This evening there has been dancing at the Hagans'. Graham has been in and is surprised how well the people dance. The men danced in their shirt-sleeves. Husbands and wives first led off, then danced with other partners. The refreshment was cold water.
Thursday, December 27.—Yesterday directly after breakfast Repetto came to paint the sitting-room. The painting took all day, but the room is quite transformed. The south wall which was green from damp has been whitewashed, and now it is of an olive-green shade and looks quite artistic in contrast with the white paint, but I am afraid that hue will not long remain.
We are having a ten days' holiday. It rains almost every day, and everything is reeking with damp. The people devote themselves to festivities at this season, playing cricket in the morning and dancing in the afternoon and evening. On Boxing Day the first hour of the afternoon was given up to the children, who love dancing. About an hour later the elders began. I dressed in my best array and went to look on. They dance exceedingly well, round and backwards and forwards. I was struck by the polite manners of the men, who go up to the partner they wish to dance with, bow to her and offer their arm. The partner takes it most solemnly, waits about half a minute before she accepts, apparently quite unconscious of his presence, during which time his arm is dropped as he stands mute before her; then she quietly rises and the dance begins. The behaviour of the girls is quiet and natural with a becoming self-reserve. We were home again before six. I believe the dancers left soon after to get some food at home, and then returned and went on till eleven o'clock. We looked in again, and, seeing that the room was very poorly lighted, went back for our lamp. Some of the babies were put to bed in the adjoining room, and some were sleeping peacefully in the arms of the elders in the dancing-room.
Friday, December 28.—We are having a very wet week. I have been painting the bedroom and kitchen window-frames. One of our little birds died suddenly yesterday evening: we think perhaps the paint was too much for it. Happily the other one seems quite cheerful without it. As there is still a smell of paint we take his cage up to the church and hang it in the vestry as the only place of safety we can think of.
New Year's Eve.—In looking back over this past year we feel very thankful for the way in which we have been helped and guided.
_New Year's Day, 1907.—It is the custom here on New Year's Eve for the men to assemble soon after nightfall and visit each house. Several are fantastically dressed and equipped with every available instrument— violin, drum, concertina and accordion. And on this occasion even three old Martinis were brought into requisition and fired at frequent intervals throughout the night. Refreshment is given at each house, so we had a good brew of tea and biscuits ready for distribution at the first sound of the drum. Usually the men enter the house, but as it would have been impossible to get them all into ours, they grouped themselves round the back door. There they first sang and danced to the accompaniment of the violin and accordion, made passes with mock swords and let off guns; then sat on the stones and enjoyed their tea. I was awakened two or three times in the night by the guns. It was daylight before they finished.
No less than four dinners were sent us today, three plates of stuffed mutton and one of sucking-pig. Our thyme and parsley had been much sought after for the stuffing.
We had service this morning at nine o'clock, at which about forty were present. One of the three hymns was the old favourite—
"O God, our help in ages past,
Our hope for years to come."
All the afternoon Graham was on the roof of the house mending a hole which was big enough to thrust his hand through. I watched him staggering up the ladder with a heavy roll of turf roped on to his back. When next I saw him he was sprawling on the ridge, his legs only visible. He nailed a piece of tin over the hole, cemented it, and put the turf over it. The cement is made of the ashes of the wood fire mixed with water; it is very durable, and stands heat and wet. Repetto has been painting the church. His wife came in to pay us a visit, a rather rare thing. She goes her own way. The other women live a good deal in each other's houses, but she does not believe in this, thinking there is plenty to be done at home. Her strong character comes out in dealing with her children. She is a very strict disciplinarian. If they do not do what she tells them, they get a good "hammering." She was very pleased with what Graham said in church on Sunday to the children about promptness in obeying.