24 December 20XX+1
My Dear Lucilius:
“Good King Wenceslaus looked out on the Feast of Stephen,
when the snow lay round about, deep and crisp and even.
Brightly shown the moon that night, though the frost was cruel,
when a poor man came in sight, gath’ring Winter fuel.”
Roll call this morning was a very organized affair. I say “roll call”, because Pompeia Paulina had me up and out of bed in a very organized fashion this morning. A quick – and I mean quick – breakfast, and we were off into the cold, clear morning with the tracks beginning to freeze into the snow.
Our destination was the old Post Office, now converted into our “central headquarters” (a rather wildly overshot description for such a thing). Imagine my surprise to see a dozen people there or coming as we arrived: Statiera, Young Xerxes, friends of Young Xerxes, the Alcmaeonids, even some of our Erstwhile neighbors.
All, curiously, men with their wives.
“’Hither page and stand by me and if thou knowest, telling,
Yonder peasant, who is he? Where and what his dwelling?”
‘Sire, he lives a good league underneath, the mountain.
Right along the forest fence, by St. Agnes’ fountain.’”
Within 10 minutes of gathering, we were all “given” our orders for the day. Men were split up and sent in various directions. The women, after giving instructions, headed in the Post Office – with strict instructions that we were to knock and not enter (as opposed to before entering).
Young Xerxes and one of his friends was gifted with the task of heading out to the East for something. Mine was...gathering wood.
“’Bring me flesh and bring me wine, bring me pines logs hither,
Thou and I will see him dine, when we bear them thither’
Forth the went monarch and page, forth they went together,
Through the cruel wind’s wild lament, and the bitter weather.”
And so, I spent my day gathering wood.
Someone had generously donated a sled to the cause, which made things a little easier. Out I tromped to past the house to gather wood, break or cut it into smaller pieces, and put it on the sled. Back I would drag it to the Post Office and start a wood pile. Thankfully the day was at least sunny, so much so I reached the point of having to shed an outer layer.
Lunch, after dragging back another load, was some kind of beef jerky, dried fruit, and an honest to goodness fresh biscuit. How long has it been since I had one of those.
By the time the sun was sinking behind the hills, I flatter myself that I had dragged enough wood over to light the halls of Heorot, although I suspect my Anglo-Saxon ancestors would not have been impressed with my efforts.
That night, Pompeia Paulina seemed in an almost joyous mood, something which has seemed to elude her of recent days.
I have to confess, Lucilius, I have not looked so forward to a Christmas Day in years.
Your Obedient Servant, Seneca
Intriguing! Seneca has me looking forward to his Christmas too. And then there's my practical inquisitiveness, that wonders why “Good King Wenceslaus" wants pine logs for winter fuel. Not a good choice, in my experienced opinion. :)
ReplyDeleteWhile hardwoods are better Leigh, in Europe even back then, hardwoods were treasured as timber and carefully coppiced.
DeletePine in an open grand hall fireplace works well enough, given the stories that include the fire spitting gaily.
Perhaps gathering firewood should have been delegated to two guys, dealing with dead trees can be tricky if you're not careful. What game is afoot in the Post Office TB?
ReplyDeleteMy Guess Nylon is a warm hall with gifts and as much feasting that can be generated.
DeleteA bit like Good King Wenceslaus