Literature.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVI, Issue 67, 23 March 1904, Page 4

Literature.

AN OLD-FASHIONED CIUUSTMAS. The place W'as Lomlon, live time was <J. l."> a.m., -.ll*l Hie month was December, consequently Sir anil Mrs lil«m!»wer «w breakfasting hy electric light. Siinitk'iily tin' tody let lull a periodical she had been pf.rusinu aiwl exclaimed, in lvonilied ac- I eents, " Oil, Tame, isn't ft simply dreadful . "Wihat'H wrong now V inquired Alt' (j lemhwer, looking up nervously from his morii'ing paper. " i ji a!i 1 been I vailing, returned ivis wile, iu shocked anid solemn times, "about; I .lie abysmal depths oi depravity to which so-called smart Society .seouisi to ha.ve sunk.'' "Oh, is that all?" sigjued her hut---I band with relief. "i l from your tone thai sunirl Iri'nu; serious was the matter." ""And is 7 it not serious that the morale ol' tile better classes, who ought to lie shining' examples to their less fortunate brethren, should be ,»o lowered as to threaten to become a positive dungvr to future generations ?" Tailie griraied.

'■■ The future generations must look after themselves," he said. "* We can't help it if they choose, to follow a bad example." "But, Tailie, i-t is our solemn duty to heljj it. It behoves us to see that 110 bad example is set." "Does it ?" asked Tailie, cleverly suppressing a yawn. '"Hatiier a tall order, ll'ow do you propose that we shall set about it "1 intend, for my part, to set about it at once," replied Ms wife, with determination. "l!ood gracious, Irene !■ You are never going to Uursit ujitoai an as*tonished would as a social reformer. How wo shall get roosted ! -Mrs David lllendower, the converted aristocrat, will address the meeting of smart Society sinners. A silver collection will be maidie. Is that the sort oi thing you are going' in for V You may count upon me to liola the plate."

"Do not be so shockingly frivolous, Tailie. 1 know very well lliat these people must be 'approached with the utmost tact amd delicacy. 1 shall begin, with the thin edge of the wedge, and endeavour, 'by showing them fhe innocent pleasure to be fouiwl in simple amusements and in doing good, to open their eyes to the folly and wickoclne.ss of their present lives of unwholesome excitement." ''Bravo ! That's tile style ! What particular wedge are you going to hammer in first ?" "I shall invite a number of young men and girls 'down to our place in Wales, and we will spend a good old-fashioned Christmas together just such a Christmas as Dickwis and all the other dear old out-of-date authors love to oescrWw." "Do you think the follows and the girls will comeas'kod Taflie, doubtfully.

■"Of course they will come. This will lw 11 novelty. The satiated palate 01 the Society man ami woman craws for novelty." "Il'm ! 1 H'pu-se it -does," suid Taitio. "Well, 1 can-'t help uitl'miring your pluck, anil 1 hope you will come safely out of it, ■thatall." "Oh, but, Taflip, you will ] cllt i jn y scheme the support of your presen.su, surely ?"

"iNot me," returned Tailie, with decision. "I fe nve ,vou full permission lo go about the world trying to improve people. J. myself' am fully alive to the futility <rf the task you have set yourself. One hall the world doesn't want to lie improved-; the other half j-vst'nts the insinuation that any improvement is necessary. Between the two the social reformer gets a shocking had time. Your scheme h-as my sanction, 1 may even, say my approbation ; but 1 distinctly decline to -be i-n; any way mixed ujj with 'it. !1 shall spend the end of the year at Tenerifle. They tell me that there is -no winter there ; ergo, tliero can- be no Christmas. ClA'istmas Day without fog> and slush and a raw, dump cold that eats into the marrow of your bones and makes you fly to drink would be impossible. But pjeosc bear in mind that I wish you well." "I'erhaps it will be for the best," said Mr.s TaUie, resignedly. "lam afraid you are rather weuk-kneed. If you stayed you might lead the boys into* mischief."

"I am afraid 1 should," returned Tafiic, roaidy to agree to anything that woul'd ivdea-se him from .spending the winter in a small Welsh village. A saloon carriage was reserved for the merry party trawl ling oil' Christmas kve ti'oni I'roedyrlriewgrUi. Tire round dozen of young men ami maidens who hail shown themselves willing, inth'elirsl instance, to bo converted to a love for simple pleasures, had dwindled down to six. Still it is something to find men six having the courage of their convictions.

"I say, Mrs Tallie," said Bert Lautjhton, as he threw himself headlong out of a hansom, " there's a distressing want, of inconsistency about this, you know. You ought to have taken us down to your little; place in Wales by coach instead of introducing all this aggressive modernity into your olld-fa»hion-ed idea. H'ullo ! How do, Miss Marrfimonit ? What, in fortune's name, have you got tliciv ?" "My harp," replied Lydia Marchmont. "Mrs Tallie is going to turn us ail into perfect angels Ijv taking us to spend Christmas at a.n unpronounceable place in Wales. Now the Ivarp is a speciality of angels and the Welsh." "ISul tart you t-he harp, my dear ?" asked Mrs Tallie, with some anxiety. "1 daresay J cam, if 1 try," replied l.y'iia, complacently. "fleavun preserve us !" said Brian Desmond. "Tell me, Mrs Tafiic. are there any dungeon cells in your castli>— laee deep ours into which we can plunge bad Musicians ?" "I am afraid you will linri the castle one big- sell," said Certie lluncomjie. "I have been thorn In-lore It is only an ordinary sort of house most, mconveniivitly halTwav 1111 a loy mountain." I 111 glad you've told us " said Alan Macalister. "\ inv ||,„t we ire fairly oil' suppose we have a . game oi bridge. "

, ; '. u> ' mt ' <l - Iru, y (Jinn-chin jindge m barred. Yon know we are to confine ourselves strictly to simple pleasures." "Hut what are simple pleasures' l " inquired (Sortie. replied Ilcnt'ie. "They do a lot of J know. Plating and drinking," that in Dickens. 1 have been reading him up 'for tihu occasion, and you have no idea how his Johnnies go 'in for iifouorfcng tip. I hall to chuck the lot of them OH that account. It was simply 'demoralising for a temperance man like myself." " My word, yes," said Alan. " in those good old fashioned days they seemed to swim in old port ami hot grog and milk pi/uoli. Jiy the walv, Mrs Tatlie, I iiope you have got a recipe for milk pifnijh. r ]ili>at is a simple pleasure, you know, that is not barrwl evoiv in Wales, where th» bard alHounds.'.' ft would be a simple pleasure to me to kick you, Alan," said liertie. ".Mrs TaflV, will you promise us some milk punch j i-f we are very good Hut Mrs 'Pallie was n-ot (o be drawn into any rash promises. Wait tilf we grt to the castle." she said uracuJ airly. "Then we will '1 !>">' had long been bored, anil v.eiy fast becoming cross when they arrived at tlw village of ugrtli, ami were in a mooil to criticise somewhat unfairly the neat, preen undujatiinjg huttl/ii-ape. It all looks like a loy model set up freshly for our amusement," Alan' grumbled, mindful of iris wild Scotch crags and peaks. " I shall immediately start wearing a cap, and « hat on. the top of it," announced Gertie. " It is not becoming, but it strikes mo as so delightfully extravagant. Oh, that is JHBjHtto. I suppose.. What a

uinny litllo liouse>. Why do you call it a, castle, Mrs Tailie ?" " Because it has little squaro bits cut out of the top ot it. Isn't that the reasotti?" asked. Mtuy. " And because it is pro-historic, and has never 'been dcyne up in the memory of man," sngviystet) Hrinn. " Don't Ih> so rude, Mr Desmond,"' said Mrs Tailie. " .Not many people iii Wales can trace Uieir ancestors hack further than the Ulendowers." "• Really !" drawled Bertie. " I always had an idea thai. Tailie was the lineal descendant of one of the rollers who waylawl Queen something or other in the backwoods about lie re. Hy the way, is | 'lUillie? Isn't he filing to pul in nn: appearance for this 1 okMushiotU'il Christmas ?" " lie says he will come, and <lig us out ttTore we are ipiite deadj wilh eni\ui," said Airs Tailie. " tint here we are, boys ami tfirls. Wvl- ; come all of you. Welcome most heartily to the ancestral home of live (llendowers !" And they all trooped into the entrance hall, where a huge lofHiro lit up the old Inpesliry ami the ancient weapons which adorned the walls. (To he continued.)