The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1873-12-26
A CHRISTMAS NIGHTS ADVEN-
TURE.
By EDMUND YATES.

4 few years since (no matter now
many; suffice it to say that ut the time
was unacquainted with rates and taxes
and the price of babies shoes y, finding
that, owing TO there having been death
in the family where l usually dined on
Christmas Day, our. annual gathering
would not take place, and being rather
used up and over-fatigued, / determined
to take a holiday and spend the Christ
mas out of town. The resolution once
made. the difficulty was to decide upon
a destination, and with a blank face /
looked through the list of invitations /
had received. First and foremost l
found the noble name of Dunsinane
his Grace the Duke of Dunsin-
ane, who is now keeping open
house at his magnificent castle,
"The Haggis," Renfrewshire. | was
acquainted with his Grace's younger
brother, the Hon. Malcolm Macbeth,
and was sure of polite reception.
One more invitation / found, without
reckoning the Mind you come to us at
Christmas, old fellow" (Which never
means anything beyond meals, such
houses being invariably full when you
arrive). " But You can have a nice bed
at the Pig and Whistle. " Very nice
Bedroom situated either over the sta
BILE, where the horses champand kick at
night, or above the tap-room, where the
convivial rustics persist in loudly ex-
planning what may happen to be then
delight on shiny night until the small
hours in the morning.
No this was a regular specific invita-
ton to Trumpington Hall, glorious
old specimen of Elizabethan architec-
ture situated in the heart of Kent, with
a magnificent garden, fine lawn sloping
down to the lake, fine corn fields al
round, and the best shooting in the
county. Inside of the house there are
fine old family pictures, splendid oak
paneling, queer little mullioned win
dows, and, above all, right down
hearty welcome. Old Sir Max Trump
in2t1n is a gentleman of the old schoo
-ope n hand, warm heart won't hear o.
your going away when once he gets yor
there. The house is always full o.
pleasant company-good fellows and de
lightful girls. Were there any draw
backs? Yes, confound it always some
thing | was going for rest and health
and none but seasoned vessels coulC
find those at Trumpington.
remembered old Sir Max being yer,
particular that each man should tak'
his regular allowance of wine, which
allowance about two bottles) it was i'm
possible TO shirk, and the next morn
ing" headache was unavoidable be
sides. | have tolerably vivid recollec
ton that the previous autumn, as Laurt
Ashton and / were strolling through
the Home Copse, Fanny and Nell,
Trumpington, who are always up t.
some mischief, saw me blow fly re
peat distinctly, blow a fiy-off Laura
face. They would not believe it was
fiv. chaffed me about it before the as
sembled company at dinner, and woul'
infalliblv refer to the subject BeinI
fearfully susceptible of ridicule, dare'
not go to Trumpington Hall. The Sc
is a good place at Christmas. Should
90 to Brighton L? I asked myself. No
/ always hated Brighton as the strong
hold of monotony. Day after day tn
same people. Same old gentle
men, with mouths and nostrll
wide open, gasping and inhalln
the sea air-same officers, wit
tight girths and lacquered mustaches
galloping up and down and dealing de
struction to the female population
same female population nodding an.
riding and flirting valetudlnarl
ans in same Bath chairs--same tarry
trowsered men shouting, Sail, sir !!
and pointing to same boat-same look
out man at the custom-house looking
through same telescope-same nois
and galloping, and driving and flirting
and blue sky and red pavement, day at
ter day.
No; was utterly at loss, and wa
going to give up any expedition in de
spair and decide upon remaining II
town, when a sudden thought flashed
upon me / would go to Germany, t
that old town on the banks of the Rhine
where / had passed nv student DAYS