hat
piece in the _Revelation_ touching all the dead standing afore God: and
he prayeth a while, until about five minutes afore the year end. Then
all gather in the great window toward _Keswick_, and tarry as still as
death until Master _Cridge_ ring the great bell on _Lord_ Island, so
soon as he hear the chimes of _Keswick_ Church. Then, no sooner hath
the bell died away, which telleth to all around that the New Year is
born, then _Father_ striketh up, and all we join in, the 100th _Psalm_--
to wit, "All people that on earth do dwell."

And when the last note of the _Amen_ dieth, then we kiss one another,
and each wisheth the other a happy new year and God's blessing therein:
and so away to bed.

I reckon I shall not have no time to write again until _Christmas_ Day
is well over.

"_Father_," said I last night to him--we were us two alone that
minute--"_Father_, do you love _Christmas_?"

He looked on me and smiled.

"I love to see my childre glad, dear maid," saith he: "and I love to
feast my poor neighbours, that at other times get little feasting
enough. But _Christmas_ is the childre's festival, _Edith_: for it is
the festival of untroubled hearts and eyes that have no tears behind
them. For the weary hearts and the tearful eyes the true feast is
_Easter_. The one is a hope: the other is a victory. There are no
clouds o'er the blue sky in the first: the storm is over, and the sun is
out again, in the last. `We believe in the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come.' But we are apt to believe in the
resurrection the most truly when the grave hath been lately open: and
the life of the world to come is the gladdest thought to them for whom
the life of the world that is seems not much to live for."

SELWICK HALL, DECEMBER THE XXVIII.
"Well, _Edith_," quoth Aunt _Joyce_ to me last night, "thou hast had a
rare time of it!"

"I have, _Aunt_," said I: "yet I warrant you, I was not sorry to have
_Sunday_ come at after."

Eh, but I was weary when I gat me abed on _Christmas_ night, and it were
ten o'clock well told ere I so did. _Helen_ and _Milisent_ were later
yet: but _Mother_ packed me off, saying that growing maids should not
tarry up late: and when I found me withinside the blankets, I warrant
you, but I was thankful!

I reckon, being now something rested, I must set down all that we did:
and first for _Christmas_ Eve.

_Hal_ and _Anstace_