directed to the great oven which was
heated on purpose to bake them. One kind of cake was made of chesnut
flour, another of eggs and _broche_ (a kind of curds made from goats'
milk), but the principal sort was composed chiefly of almonds,
extremely good and not unlike macaroons, but thicker and more
substantial. For several days previously, everybody in the house had
been busy blanching and pounding almonds; not only the two servants,
but Rose and Clara, the young work-women who were so often staying in
the house, and who, indeed, at one time seemed to form part of the
establishment. The old cook herself, a stout and dumpy person, was
worth looking at, as she stood surrounded by these young women, who
did very little but watch her operations; and the whole formed quite
an animated picture of a foreign _menage_, which one rarely has the
opportunity of seeing.

* * * * *

"Towards Christmas, considerable preparations began to be made in the
shops for the coming season, but chiefly, perhaps, for New Year's Day,
which is kept throughout France as a grand _fete_ day. Sweetmeats in
great variety filled the windows, and especially what were called
_pralines_--an almond comfit covered with rough sugar, and of a
peculiar flavour. They are very good, and cost three francs per pound.

* * * * *

"It seemed strange writing to friends at home wishing them 'a happy
Christmas,' when we seemed scarcely to have done with summer.

"There was certainly a good deal of novelty in our mode of passing
Christmas-time in Ajaccio.

"We had expressed the wish to be present at midnight mass, in the
cathedral, on Christmas Eve, and our kind hostess readily promised to
take us, and also said we should have a _petit souper_ with her on our
return. She told us afterwards that she had spoken to the organist,
and obtained permission for us to go into the organ-loft, where we
should have a good view over the church, and not be inconvenienced by
the crowd. Accordingly, a little before eleven o'clock, we all went
downstairs, and, accompanied by madame, as well as by a gentleman and
his daughter, friends of hers, proceeded to the cathedral.

"As there is no gas in Ajaccio, the church of course is lighted only
with candles, and very dim and gloomy it looked, especially at first,
and during a dull monotonous kind of chanting, which we were told were
the offices to the Virgin.

"By and by, as midnight drew near, and t