The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-12-23
TALES Or ALL COUNTRIES.
The Mistletoe Bough.
by ANTHONY TRoLLopE.

on bchalfo Of her two sons.
Pray don't, mamma" said Elizabeth Gar
row. ut only means romping. To me all tina
ts dctestable, and | am sure IL is not the sort o
thing that Miss Holmes would like"
we always had II at Christmas when VI
WIRE young"
But, mamma, tho world Is 90 changed"
Tho point In dispute was one very delicate II
lis nature, hardly 10 be discussed In all its bear
iEgs, even in fiction, and the very mention o.
which between n mother and daughter showed
. great amount OF close confidence between
them. 1t was no less than this. Should thai
branch OF mIstletoo which Frank Garrow had
brought home with him out OF the I.owthei
woods be hung up on Christmas Eve In the
dining room at Thwalte Hall. according to hi,
wishes. or should permission for such hanging
be positively refused It was clerly a thing not
to Id done after such a discussion, and there
fore the decision given by Mrs. Garrow was
against II.
am inclined TO think that Miss Garrow was
right In saying that the world Is changed as
touching mistletoe boughs. Kissing. l fear. IL
less innocent now than II used to he when our
~srandmothers were alive, and we have become
more fastidious in our smusements. Neverthe-
lees, l think that she laid herself open to tho
raillsry with which her brother attacked her.
"Honi soft qui NAL y pense," said Frank, who
was eighteen.
Nobody will want 10 kiss you, my lady
Ttneairs," said Harry. who was Just q year
younger.
because you choose TO be . Puritan, there
are TO Be no more cakes and ale In the house."
said Frank.
18TH waters run deep; We all know that"
said Harry.
Tho boys had not boon present when the mat
ter was decided between Mrs. Garrow and her
Aau1htar had thn pnashnr honn ornaapt
when these little amenities had passed between
the brothers and sister.
"Only that mamma has said II. and I wouldn't
seem 70 60 against her." said Frank, nd ask
my father. He wouldn't give way to such nom
sense, I know"
Elisabeth turned away without answering
and left the room. Her eyes were full of
tears. but she would not lot them see
that they had vexed her. They were
only two days home from school, and for the
last week before their coming all her thoughts
had been to prepare for their Christmas pleas
ures. She had arranged their rooms. making
everything warm and pretty. Out OF her own
pocket she had bought q shot belt for one and
skates for the other. She had told the old
groom that her pony was to belong exclusively
TO Master Harry for the holidays. and now
Harry told her that still waters ran deep. She
had been driven TO the use Of all her eloquence
In inducing her father to purchase that gun for
Frank, and now Frank called her a Puritan.
And whyf She did not choose that a mistletoe
bouEh should be hung In her fathers hall, when
Godfrey Holmes WAS coming TO visit him. She
could not explain this to Frank. but Frank
might have had the wit to understand II.
But Frank was thinking only OF Patty
Coverdale. q blue-eyed little romp OF 10. who,
with her sister Kate, was coming from Penrith
to spend the Christmas ut Thwaite Hall. Eliza
beth left the room with her slow, graceful step,
hiding her tears-hidinR all emotion. as ~latterly
che had taught herself that 1t was feminine to
do. There goes my Lady Flneairs, said Harry,
sending his shrill voice after her.
Thwaite Hall was not q place Of much pre-
tension. II was q moderate-sized house, sur
rounded by pretty gardens and strawberries,
close down upon the river lamont. on the
westmoreland side OF the river. looking over
10 a lovely wooded bank in Cumberland. All
the world knows that the lamont runs out OF
Clleswater. dividing the two counties. passing
under Penrith Bridge and by the old ruins OF
BrouRham Castle, below which It Joins the Eden.
ThwaiteH Hall nestled down close upon the clear
rocky stream about half way between TILES
water and Ponrith, and had been built Just at a
bend OF the river. The windows OF the dining
rarlor and OF the drawing room stood at right
angles to each other. and yet each commanded
q reach Of the stream. Immediately from n side
door or the house steps were cut down through
the red rock TO the waters edge, and here n
small boat was always moored TO a chain. The
Chain was stretched across the river, fixed TO
the staples driven into the rock on either side.
and the boat was pulled backwards and for
wards over the stream without oars or paddles.
From the opposite side a path led through the
woods and across the fields to penrlth, and this
was the route commonly used between Thwaite
Hall and the town,
Major Garrow was q retired officer OF engI-
neers. who had seen service In all parts OF tho
world. and was now spending the evening
OF his days on = small property which had come
20 him from his father. He held in his own
hands about twenty acres OF land, and he was
the owner of one small farm close by. which
was let to . tenant. That, together with his
half pay, and the interest of his wifers thou
sand pounds. sufhced to educate his chill
dren and keep the wolf at a COM
Portable distance from his door. He him
self was q spare thin man. with quiet. lazy.
literary habits. He had done the work of life,
but had % done IL a. To permit of his enjoying
that which was left to him.. His sole remaining
care was tho establishment OF his children; and,
- FAR A. he could see. he had no ground for an
ticipatng disappointment. They were clever.
good-looking. well-disposed young people, and
upon the whole Il may DO said that the sun
shbhe uIlkhbig ou Ah"aibc IIAll. " MTs. var
row II may sufioe to say that she always do
served such sunshine.
For years past It had been the practice OF the
family to have some sort Of gathering at
Thwaits Hall during Christmas. Godfrey
Holmes had been left under the guardian
ship OF Major GArrow, and, as he had always
spent his Christmas holidays with his guardian.
this, perhaps, had given rise to the practice.
Then the COVerdAles were cousins OF the Gar
rows, and they had usually been there as chill
dren. At the Christmas last past the custom
had been broken, for young Holmes had been
abroad. Previous to that they had all been chill
dren, excepting him. But now that they were
20 meet again, they were no longer children.
at any rate. was not 90, for she had
already counted nineteen winters. And Isabella
Holmes was coming. Now Isabella was two
years older than Elizabeth, and had been edu-
Gated In Brussels; moreover, she Was compar-
AtiVsly . stranger At Thwaite Hall, never having
been at those early Christmas meetings.
And now l must take permission to begin my
atarv INV falling a ladV'a aacreI- EliaahAIh Oar