Majesty King Charles, might God bless him, and confound all his
enemies! The Prince bared his black shining locks and drank, and
there was a deep Amen, and then a hurrah enough to rend the old
vaulted ceiling; and equally enthusiastically was the Prince's health
afterwards drunk.

Stead heard the servants saying that such a meal had been a costly
matter, but that the good Dean would have it so in order that one
more true merry Christmas should be remembered in Bristol.




CHAPTER X.

A TERRIBLE HARVEST DAY.



"There is a reaper, whose name is death."
LONGFELLOW.


Spring came at last, cold indeed but dry, and it brought calves, and
kids, and lambs, and little pigs, besides eggs and milk. The
creatures prospered for two reasons no doubt. One was that Stead and
Patience always prayed for a blessing on them, and the other was that
they were almost as tender and careful over the dumb things as they
were over little Ben, who could now run about and talk. All that
year nothing particular happened to the children. Patience's good