Christmas at Eurunderee Creek, amongst the old selection farms in the
western spurs of the Blue Mountains. They used to call it "Th' Pipeclay"
thirty years ago, but the old black names have been restored. They make
plum puddings yet, weeks beforehand, and boil them for hours and hang
them in cloths to the rafters to petrify; then they take them down and
boil them again. On Christmas Eve the boys cut boughs or young pines on
the hills, and drag them home and lash them to the veranda-posts.

Ted has turned up with his wife and children from his selection
out back. The wheat is in and shearing is over on the big stations.
Tom--steady-going old Tom--clearing or fencing or dam-sinking
up-country, hides his tools in the scrub and gets his horse and rides
home. Aunt Emma (to everyone's joy) has arrived from Sydney with
presents (astonishing bargains in frocks, etc.) and marvellous
descriptions of town life.

Joe, "poor" Mary's husband, who has been droving in Queensland since
the Christmas before last--while poor Mary, who is afraid to live alone,
shared a skillion and the family quarrels at home--Joe rides day and
night and reaches home at sunrise on Christmas morning, tired and dusty,
gaunt and haggard, but with his last cheque intact. He kisses his wife
and child and throws himself on the bed to sleep till dinner-time, while
Mary moves round softly, hushes the baby, dresses it and herself, lays
out Joe's clean things, and bends over him now and then, and kisses him,
perhaps, as he sleeps.

In the morning the boys and some of the men go down to the creek for
a swim in the big shady pool, under the she-oaks and take their Sunday
clothes with them and dress there.

Some of them ride into town to church, and some of the women and
children drive in in spring-carts--the children to go to Sunday
school, leaving mother and the eldest daughter--usually a hard-worked,
disappointed, short-tempered girl--at home to look after the cooking.

There is some anxiety (mostly on mother's part) about Jim, who is
"wild," and is supposed to be somewhere out back. There was "a piece
of blue paper" out for Jim on account of sweating (illegally using) a
horse, but his mother or father has got a hint--given in a kindly way by
the police-sergeant--that Jim is free to come home and stay at home if
he behaves himself. (There is usually a horse missing when Jim goes out
back.)

Jim turns up all right--save that he has no money--and is welcomed