I had had all the rooms on the ground-floor prepared for their reception.  Tables of provision were set out in every one of them.  My visitors had tea or coffee, with plenty of bread and butter, when they arrived; and the more solid supplies were reserved for a later part of the evening.  I soon found myself with enough to do.  But before long, I had a very efficient staff.  For after having had occasion, once or twice, to mention something of my plans for the evening, I found my labours gradually diminish, and yet everything seemed to go right; the fact being that good Mr Boulderstone, in one part, had cast himself into the middle of the flood, and stood there immovable both in face and person, turning its waters into the right channel, namely, towards the barn, which I had fitted up for their reception in a body; while in another quarter, namely, in the barn, Dr Duncan was doing his best, and that was simply something first-rate, to entertain the people till all should be ready.  From a kind of instinct these gentlemen had taken upon them to be my staff, almost without knowing it, and very grateful I was.  I found, too, that they soon gathered some of the young and more active spirits about them, whom they employed in various ways for the good of the community.

When I came in and saw the goodly assemblage, for I had been busy receiving them in the house, I could not help rejoicing that my predecessor had been so fond of farming that he had rented land in the neighbourhood of the vicarage, and built this large barn, of which I could make a hall to entertain my friends.  The night was frosty—­the stars shining brilliantly overhead—­so that, especially for country people, there was little danger in the short passage to be made to it from the house.  But, if necessary, I resolved to have a covered-way built before next time.  For how can a man be the person of a parish, if he never entertains his parishioners?  And really, though it was lighted only with candles round the walls, and I had not been able to do much for the decoration of the place, I thought it looked very well, and my heart was glad that Christmas Eve—­just as if the Babe had been coming again to us that same night.  And is He not always coming to us afresh in every childlike feeling that awakes in the hearts of His people?

I walked about amongst them, greeting them, and greeted everywhere in turn with kind smiles and hearty shakes of the hand.  As often as I paused in my communications for a moment, it was amusing to watch Mr. Boulderstone’s honest, though awkward endeavours to be at ease with his inferiors; but Dr Duncan was just a sight worth seeing.  Very tall and very stately, he was talking now to this old man, now to that young woman, and every face glistened towards which he turned.  There was no condescension about him.  He was as polite and courteous to one as to another, and the smile that every now and then lighted up his old face,