Page:Life's little ironies (1894).pdf/248

"I was one of the choir-hoys at that time, and we and the players were to appear at the manor-houge as usoal that Christmas week to play and sing in the hall to the squire’s people and visitors (among’em being the archdeacon, Lord and Lady Baxby, and I don’t know who); afterwards going, as we always did, to have a good supper in‘the servants’ hall, Andrew knew this was the custom, and meeting us when we we were starting to go, he said to ua: ‘Lord, how I should like to join in that meal of beef and turkey and plum-pudding and ale that you happy ones be going to just now! One more or less will make no differance to the squire. I am too old to pass as a singing boy, and too bearded to pass as a Ringing girl; can ye lend me a fiddle, neighbors, that I may come with ye as a bandsman ?”

“ Well, we didn’t like to be hard upon him, and lent him an old one, though Andrew knew no more of music than the Cerne Giant ; and armed with the instrument he walked up to the squire’s house with the others of us at the time appointed, and went in boldly, his fiddle under his arm. He made himself as natural as he could in opening the music-books and moving the candles to the best points for throwing light upon the notes; and all went well till we had played and sang ‘While shepherds watch,’ and ‘Star, arise,’ and ‘Hark the glad sound.’ Then the squire’s mother, a tall, graff old lady, who was much interested in Church music, said quite unexpectedly to An-