upon the hay?
They have all dispersed and wandered, far away, far away!"

We nearly all went to church--the Anglicans, and many Nonconformists
with them--on Christmas morning, and the Catholics on Christmas Eve.
But first of all there was the preparation for the event. About a
week before wagon-loads of young fir trees were brought in from the
outskirts, and every storekeeper and many householders procured
enough to decorate the front of the house or shop, a tree being tied
to each verandah post. In those days no shop was complete without its
wooden awning, as may be seen in many of the old photos of that
period. Imagine Government Street, both sides, from end to end, one
continuous line of green, relieved with, it might be, white; just
enough snow to cover the ground, "bright and crisp and even."

I have often longed for such a Christmas in these degenerate times,
when rain is nearly always the order of the day. All the Christmas
shopping was done during Christmas week. The fancy goods stores of
those days were few--"Hibben & Carswell," "The London Bazaar," and
David Spencer. The former was then on Yates Street, corner of
Langley, and the other two in Government Street; and I must not
forget Thomas Gorrie on Fort Street. There was not the choice in toys
and fancy articles then. Children were satisfied with less, and were
just as happy. The beautiful and expensive dolls then were of
wax, and being susceptible to frost, were taken great care of. The
butchers' and grocers' shops were then as now a great attraction
at Christmas, and we had all to pay one visit at least to Johnny
Stafford's (afterwards Stafford & Goodacre), Thomas Harris' two
shops, and Fred. Reynolds', on the corner of Yates and Douglas,
and I doubt if a better show (for quality) is made to-day.

At Christmas there was the usual influx of miners from far-off
Cariboo down to spend the winter in Victoria, with pockets well-lined
with nuggets. It was "easy come, easy go" with them, and liberal were
the purchases they made for their relations and friends.

Christmas Eve, after dinner, mother or father or both with the
children were off to buy the last of the presents, visit the shops or
buy their Christmas dinner, for many left it till then. Turkey might
not have been within their reach, but geese, wild or tame, took their
place. Sucking pig was my favorite dish. Wild duck and grouse (fifty
cents per pair), with fine roasts of beef. Of course plum puddi