That we had a Christmas Day Communion at
all at Earlscombe was an innovation only achieved by Mr. Henderson
going to assist the old Rector at Wattlesea; and there were no
communicants except from our house, besides Chapman, his daughter-
in-law, and five old creatures between whom the alms were
immediately divided. We afterwards learnt that our best farmer and
his wife were much disappointed at the change from Sunday
interfering with the family jollification; and Mrs. Sophia Selby was
annoyed at the contradiction to her habits under the rule of her
poor dear uncle.
Of the irregularities, irreverences, and squalor of the whole I will
not speak. They were not then such stumbling-blocks as they would
be now, and many passed unperceived by us, buried as we were in our
big pew, with our eyes riveted on our books; yet even thus there was
enough evident to make my mother rejoice that Mr. Henderson would be
with us before Easter. Still this could not mar the thankful
gladness that was with us all that day, and which shone in
Clarence's eyes. His countenance always had a remarkable expression
in church, as if somehow his spirit went farther than ours did, and
things unseen were more real to him.
Hillside, as usual, had two services, and my father and his friend
were going to walk thither in the afternoon, but it was a raw cold
day, threatening snow, and Emily was caught by my mother in the hail
and ordered back, as well as Clarence, who had shown symptoms of
having caught cold on his dismal journey.
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