pies, which Ghe regarded with laudable pri.le.

And the. giils weie laughing and chattel ing in the kitchen, v\ ith losy cheeks, busy litiuetp, and busy tongues. They beat up e^gs. part d apples, s'oned laisins, anil washeel cunant-s ; they sang, they f-coldui playfully, they were a-> mtity as ho uv.nv c.iidren over their labours of low. Ai>n. tne dairymaid, made cunls ami whey, and the farm girls piucked ihe fiatiiers fioni giis-e ami chickens, ami viewed tbe extensive piepurations with delight. '11k n Un^'e Tom and the fco> 8 would come inio the kitchen and crack jok<'N with ihe women lulk, and pi>ter the raisins and apple", pit eh the cheeks of t he bughteyed cout-ins fiom Festiniog, or tweak little Nesta's golden e'uils. It was, in truth, a lively time, that preparation for iNes'a's Christmas birthday. {To be continued.)