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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to all appearance comfortinghimself with some of the squires home-brewed.He was a kind of hanger-on, I was told, of theestablishment, and, though ostensibly a residentof the village, was oftener to be found in thesquires kitchen than his own home, the old gen-tleman being fond of the sound of harp in hall.The dance, like most dances after supper,was a merry one; some of the older folks joinedin it, and the squire himself figured down severalcouple with a partner, with whom he affirmedhe had danced at every Christmas for nearlyhalf a century. Master Simon, who seemed to bea kind of connecting link between the old timesand the new, and to be withal a little antiquatedin the taste of his accomplishments, evidentlypiqued himself on his dancing, and was endeav-ouring to gain credit by the heel and toe, riga-doon, and other graces of the ancient school; buthe had unluckily assorted himself with a littleromping girl from boarding-school, who, by herwild vivacity, kept him continually on the
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The dance like most dances after supper was a merry one Cbrtetmas Eve 51 stretch, and defeated all his sober attempts at ele-gance :—such are the ill-assorted matches to whichantique gentlemen are unfortunately prone! The young Oxonian, on the contrary, hadled out one of his maiden aunts, on whom therogue played a thousand little knaveries withimpunity: he was full of practical jokes, and hisdelight was to tease his aunts and cousins; yet,like all madcap youngsters, he was a universalfavourite among the women. The most interest-ing couple in the dance was the young officerand a ward of the squires, a beautiful blushinggirl of seventeen. From several shy glanceswhich I had noticed in the course of the evening,I suspected there was a little kindness grow-ing up between them; and, indeed, the youngsoldier was just the hero to captivate a romanticgirl. He was tall, slender, and handsome, and,like most young British officers of late years, hadpicked up various small accomplishments onthe

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