rising under the hazel brake, I was walking with Lettie. All among the mesh of twigs overhead was tangled a dark red sky. The boles of the trees grew denser—almost blue.
Tramping down the riding we met two boys, fifteen or sixteen years old. Their clothes were largely patched with tough cotton moleskin; scarves were knotted round their throats, and in their pockets rolled tin bottles full of tea, and the white knobs of their knotted snap-bags.
“Why!” said Lettie. “Are you going to work on Christmas eve?”
“It looks like it, don’t it?” said the elder.
“And what time will you be coming back?”
“About ’alf past töw.”
“Christmas morning!”
“You’ll be able to look out for the herald Angels and the Star,” said I.
“They’d think we was two dirty little uns,” said the younger lad, laughing.
“They’ll ’appen ’a done before we get up ter th’ top,” added the elder boy—“an’ they’ll none venture down th’ shaft.”
“If they did,’ put in the other, “You’d ha’e ter bath ’em after. I’d gi’e ’em a bit o’ my pasty.”
“Come on,” said the elder sulkily.
They tramped off, slurring their heavy boots.
“Merry Christmas!” I called after them.
“In th’ mornin’,” replied the elder.
“Same to you,” said the younger, and he began to sing with a tinge of bravado.
“In the fields with their flocks abiding.
They lay on the dewy ground——”
