Page:Halek's Stories and Evensongs.pdf/128

 always seemed to see it in her face when she told you anything of auld lang syne.

Grandfather was slightly lame of one foot, and he always sat in an arm-chair, having this foot on a low stool. He wore the old-fashioned Bohemian dress of Manchester velveteen; this he always had new at festival time, and never ceased to wear it until a new festival again changed it for another suit.

As this dress was always of a black colour it contrasted very strongly with his greyness. He always wore his hair cut short in front, but long behind, so that it hung down over the collar of his velveteen camisole.

We only concerned ourselves with grandfather when we had completely done with grandmother. Then only we went to him, told him about what we had learnt at school, who of us could make the best whistles, who won at ball, and similar things, at which grandfather always smiled. After that we all of us got a few coppers for sugar-plums from him, and all at once it seemed to us that even grandfather had something in him which pleased us children, though it was something totally different from what we liked in grandmother. But now we have already had quite enough for indoors. Hurrah then for the farmyard!

Grandfather had a large farm, and in the farmyard was more than enough of things we were longing to have a look at. Here we crept into the stable and observed how that the white mare had got well; then again how that the dun cow had a little straw laid under her; immediately after this we visited the rabbits and chevied them all over the court; then we explored the pigeoncote, the granary, the hayloft, even the summer house, and before an hour had elapsed, we had made such friends with the grey-haired dog, Vorjech, that he performed a quite unique somersault for our benefit, and at the same time we put him through tricks which no one on the whole farm had given a thought to all the past year.

And now the rest of our relations also gathered together—uncles, aunts, their children, and so on. We kissed the hands of all our relations: this ceremony being repeated at every fresh arrival called forth from each uncle a few coppers for goodies. We took it for granted that we only kissed their hands to show them that they must carry small change at festival time.

After this we young people immediately divided into two camps; the girls to themselves, that they might inspect one another’s dresses, and to see how they had their hair plaited;