A Silver Lake Christmas

My quotes for today come from the historical fiction novel The Countess Angelique, part of the Angelique series written by Sergeanne Golon. It was originally published in the 1960s and some of the covers are very....coquettish. In this volume of Angelique's adventures she find herself living on the wild frontiers of the Americas.

Please note I have omitted a couple of character names because their inclusion in this passage might spoil some events from previous books in the series.

The first part of the quote comes from page 370.

So there really was a Christmas spirit in the camp. No task seeemed on too heavy, everything was done cheerfully.  They laughed on the slightest pretext and caught themselves humming or whistling snatches of old refrains.

The everlasting boiled maize and smoked meat were eaten cheerfully with many a joke during happy mealtimes kept warm with good humoured conversation. They were all good friends, good companions, they understood one another, and supported one another. Let anyone who sout to harm them come and try!

Preparations for the feast were a great secret.

Wonderful smells began to tickle their nostrils

And then from page 373

When, later that evening, the hunting horm was sounded, and F and C rang a peal on the cowbells, the children of the Silver Lake rushed over to the house, running, slipping and stumbling over on the frozen snow, and stopped on the threshold, as dazzled and delighted as any other children the world over.

"Oh!"

The room was a-glitter with a thousand lights and the table that occupied the centre of the room groaned beneath a pile of treasures and knick-knacks. It was hard to say which was the best, the wonderful sight before them or the delicious smells of the friend black pudding and all the sweetmeats.

The three tiny tots of the Silver Lake stood on the threshold, their eyes shining like stars in their faces red with cold.