José María de Pereda

“ Then he takes the jar of milk, his father attending to the sugar, and is ready to help his mother and sister in making the toast, enlivening the work with tales of his achievements and adventures as a student.
When every delicacy is "fit to be eaten by an angel," as Aunt Simona avers, so perfectly prepared is it, and while all are carefully keeping close to the fire for the sake of the warmth, another operation is got under way, no less important than the supper itself: namely, setting the lazy table. ”

“ From time to time is heard the melancholy and monotonous cry of the laborer calling his cattle; occasionally the scurrying of wooden shoes over the stones in the alley is perceived, and you need listen no longer, for no other sound indicates that there is any life in that pale and somber landscape. ”

“ In the broad porch of one of the houses that adorn it are two little chaps stretched out upon a heap of dried rushes. They are lying on their stomachs, their faces rest upon their hands, and they are looking into each other's eyes. ”

“ I. The last gleam of the sun is dying away, and the air is terribly sharp. It seems as if the barren fields were shivering with cold. The neighboring chimneys send out puffs of smoke, which are swiftly whirled away by the icy north wind that leaves some snow-flakes in exchange. ”

“ And so proud is the great man of his learning, and such is his pedantry, that since Uncle Jeromo's eldest born has entered the Seminary, he has several times wanted to give up his vacations so as not to have to face his neighbor at home, who lies in wait for him with Latin talk that is a perfect riddle, as the student says.
Thus it is that the Seminarist, dreading to meet him in some alley or seated on the bench before his father's door, has left the Seminary late so as to reach the village in the evening. This explains the delay which is causing Aunt Simona so much anxiety. ”

“ As they have passed the afternoon frolicking over the yielding material upon which they are now resting, to overcome the cold which they scarcely feel, poorly clad as they are, they need only to blow upon their fingers from time to time. ”

“ Do you want to see two jars of milk right away? I'll show you some worth looking at."
Up springs the eager boy, with the other one after him, and together they go into the kitchen, looking cautiously about lest Uncle Jeromo, the master of the establishment, should be anywhere about.
The evening is already coming on, and the boy of the house catches up a brand from the hearth. By dint of much blowing upon it he produces a flickering flame, and by its light they go up to a smoke-begrimed chest that stands underneath a shelf, also blackened by smoke. ”

“ This is because the unlucky boy has never heard them, either at Christmas Eve or at New Year or at Epiphany, as he has always fallen asleep before they reach the door; thus it is that he believes in the marzantes just as he does in the other world, simply from what he has been told.
II. You must not imagine that Uncle Jeromo is a rich man, taking the word in its literal sense, simply because he has a son who is away as a student; Aunt Simona's husband, for a laboring man, is middling well off, as he would say. ”

“ III. As it is by no means our main object to draw the portrait of Uncle Jeromo's eldest son, we may leave out entirely the dialogue brought on by his outburst against the Lord of the Manor, and go on again with the matter we had in hand, witnessing the supper of this worthy family on Christmas Eve. The student takes from the fire the pot containing the stew, in order that the flame may dry the mud upon his trousers. ”

“ Let us return to the same kitchen an hour later. All are more talkative than before, and even the old laboring man has smoothed out his customary wrinkles. The small boy is stretched out on a bench, soundly snoring, and the student is talking Latin, and vowing that, if at that moment the Lord of the Manor were to quiz him, there would be a terrible time. Aunt Simona is humming in a low voice:
"To-night is Christmas Eve,
To-morrow's Christmas holy ”

“ After the pleasure of preparing and eating the supper, comes that of the arrival of the marzantes, for whom the little fellow of the beating has already inquired many times. If the truth must be told, he is much more concerned about them than about the delay of his brother in getting home. ”