230 O'er Crag and Torrent 



bills, how fondly we look forward to their 

 advent, especially when we have a letter 

 from the bank safely buttoned up in our 

 pocket, informing us that we have con- 

 siderably overdrawn our account. Oh ! 

 without doubt it is a ripping good time 

 duns, dances, and devils (blue). 



Some few years ago I spent Christmas 

 week with an old friend at his country-house, 

 which he had crammed full of young people 

 who were intent on keeping up this particular 

 Yuletide in the most festive fashion. As 

 the usual bachelors' quarters were already 

 tenanted, another man a young Devonshire 

 parson, by the way and myself were 

 allotted a large room with two beds in it. 

 That year Christmas Day fell on a Monday 

 on Tuesday there were private theatricals 

 Wednesday, a shoot Thursday, another 

 shoot, followed by a dance in the evening 

 Friday the hounds met close by, and most of 



