haughnessy answered, "Oh, 't is no mather, 't is an ould hin she was
annyway." So we enjoyed the "ould hin," which was brown, juicy, and
tender.

When we had finished supper and were drinking our "tay," Mrs.
O'Shaughnessy told our fortunes with the tea-leaves. She told mine
first and said I would die an old maid. I said it was rather late for
that, but she cheerfully replied, "Oh, well, better late than niver."
She predicted for Mrs. Louderer that she should shortly catch a beau.
"'T is the next man you see that will come coortin' you." Before we
left the table some one knocked and a young man, a sheep-herder,
entered. He belonged to a camp a few miles away and is out from Boston
in search of health. He had been into town and his horse was lamed so
he could not make it into camp, and he wanted to stay overnight. He was
a stranger to us all, but Mrs. O'Shaughnessy made him at home and fixed
such a tempting supper for him that I am sure he was glad of the chance
to stay. He was very decidedly English, and powerfully proud of it. He
asked Mrs. O'Shaughnessy if she was Irish and she said, "No, ye
haythen, it's Chinese Oi am. Can't yez tell it be me Cockney accint?"
Mr. Boutwell looked very much surprised. I don't know which was the
funnier, the way he looked or what she said.

We had a late breakfast Christmas morning, but before we were through
Mr. Stewart came. We had planned to spend the day with Mrs.
O'Shaughnessy, but he didn't approve of our going into the sheep
district, so when he found where we had gone he came after us. Mrs.
Louderer and he are old acquaintances and he bosses her around like he
tries to boss me. Before we left, Mrs. O'Shaughnessy's married daughter
came, so we knew she would not be lonely.

It was almost one o'clock when we got home, but all hands helped and I
had plenty cooked anyway, so we soon had a good dinner on the table.
Mr. Stewart had prepared a Christmas box for Jerrine and me. He doesn't
approve of white waists in the winter. I had worn one at the wedding
and he felt personally aggrieved. For me in the box were two dresses,
that is, the material to make them. One is a brown and red checked, and
the other green with a white fleck in, both outing flannel. For Jerrine
there was a pair of shoes and stockings, both stockings full of candy
and nuts. He is very bluff in manner, but he is really the kindest
person.

Mrs. Louderer stayed until New Year's day. My Christmas was really a
very