Identifier: oldchristmas00irviuoft (find matches)
Title: Old Christmas
Year: 1916 (1910s)
Authors: Irving, Washington, 1783-1859
Subjects: Christmas stories
Publisher: New York : G.P. Putnam
Contributing Library: Scott - York University Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Ontario Council of University Libraries and Member Libraries

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r broad story out of Joe Miller, that waspat to the purpose; but he always stuck in themiddle, everybody recollecting the latter partexcepting himself. The parson, too, began toshow the effects of good cheer, having graduallysettled down into a doze, and his wig sittingmost suspiciously on one side. Just at thisjuncture we were summoned to the drawing-room, and, I suspect, at the private instigationof mine host, whose joviality seemed alwaystempered with a proper love of decorum. After the dinner table was removed, thehall was given up to the younger membersof the family, who, prompted to all kind ofnoisy mirth by the Oxonian and Master Simon,made its old walls ring with their merriment,as they played at romping games. I delightin witnessing the gambols of children, andparticularly at this happy holiday season, andcould not help stealing out of the drawing-roomon hearing one of their peals of laughter. Ifound them at the game of blindmans-buff.Master Simon, who was the leader of their
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Gbe Cbrtetmas Dinner 105 revels, and seemed on all occasions to fulfil theoffice of that ancient potentate, the Lord ofMisrule,1 was blinded in the midst of the hall.The little beings were as busy about him asthe mock fairies about Falstaff; pinching him,plucking at the skirts of his coat, and ticklinghim with straws. One fine blue-eyed girl ofabout thirteen, with her flaxen hair all in beauti-ful confusion, her frolic face in a glow, her frockhalf torn off her shoulders, a complete picture of aromp, was the chief tormentor; and, from theslyness with which Master Simon avoided thesmaller game, and hemmed this wild littlenymph in corners, and obliged her to jumpshrieking over chairs, I suspected the rogueof being not a whit more blinded than wasconvenient. When I returned to the drawing-room, Ifound the company seated round the fire, lis-tening to the parson, who was deeply ensconced 1 At Christmasse there was in the Kinges house, wheresoever heewas lodged, a lorde of misrule, or mayst

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