n, with food for the mind.' Captain de Camp did borrow a sovereign
of me, to put in the plate; and I was told by my fellow-churchwarden,
Mr. Flyntflayer, that he did put in a bad shilling, wrapt in paper, and
did take out fifteen shillings in change:--this, I said was untrue--as,
of course, it was;--having lent him a sovereign myself, for the express
purpose. We are to have Captain de C.'s two noble sons here, during the
holidays; one, I believe, comes from Oxford, and the other from Sandboys
Military College:--now is the time--Jemy. and Angel. must be on the
alert, for

'There is a tide in the affairs of _women_,
Which, taken at the flood, leads on to _matrimony_;
Omitted, all the voyage of their life
Is bound in shallows, and in _spinsterhood_.
On such a full sea are we now afloat;
And we must take the current when it serves,
Or lose our ventures.'"

Monday, the 24th December's sun rises in a fog:--everybody has lost the
day of the week, and come upon what appears an infinity of Saturdays
rolled into one--beginning the week with a grand end,--for it is the
advent of Christmas!

The Masters de Camp arrive as was expected.--Cadet Wellesley exhibiting
his military accomplishments by surveying the back field; all the holes
and corners; riddling the sty and pigs with Mr. Brown's blunderbuss;
bivouacking in the pantry at Victoria's expence; and, when remonstrated
with, for mere sport knocking the plaster Albert off the garden wall
into the lane. Mr. Latimer de Camp introduces himself more civilly,
as Miss Jemima is playing and singing (of course for practice), by
accompanying "How happy could I be with either," on the wooden partition
with his thumb, after the fashion of a tambarine.

This is the annual busy day.--Packets and parcels are being delivered
unceasingly by uncommonly civil butcher-boys, graceful grocers, and
urbanic green-grocers, who are near enough to boxing-day to know that
silver on the tongue is necessary to charm silver from the pocket. The
Captain has sent to learn if any consignments are for him, to ask the
loan of a pack of cards, and Victoria's company to spend the evening at
the Albert--which invitation is graciously accepted.

It is eve--Christmas-eve.--Mrs. Brown's candied mixture, the pudding, is
simmering in the copper; the turkey, chine, and hundred etceteras are on
their way from Plumpsworth; while Captain de Camp's baggage is at the
very wildest verge of that gentleman's im