44T fiY
(It WWhl)' IT lf
o
mil a
A cPlKC, Editor and Publisher.
'HE 18 A. FREEMAN WHOM THE TRUTH MAKES FREE, AND ALL ARB SLAVES BESIDE.
Terms, S2 per year. In advance.
OLUME
XT.
EBENSBUI1G, TA., FRIDAY, DECEMBER 21. 1S77.
NUMBER 47.
m. m
GENTS '
WANTED I
rR pAnTlCULABS ADDRESS
h SEWING MACHINE CO'Y,
"'T4r, N'kw York Citt ;
' in.; Nkw inn. i:ass, I.A.;
vHaaU". ' orSAK Fiuci8co, Cal.
' !? . iniariiod). Weekly an1 Monthly,
''p. Jer l W''.l. with .Mam-
-r-Mm'fitVr.. Address P. O. It lii
I'saf u-. Ma'"'"
TTiTTTlI tl. Notice to Aitentt. New Or
'!,'' . . Ir'O II. W. 5. i'lano
l-vjnuiy !" ' eiiy.
,;,nj;ion.
"aid. L. J U.N fcS tt. CO., N assa u, N. V .
, i Wet Vlrsfinia Cheap. Send stamp
kr circular to .T. H. liruior, Martins-
MES
FVNCY CARDS, all New Styles,
niili nnnie. IoCksts, polt-pald.
vTivn ( .,lleskiil. N . Y .
i Hi Ml beautiful Imported Ohromo
-. Vnt Mtiad Tisitlmr Cards. 2ie. 50
. 'r,. i.rotuo. KOYAL. UAH D LO Port
-;. , Y .
t f presorl ; tion of one of the most em
m t!ie iuadi:-al faculty. Is now ol-
i-atilic a a radical cure for Co.nsimp-
II it Ini-reiises the s trenijth anil deep
. . r.t ii.u i.olo lih.iiil It checks Nlfht
"i ,-ii n a f'Tt lirht. It subdues the Chills
:'t.j It liimlnnlies Expectoration. Iteau
'ii'iiA rfn-hliig sleep. It invigorates the
. ill the ir.ralld gains fleih rapidly.
i1o4 is beyond souiparlsou the best
- na m fur nniiipl and all a flee
,; .it Tukoat, Lungs and Nervous Sts-
rvufroin 1 Pliers frnm I'astoriof
litirclica.
V-I'iVA ) my (lnuhtor'a life. -Rev. E.
rion, N. Y.
s i .1 f. r Ihe beni'flta we roor-lvel from
.f 1I.LMUNA. Hut. P. W urreu. Can
i r t ho I rcmincnilfld It to haa benefit
f. rv i:t ui'j. liev. C. D. Ilumphrej , Us
'."'i.VA n-.Hv he oMalnod thro' Tni(firlts,
xav I Vut to I iSL'A K O. MUSKS, l'ro
: : t:. r'lan'i' :rwt, New York. Price,
:. "r in !'.;ih'8 f.ir V
iar 0' titii.niim atlvire t'T tha treatment
H'i've lui'ntlunwd. certificmea of
(.urie. rj full rt iculnrs cf eaes
:.y trea-e.i will bof'jut frae to applieauts.
ti win iTRt (iisM'.'irrios.
ir tot WAr to
nJ.Y r;wG TO A CIRCUS,
:'.:?. F.run Lamp, daring th corninar
"iv scj'.l'e sure aai subsoribo fcir thj
ivKFAST TABLE.
.. I) uc? t-r.e dead, and All your
:. i-ii'i'.r. h'-al;!i!jl mirth.
M -mic paper, full of itale, tliin jokai
" : : :r ? 1m t a l:v. fn-ah. spicy, airy fjm.
an orinmnl httiunruua feature
rr; oi i:i every respect, full of
: r tt ; t.trai!y circle, pure in tone
i t.:u: ;u t9tiene. Its artielta are copied
' , it.rrv by paper that do not print
I' f, iht ,:tt nofil no rcommf-iida-h.
,.,a. jr (J a sri?(.i forty-olKht col
f I'. iiic nitiy printed. Ask your newg
' -r tx-.men c.py. or tend three cent tamp
i :.ri j:Sce ar.'i (t will be tent by return
i "-nt fre or.t year to all persons
' 1 iu' (if fire or over, In addition te
E l'. liKijWN CO., Pul,i;a?ier.
Clf.I.N ATI. OHIO.
T: BHKtriaT Table nnd the Camri
1 bis lurn ahed at the low price of f
'.cnli in a lvwpe, which l. a reduc'.ion of
t n the tub;riptlun ratta of the two
i- c; ,!.::y.
AT PHI VAT K SALE
-' ap'i-ri'cm'l ifFT9 at private ale
S j,-r.)(.rtl, fo wt, . A ,rftct of jand
.r HiHir c.unry, l'i miles Iroin
V'..'-'"3',1""1 acres, well Improved,
r...n .,j, t,,c U).PtM)lry fa,m ,u,i.iinit.
t":'livi,ie'l into two or three parti,
v'( M irii.an, it n,,t sold before the
' li- h i.pjt. it will then be renteil.
larm on which I now reclde, in Loan
.V -Kiic fr.,m Altoona. 1 h.s property
ultiVHtion and has a splemlld
other bniblinirs thereon erected.
of I'npmred land giluaied partly
.... ii v i uilinilHIIK A I "3
11 'Trt la tln.l..-- .i u I . I
;4... -.. .. 11 T7 1.. - 1 -
. ,'ter1 with timber, and has a
- ,V'.' n .rPa,1y f"r ihipninir coal.
. '" be Hold as a wliole or divided,
'ri V? ?'''!t PTchaceis. or will exchantje
in perty. For further Infjrma-
W'.M. JiECKEK.
Box Stl9, Altoona.
F'KL I'KOPKI-tY and FARM
' The tindersipwed oflHrs
' ti liberal terms the well known
..."J-'e.two 'bvrs west or the Pa. K. K.
;.r.,"r'1r","fh of l.illitzln. This property
Jv'"ja'1 "ell designed as a hotel and
vi ti - ii i n-v one wlshinar to secure a
"ill find it here.
.l.,."'1'1 on lr"s equally satisfactory
i ' 7- a "2 Urn,
.Rv .i, n'' Wth a ootn for table HOUSE
'rU.' n',0,,;'!l',n', "fherpnrtlcularscall
Gallirtln. P.
fjKTTo PKOPEKTY at PRI-
The uinleraigned often
" 'iRtlt-v-!10 'ln', on fa"y 'erms TWO
well improved, in Iretto
'.., "hJs Tected a eomtortnble an 1
- "wki.mno IIoi SK. 18x30 feet.
as well as a "ul-
' Dppnitar I Ii tui'II Tt-
ir. s, , M''oori the premise!, which are
. tV,r"V " !rr' t. be principal thor
: Jn ,;" i"' !U,r'inir r-iardot choice
-ri - i !"'''""' t excelletit water. For
l. cal' "n or addrtss Fbancis
'viutj ln ,HCt r,)r
U.;AVisr l "tt.' rneee
0-t. i:
PA Til If t' itritrv
i l7-.-3m.
-!t . '9' persons arc
'V .tci:'"" l aeainst inifrfriri! in
"n." i 'l """Wolf described pnopertv,
..r " '(.,"'','n-s sale and left with Si-
' a l i, .7' ,(,w'"hlp. diiriiiK my plea
1 "" 'irr . r. K- ' ,,r wheat, rve, corn
f'kn i r,,,, "d flour. Also, one
" '! bought by tue at pri-
t tn the H.iinu , rtt.
":t& . ' HAI;LEfe ANNA.
r-(7:.-st.
iViiVl;1' Strayoil from th
;? 5" or ai.. . .V" f "l'ieiiann
.'h t" r I APri. with whli
' f tL, 5, r,Jun'1 the tail r
lie
iiplt.inn!)
lilte unMer the
, . i r'junii ha toil n an . I.-.
1 ut-nT mt.it- inr cipi,
tifi(f(i'livtTi"n 'tlny to his recovery
U) rfPvf.l ftnrl ...lt.l l..
- - - mi'i auiraoiv rewnro
r-,!.;. J 'St lH FAUAUAUUII.
L U n.
nks . IA wood iioop MIA
2,'r:n'rV.,'on, "nplovment ran be
.'"'.nt T hV w' Iy cash and Knar.
i'-'-'-na i-L'1"' nt "noe to DirHt tx i:o.,
. 1 .It r..i, ' or Ht Duncansville, Blair
-r: i." ;ror perison.
iERTAIT.M. D.. Phy-
si. ; auiroaune, janj-
it crtl thivuld t.a made at
a-n,W.-tf.J
A lllltlftTn AM HYMN.
Welcome to Thee, lieav'nly Strangef,
Ola.laoine aball Thy advent he ;
Tho' Thy hirth-plare" was a manger,
Katun aaw her (Jol in Thee :
Whilat Thy lowly home was wanting
All that earthly joys could hring.
Seraphs hymns ot joy Wera chantiiie.
Unto Thee, earth's new-born King.
In Thy stable birth-place lor. ly,
Angels waited Thy behest;
Whilst Thy mother, maiden holy,
Clasp'd Thee to her fpotless breast ;
Shepherds who llieir thicks were tending
In IiHthlehetn's lonely plains by night ;
Saw the hrav'nly host descending,
Filled with wond'ring, strange delight ;
They their flocks left unprotected,
Waud'ring o'er the plains afar,
Through devious ways to Thee directed,
Hy Thy radiant natal mar.
Wiae men, too, with presents laden,
Jewels rare and perfumes sweet,
From lands afar rich robes array 'd in,
Came to worship at Thy feet."
And in adoration kneeling
On Thy happy natal day,
We like them to Thee appealing :
"Turn not Thy sweet face away ;
God and God-like, condescending,
Ah the day that naw Thy birth,
Mercy, (wilh Thy justice blending),
Show unto us, sons of earth !"
Lighten Thou the load of sorrow,
.Ease, of pain the piercing etnart ;
Lt us hope and comfort borrow
From th love that fills Thy Heart,
M-n'ti tierce passions all assuaging,
O'er the earh let discord cease ;
The ''liriter part" let man engage iu,
Guided by the hand of peace.
MEliRY CHRISTMAS.
On Christmas eve the bell! were run!? ;
The ilnmsel donned her kirtle sheen ;
Forth to the wood did merry men go
To iralher in the mistletoe.
The heir with roses in his shoes
Tlmt mylit roiuht viihtuo partner chose;
All hitileil with uncontrolled deliifht
na Keneral vuicv the bappy niRlit
That to the cottajf, a the crown.
Itroiiirht tiilinirs of talva(ion down.
The hui-e hall-table's o-.iken face.
Scrubbed till it shone, the day to (race,
It'. re then upon its massive board
No murk to purt the squire and lord.
Then tlii iirim hoar's li" l frowned on high,
f rowned with bays and rosemary.
The wassnil round, in irolden bowis,
(jarnished with ribbons, blithely trowls;
Then the hure sirloin reek-jd : hard by
Plumb-pnrridjre stood, and Chnstmus py? ;
Nor fulled of Scotland to produce
At i-uch hi in tide tier savory uimsc
F.ritflind was merry FdIiiimI, when
Christ mas broujrht his sports nirain.
'Twns Christinas broache 1 tne miihtien ale,
' 1'was l.'hrist mas told the merriest tale;
A Christmas .raiiibol oft would cheer
The poor nian's heart through half the year.
The practice of using gicen branches for
the decoration of chuiches and houses at
C'biistmas time is of very remote (late. In
eaily carols the holly and ivy are both
spoken of, but the foinier more frequently
than, the latter ; ivy, however, became one
of the plants regularly used with holm and
bay, to which goodly company tho mistle
toe was afterward added. Rosemary and
laurel were also among the favorite Christ
mas evergreens, and chaplets of them were
made and worn on the head whence came
the expressions, "To kiss under the rose,"
and "Whjspei ing under the mistletoe."
The j uio-log is of very ancient use. I3e
fore chimneys were invented, the fire was
built in the middle of the room, the smoke
escaping through the roof. On Christmas
eve, a huge log, the yule-log, was put upon
the fire and each member of tho family in
turn sat down upon it, and sang a yule
song, and drank to a merry Christmas and
happy new year. The sitting ou the log
had to be abolished when fireplaces wcie
invented, And in these days the log itself
has fallen into disuse by reason of the
modern improvements of Latrobe stoves,
furnaces, etc. ilenick, in his Ceremonies
for C'hriitmasM, mentions the yule log :
Come, tiring mo with a noise,
Mr merrie. merrie boyes.
The' Christmas losr to t lie flroing:
While my irood dame, she
Hnl.s ve all be free.
An t drink to your hearts desfrlpff.
Wilh the last yeere's brand
bialit the new block, and
For irood success In his speuding-,
n your psalteries play,
'I hat sweet luck may
Come while the log Is tcendmar.
One osVlbe earliest customs was the was
sail .bowVd one universally patronised.
The first wassail is said to have been as
follows : Rowena, the daughter of Hen
gist, presented the British k'ng Vortigern
wilh a bowl of wine, saluting him with,
"Lord king, wtcs heil," to which the king
(as previously instructed, the legend says)
replied, "Drinc heile," and saluted ber
aftei the theu fashion. Being much smit
en by her charms, the king married the
fair cupbearer, to her and ber fathers
great satisfaction, and the Saxons obtained
.what they wanted. This form of saluta
Hion is found, however, to be much older
than this romantic scene, and to have been
used by the Saxons yeais before, borne
accounts say that the Britons had their
wassail bowl as late as the third century.
The followers and worshippers of Odin and
Tlior drank deeply in honor of their gods,
and when converted contiuued the practico
iu honor of the one God and his saints, aud
it required much patient labor among the
early missionaries to abolish it.
Dancing was a favorite Christmas amuse
ment. William of Malmesbury tells us
quaintly of a party of young folk who were
dancing in tnc churchyaid, one Christmas
eve, and by their laughter and soncs dis
t ui bed a piiest who was saying his Mass in
the church. He begged and entreated
them iu vain to desist and allow him to
complete his duties undisturbed; they only
danced the more and sane the louder,
until, the priest's patience becoming ;
hausud, be prayed that they might ( never
cease dancing. This prayer was beaid.
and they o.itinued their dance all through
the year. Neither heat nor cold, hunger,
,hfr.,or fatigue, affected them Then-
r. lends made every f""".-t t?p.tAhr Tv' lit
brother of one or the girls took her by the
a.m. and Lied by force to bring her away,
the limb came off in bis hand w.tbo it ap
parently causing any pain or distress to the
dancerwho lost not a s.ngle s ep v i the
performance, and went on as stea It y M
before. At the end of the year B si op
Hubert came to the place, and, abso v.ng
the party; ti e dancing ceased borne or
them died rightaway ; terH, after a deep
of three days and nights, went lound tell
ing of thii miracle. Unfrs of
From the earliest times, the , kinga ot
Kngland celebrated Christmas and be sue
cecdineholiday" with royal feas ngs In
rM
t ; but bMido. tbattucy bad dill-gruut,
karumpie, and tuaupigyrum. These names
convey to modern ears very little idea of
what was the real nature of each com
pound. Dillegrout roust have been some
thing very remarkable, for the tenaut of
the manor of Addington, in Surrey, held it
by tho service of making a mess of the
delicacy on the day of the coronation.
With what anxiety must not the ingred
ients, which were almold-milk, the brawn
of capons, sugar and spices, chick eus par
boiled and chopped fine, been put together!
A liltle too much of one, too little of
another, an instant's too long cooking per
haps, aud the goodly manor was bestowed
upon a greater artist or more lucky indi
vidual. Maupigyrum was the same dish
with the addition of fat. Of the Christ
mas drinks were hippocras, ale, mead, and
claim. The English infearly days were
celebrated for their pre-eminence in driuk
ing. lago says, in reference to this char
acteristic : "Yoiir Dane, your German,
and your swag-bellied Hollander are noth
ing to your English," The Saxons drank
wine, mead, cyder, ale, pigment, and mo
rat, to which the Normans added clane,
garhiofilac, and hippocras. Of course,
these drinks were aside from the wassail
bowl, which still held its own.
Morat was made from honey and mul
berries ; claret, pigment, IiippocraSj and
garhiofilac (from the girojle, or cloves con
tained in it; were different preparations of
wine mixed wilh honey and spices. Henry
III. ordered his wine keepers to deliver to
the sheriff of York white and red wine to
make garhiofilac aud claret for the next
Christinas ; and in the twenty-sixth year of
his reign directed the sherifl of Gloucester
to cause twenty salmous to be bought and
put into pies for Christmas, and the sheriff
of Sussex to buy ten brawns with the heads
often peacocks, and other provisions. Im
agine the Lord High Sheriff of eitherof the
above counties receiving 6uch an order
now a days from Queen Victoria! To the
crane, as tho Christmas dish, succeeded,
about this time, the boar's head, and it was
always brought in with gieat ceremony,
preceded by musicians and an usher, and
welcomed with shouts and hurrahs.
Under Edward III., Christmas was held
in great style ; there were revelli'.igs, m ask
ings, and dancing, the masks one year
taking the form of birds, dragons, etc., and
the next of elephants and ot her frolicsome
beasts. During the reign of Richard II. in
13'.)3, two hundred tons of wine were drunk
and two thousaud oxen eaten on this feast,
to say nothing of other dishes. Thesw were
royal Chi istmases indeed. This kino; also
had his pageants or masking.s ; but, in
stead of birds or animals, theie is on one
occasion in the wardrobe accounts a charge
for twenty-one linen coifs for "counterfeit
ing men of the law" in the king's play at
Christmas, Richard was murdered
on Twelfth day, 1400, and so ended all his
earthly Christ mases. During the wars of
Henry V. in France, he always ceased hos
tilities on Christmas day, and during the
siege of Rouen offered food to those of his
hungry euemies who would accept it from
hi:n At the seig of Orleans iu 1428, a
like truce was proclaimed, and the English
and French exchanged gifts. When Hen
ry VII. ended the wars of the Roses Christ
rras was celebrated in a most magnificent
manner. In 1493, on Twelfth-night, there
was great banqueting and wassail. The
king made the usual offerings of gold,
frankincense, and myrrh, and in the even
ing wore his crown and royal robes ; kirtle
sin coat, furred hood, and mantle with loug
train, and his sword borne before him ; his
armills of gold set with rich stones, and his
sceptre in his right hand. The wassail
was introduced in the evening with great
ceremony, the steward, treasurer, and
com p-roller of the household going out for
it with their staves of office ; the king's and
the queen's servershaving fair towelsround
thei. necks and dishes iu their hands, such
as the king and queen should eat of; the
king's aud queen's carvers followed in like
manner. Then came in ushers of the
chamber, with the pile of cups the king's
the queen's, and the bishop's with the
butlers and wine to the cupboard, or side
board as it would now be called, and squires
of the body to bear them. The gentlemen
of the chael stood at one eud of the hall,
and, when the steward came in wilh the
wassail, he was to cry out three times,
"Wassail, wassail, wansail !" to which they
answered with a good song no doubt a
wassail-song or a carol, as they were preva
lent at that time. Henry VIII., in the
early part of his reign, did not neglect the
Christmas merry-making ; plays, masks,
pageants, and similar diversions weie fre
quent and splendid, for Henry was young,
gay, and light-heaited in those days. Iu
his third year at Greenwich, there was a
pageant arranged before the queen in
which he himself took part; but after he
grew corpulent, encumbered with his wives
and interested in the established religion,
these meii'y-makings fell off aud gradually
ceased altogether at court.
At this period, the Christmas festivities
of the Inns of Court bad become celebrated
aud afterward far surpassed those of the
court in faucy, if not iu splendor : nor is
this surprising, considering the talents that
must always exist iu these communities,
some fresh from the universities imbued
with classic lore, others fraught with the
knowledge acquired in many years, with
wit sharpened by constant intercourse with
wits as keen as their own; and peihaps few
are better able to appreciate true wit and
humor than ihose who turn to it from deep
and wearing mental labor. There was a
rule which required the attendance of all
who lived in the Inns at theso merrymak
ings, under the penalty of being disbarred,
a threat actually held out iu the time of
James I., nt Lincoln's Inn, because the of
fenders did not dance on Christmas day,
according to the ancient order of theso
cicty, and some were iudeed put out of
Commons by decimation. Imagine a law
yer coming into court to attend a trial of
importance stopped atfthe door and for
bidden to enter because he did not dance
with his opponent's counsel on Christmas
eve ! Dugdale gives a programme of tho
performances at one time :
"First, the solemn revella (after dinner
and the play ended) are begun by the whole
house; judges, serjeants-at-law, benches,
the utter and inner bar, and they led by the
master of Ihe revells ; one of the gentlemen
of the ntter barr is chosen to hing a song to
the judees, serjeants, or masters of th bench,
which is usually performed ; and in default
thereof there may be a amerciament. Then
the judges and benchers take their places
and sit down at the upper end of the ball.
Which done, the. ntter barristers and inner
barristers perform a second solemn revell
before them. Wliicb ended, the utter bar
risters take their p'aces and sit down. Some
of the irntleinen of the inner barr do present
the house wilh dancing, which is called the
post revells, and coatinne their dances till
the judges or bench think meet to rise aud
depart."
Lincoln's Inn celebrated Christmas as
early as the time of Henry VII. ; but the
Temple and Gray's Inn afterward disputed
the palm with it, and indeed on some occa
sions seem to have surpassed the other Inns
of Court. The first particular account of
any regulations for conducting one of these
grand Christmases is in the nibth of Henry
VIII., when, besides the king for Christ
mas day, the marshal and master of the
revels, it is ordered :
"That the king of the cockneys on Christ
mas day should sit and have due service,
aud that he and all his officers should use
honest manner and good order, without any
"waste ordestrnction making in wines, brawn,
chely, or other vitails, ana also that be and
his marshal!, butler, and const able-marshall
should have their lawful and honest com
mandments by delivery of a'.l the officers of
Christmas ; and that the said king of the
cockneys uor none of bis ofticers meddle in
the buttery, nor in the steward ot Christmas,
his office, upon pain of forty shillings for
every such meddling. . . . That Jack Straw
aud all his adherents should be thenceforth
utterly bansht, and no more to be used in
this house upon pain of forfeit, for every time
5 to be levied on every fellow happening
to oft'end against this rule."
Who this Jack Straw was, or what bis
offences were, does not appear.
In order to divert the mind of the young
king, Edward VI., from the grief he felt
at the condemnation of the Duke of Som
erset, the most magnificent revelling on
record were prepared. George Ferrers, of
Lincoln's Inn, a gentleman of rank, was
appointed lord of misrule, or master of the
king's pastime, and acquitted himself so
well as to a (bud great delight to many and
Some to the king, but "not in proportion
to his heaviness." He seems to have been
well adapted to his lesponsible office, being
not only a man of rank, but a person of de
cision and determination to cany the thing
through in the proper spirit and display.
He required of the master of the revels, Sir
Thomas Co warden, that John Smyth should
be allowed him as his clown ; besides jug
glers, tumblers, fools, etc. A new fool's
coat with a hood was made for John Smyth,
who, from his being mentioned by name,
must have been a well-known court fool.
The dress of this clown will show that no
expense was spared even about the officers
of this grand lord of misrule. He had a
long fool's coat, of yellow cloth-of-gold,
fringed with white, red, and green velvet,
containing yds., at 2 per yd., garded
with plain yellow cloth-of-goid, 4 yds., at
80s. 4d., with a hood and pair of buskins
of the same figured gold, containing 2
yds., at 5 ; and a girdle of yellow sarcenet,
of yd., at 16d. The wliole value 26 14s.
8d., a goodly sum for the dress of a jester.
Tho dresses of the lord of misrule himself
must be mentioned to give some notion of
the style in which this celebrated revelling
was can ied on. Ou Christmas day aud dur
ing that week, he wore a robe of white
bauilokin (a rich stuff, made of silk inter
woven wilh gold thread), containing fJ yds.,
at lGs. a yd., garded with embroidered
cloth-of-gold, wrought in knots, 14 yds., at
lis. 4d. a yd. ; having a fur of red feathers
with a cape of camlet thrum. A coat of
flat silver, fine works, i yds., at 50s., with
an embroidered gard of leaves of gold and.
silk, containing 15 yds., at 20s. A cap of
maintenance, of red featheis and camlet
thrum, very lich, with a plume of feathers.
A pair of hose ; the breeches made of a
yard of embroidered cloth-of-gold, 9 yds. of
gardiug, at 13s. 4d., lined with silver sar
cenet, out ell, at 8s. A pair of buskins of
white baudekin, 1 yd., at lGs., besides mak
ing and other chaiges, 8s. more. A pair
of pantacles, of Bruges satin, 3s. 4d. ; a
girdle of yellow sarcenet, containing J yd.,
at lGs. He had different but equally mag
nificent suits for 2sew Year's aud Twelfth
day. These dresses were supplied from
the king's stores, and must have satisfied
any one. Taking, too, in account that lie
was attended by the members of his court,
and all handsomely dressed, it was enough
to turn any moderate man's bead. His
suite was composed of his heir-apparent,
John Smyth, counsellors, pages of honor,
gentlemen ushers, a sergeant-at-arms, pri
vate marshal, undei-maislial, lieutenant of
ordnance, heralds, and trumpeters, an ora
tor, interpreter, jailer, footman, messenger,
an Irishman, an Irishwoman, six hunters,
jugglers, etc. The lord of misrule chosen
in the fourth year of Elizabeth's reign was
Mr. Henry Helmes, and his title was as fol
lows : "The High and Mighty Prince,
Henry, Prince of Purpoole, Archduke of
Stapulia and Brnaidia, Duke of High and
Nethon Holborn, Marquis of St. Giles and
Tottenham, Count Palatine of Bloomsbury
and Clerkeu well, Great Lord of the Can
tons of Islington, Kentish Town, Padding
ton aud Knightsbridge, Knightof the most
heroical order of the Helmet and Souvereign
of the same."
The revels of these grand Christmases
continued throughout the Tvhole twelve
days ; Christ in as day, New Year's day, and
Twelfth-day being more particnlaily dis
tinguished. On Twelfth-day, the lord of
misrule, with one hundred followers, made
his progress through London iu the morn
ing, and arrived at the temple in time for
breakfast, at which were served brawn,
mustard, and malmsey. The dinner, of
two courses, was served in trie hall, and
after the first course came the master of the
game, diessed in grccu velvet, and the
ranger of the forests, iu green satin, bear
ing a green bow with arrows, each of them
having a buuting-hom about his neck ;
after blowing throe blasts of venery, they
paced three times round the fire, which
was then placed in the middle of the hall.
The mas-er of the game next made three
courtesies and kuelt down, and petitioned
to be admitted into the services of the lord
of the feast. This ceremony having been
performed, a huntsman came into the hall
with a fox and a purse-net with a cat, bo;h
bound at the end of a staff, aud niue or teu
couples of hounds, the horns blowing. The
fox and cat were then set upou by the
hounds and killed. This charming spori
being finished, the marshall ushered all
in their proper places to the dinner, and,
after the second course, the oldest of the
masters of the rev Is sang a song, with the
assistance of others present ; after some
repose and further revels, supper of two
courses was served ; and, when finished,
the marshal was boine in by four men, on
a sort of scaffold, and taken three times
rouud the hearth, his bearers crying out,
"A. lord, a lord I" after which lie came
down and danced. The lord of misrule
then addressed himself to the banquet,
which ended with minstrelsy, mirth, and
dancing. There was a cessation of spotts
from Twelfth-night to the fiist of February,
the priu.ee being supposed to be absent in
Russia on public affairs. On that day, he
was received at Blackball, as if on his re
turn, and that and the following day were
spent in revelling and feasting;.
Christmas was always, however, consid
ered the commemoration of a holy festival,
to be observed with devotiou as well as
cheerfulness. The services of the church
were attended before the merry-makings
began. But in 1642 the fiat went forth that
there must be no more celebration of
Christmas; people were to go to heaveu
after the fashion of the Puritans, with long
faces and short hair. Iu 1C47, some parish
officers were Sued and imprisoned for al
lowing tniirsters to preach ou Christmas
day and for permitting the adorning of the
chuich. The parliament, by an order
dated 24th of December, 1G-V2, diiected
"that no observation shall be bad of the
five-and-twentieth day of December, com
monly called Christmas day ; nor any so
lemnity used or exercised iu churches upon
that day in respect thereof." Evelyn states
in his memoirs that, as he and his wife,
with others, were taking the sacrament on
Chi U: mas day, 1G57, the chapel was sur
rounded by soldiers, and the assembly taken
into custody for celebrating the nativity of
their Saviour agaiust the ordinance of the
com moo weal th .
When the "Merrie Monarch" came back
to bis good subjects, the revival of the
Christmas festivities was attempted, with
but ill success. The spirit had been checked,
and could with difficulty be resuscitated.
Neither were the court displays as splen
did as before ; the spirit was wanting there
as elsewhere. But the Chri.st-kindschen is
represented by a young person dressed :u
white, with a gift, crown upon the head, a
wand in one hand, and a bell in tho other,
whose post is behind the tree, where he or
she is but dimly seen, owing to the glare
of the lights upon it. In other parts of
the country, the Christ-child is never rep
resented ; the children are told that he has
provided the Christmas-tree, and knows
through Pelznichel of the conduct of each,
but his existence is an article of faith, not
an ocular demonstration.
As most of us can testify from eaily re
collections, however, St Niklas, or St
Nicholas, as we call him, is not unknown
to the children of this countiy smly here
he generally puts bis good things in little
stockings hungup for the purpose, instead
of arranging tlitm on a Christmas-tree.
Just when this custom of haiiging up little
stockings and these visits of the good old
saint began on this side of the Atlantic we
leave to learned antiquarians to decide.
The following jolly desci iption, however,
of what a little New Yorker witnessed
about the year I7S4, puts beyond doubt
the fact that be used to go his rounds, in
this city at least, long before any of us
ever received
A VISIT FUOM ST. NICDObAS.
'Twas the niirht before Christinas, when all
through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
The stockings were uutijf uy the chimney with
erf re,
Tn hopes i hat St. Nicholas soon would lie there;
Th3 children were nestled nil snujr in their
beds,
While visions of sugar plums danced in their
heads ;
And mamma in hor kerchief and 1 in rrr c;ip
Had just settled our brains lor a lunir'wiuter
imp -
When out on the lawn there arose such a clat
ter, I spiantf from my bed to see what was the mat
ter. Away to the window I flew like n flash.
Tore open the shutters, and threw up the sash.
The moon, on the breast of the new-fallen snow
liave u lustre of midday to objects below ;
When what to my wondering- eyes should ap
pear rtnt a miniature sleigh and eitJir tiny reindeer,
Wilh a little old driver, so lively ami quick,
I knew in h moment it must tie St. Nick !
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came.
Aud he whistled aud shouted and callu'd them
by name :
"Now, Dislicr! now, Dancer! now, Pranccr
and Vixen !
On! Count, ou! Cupid, tn! Douder and Blit-
Z'-ll
To the top of the porch, to the top of the wall I
Now, dash away, u ash away, dash away, all !'
As dry leaves that before the wild turricauc
tl.v.
When i hey meet with nn obstacle, mount to the
sky.
So up to the house-top the coursers itaey flew.
With the sieigh lull of toys and St. Nicholas
too.
And then in a twinkling-1 heard on the roof
The prancing ami pawing- of e.ich little hooT.
As I drew in my head ami was turning- around,
Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a
bound :
He was dressed ail in fur from his head to his
loot ,
And hiselothes were all tarnished with asbes
and soot ;
A bundie of toys he had flunir on his back.
And he looked like a poller just opening his
pack.
His cjes. how they twinkled I his dimples, how
merry !
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a
cherry ;
His droll hit le month was drawn up likea bow.
And the beard of his chiu was a white us Ihe
snow,
The Mi. nip of n pipe lie held tiyht in his teeth.
And the smoke it encircled his head like a
wreath.
He ban a oroad face and a little round belly
That shook, when he laughed, like a bowl full
of jelly.
He was chubby and plum p a right jolly old
elf;
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of my
fcei l.
A wink or his eye an J a twist of his head.
Soon rare me to know I had nothing to dread.
He spoke hot a woid, but went straight to Ins
work
And filled all the stockings; then turned with
a J rk,
And. laying- his flns-er aside of his nose.
And Kivinir a nod, up the chimney he rose;
He sprang to bis sleigh, to his team he gave a
whistle.
A nd away they flew like the down of a thistle ;
Hut I heard hun exclaim as hi) drove out of
sight i
" Hepiu Chriittmas to all, and to all a good ni'yfit.'"
Ry Clement C. Moore, born In New Y'nrk,
July 15, 17;a. CdtioliclFoifd, January, ls71.
Christmas Hints. The New York Tri
bune gives some sensible advice to its
readers in regard to the observance of the
great Christmas festival now almost at
hand, from which we extract the following,
not having space for the article entire :
"Remember the poor," not by sending a
turkey to one hungry family, or a ton of
coal lo another, anil then dropping the
whole class out of your mind for thej rest
of the holidays, but by actually taking
thought how to help them substantially.
Lastly, and above all, let us all remeinler
in Christmas week, before we give a dollar
away, to pay every dollar of our debt. We
have no right to give to rich friend or to
starving seamstress the money which actu
ally l longs toother people. If we cannot
be honest, let us attract no false credit in
ourselves by pretending to be generous.
We shall not. be likely lo deceive our neigh
bors any more than God ; and money hon
estly earned and hones'ly paid, is twice a3
iive aud useful as mouey given iu alms.
The book of most general circulation
and the one to which reference is tnobt
frequently made, is the pocket-book.'
II AN 4 j I P HAKV'S MO( IiIN;.
Hang tip baby's stocking
He sure you don't fortret
The lear little dimpied darling !
She ne'er saw Christinas yet ;
But I told her all about it.
And she opened her big blue ejeJ,
And I'm sure she understands it,
She looks so funny and wise.
Dear ! what a tny stocking !
It doesn't take much to bold
Such little pink toes as baby's
Away from frost and cold.
But then, fo- tha baby's Christmas
It wiil never do at all ;
Why Sania wouldn't be looking
For anything half so email !
I know what we'll do for the babr
I've thought of the very best plau
I'll borrow a stocking of grandma,
Tho longest that ever t can ;
And you'll hang it by mine, dear mother,
Bight here iu the corner, so,
And write a letter to Santa
Aud fasten it ou the toe.
Write : "This is the baby 'a stocking
That hangs in the corner here ;
You never have seeu her, Santa,
For she only came this year ;
But she's just the blossedest baby
And now before you go
Just cram her stockings with goodies
From the top clean down to the toe."
CHRISTMAS IX OR WA Y.
The great festival of tho year in Norway,
as among all Germanic nations, is Christ
mas. Whether it owes all its sanctity to
its association with the birth of the Saviour
is, however, an open questiou ; for many
customs still kept alive in the remoter val
leys seem to point beyond the beginning of
the Christian era, to the time when ihe
Norsemen ae horseflesh in honor of Odin
aud Thor and Frey. The festival, as the
retaining of the old name indicates, is as
yet strongly tinctured with leminisccnces
of the old pagan Yule. Tracing the char
acter of Christ and His apostles as they ap
pear iu many popular mnrchen and legends,
the conclusion lies near that the people
.e, consciously or not, transferred much
that was dear to them in tho old gods to
the new tiiety, and thus, by a sort of com
promise between the old faith and the new,
have produced a divine type which is, at
all events, sufficiently nation.il to appeal
strongly to their Norse hearts. The na
tionalizing of one's divinity is. of emu so,
not peculiar to Norway ; it would have
been more singular if Norway had shown
no trace of it.
The prepaiation for the Yuletide, in the
way of provisioning the house, would, to
American eyes, look peifectly cnoi inoiis.
B.iking and brewing and butchering keep
the whole household busy during tho las:
three weeks preceding the festival. And
the fact that the process is repra'cd year
after year probably proves that it is neces
sary. Every man, woman and child who
conies within stone's throw of the house
during the holidays (which usually last un
til a week aflcr Nc.v Year) must be invi
ted in and uiged to cat and diink without
regard f ircmif rt. Even the bitds are to
have their share of the Christinas joy. As
soon ns the chinch bells have "rung in the
feast"' at five o'clock in the afternoon of
Christmas I've, the father of the house
takes his richest sheaf of oats or barley and
attaches it to the end of a pole, which is
nailed to the gable of the barns or the
storehouses. The mother and the children
stand by enjoying the sight of the happy
birds fluttei ing around thesheafs, while ti e
father w ill perhaps quote the passage about
God's care even for the sparrow, w lieiefoie
it is right that the sparrow, too, should re
joice on the day when Christ was born.
Among the many evening visitors which
are sure to drop in to taste the Chiistmas
brew, some are apt to bo disguised in gro
tesque masks and othei wise fantastically
accoutred. These are called Yulebucks,
possibly because the most common mask
may have been that of a goat or some other
horned creature. At present I do not
know that any special kind of iMsguise is
preferred. The title seems to he tho moie
grotesque the better.
The German custom rf having poor
children wander about on Christmas Eve
carrying a large lighted star of canvas,
representing the star of Bnthleham, pre
vails also in Norway. No one can bear
their shrill, liny voices iu the snow under
his window, singing the dear, familiar car
ols, and refuse them their well-earned
penny. iScribner for January.
ST. y I CIIO LAS.
What Citkistmas Mkaxs. Christmas
tide is here again, and every year the pre
parations for it grow more rr:arn:fieent.
The shops are full of costly furs, costly
silks and velvets, costly toys. The book
sellers display books sumptuously tx-ntid ;
and the picture shops are full of gayly
framed pictures, great and small. But in
the midst of so much hurry and bustle, so
many temptations for the puise, so much
parade of the external Chiistmas, there is
a growing danger that the Christmas of
the beau will be forgotten the Chiistmas
that means peace and good-will, faithful
love, forgiveness of sins, human bioilicr
hood. Would you lay a gift upon the
Christmas altar, the old rule holds still,
'First be reconciled by thy brother, an 1
then conic and offer thy gift." This life
is all too short for misunderstandings or
contention; and why should we, poor,
foolish, frail, imperfect children of one
Father, be bitter or sclfiols or coll to ench
other we, for all of whom alike came the
first blessed gift of Chi istn.as ? Let there
be less costly present making, and more
human sympathy and consideration.
Even if Flora McFlimscy be our nearest
friend, to add another jewel to those that
glitter on her pretty, helpless fingers is
hardly worthwhile. "Christmas is not fitly
kept by gifts like that. Better. ti 1 a poor
woman's empty tea caddy, a poor family's
empty coal bin better teach some "lie hu
man sou! the sweet lesson that all we ai
brelhem" than drop new gifts into eu c
less hands that are over full already. Hu
man help and human brotbei lnod, irmctn-
bering the all loving, all pitying I atnei
who helps us ali that in hat Cbiiatinas
means. BHo u 3!n th !t.
The New York Sun, which f.r severa!
mouths has been beating its rajs licrct-ly
down upon questions of "love and mar
riage," advises young men to be careful
how they marry women older than them
selves. It says : "A year or two or so
sometimes is no harm, but a decade is bad.
A young mau at fc'.btand twenty is prfrtty
likely to soon fiud out' his mistake if be
marries a woman of eibt aud thirty.
t. Nicholas, as all the world knows, is;
the patron of childieti, with whom he is the
most jxipnlar s.iiut in the calendar. Bish- y
op of Myra, in I.yci.i, in the time of Con- m
stantine the Gieat. according to the Romau,nre .r
breviaiy, he supplied three desti nte ma. more or
ens with dowries by secietly .leaving a ':rifJtM""'f'l"he
liage portion for each at their wiitinsn ; the-e
Heuce the jupular fiction that be i -ntaiuiusr
veyor of presents to children on CIm
Eve. He usually mikes his appear. ir, the ....u.h
an old mau with a venciable bca 1 : tin nee nori h
dressed as a bishop, either iditig ; JE'
horse or an ass, and carrying alarge-s. a" torch ;
on his arm, and a bundle of rods rncc south 7
band. In some parts of Bohemia h'f'i.'.XrX
pears dressed up in a sheet instead of ..--ulit.u'
surplice, wilh a crushed pillow on his bei.d
instead of a untie. Ou his calling out,
"NY lit thou pray?" all the chiMicu fall
upon their knees. wheir;upoii ho lets fall
some fruit upon the ll ior and disappear s.
In this manner he goes fiom bouse lo
house, sometimes I ioging a bell lo announce
his ariival, visits the nurseries inquiiea
into the conduct of the children, praises or
admonishes them, as ihe case may !, dis
tributing sweetmeats or rods accordingly.
St. Nicholas is the Santa Chins of Hol
land, and the Smiklausof SwitZ'-ilaiirt, and
the 5outior Ktas of Heligoland. In 11. o
Voiarlberg he is know n as Zeinmiklaa, w ho
threatens to put naughty clnidten into his
hay-sack; iu Nether Austiiaas Niklo, or
Niglo, who is followed by a masked feivatit
called Kiampus ; while in th Tyrol be
goes bj' the name of the "Holy Man," and
shares the patronage of his office with St.
Luco, who distributes gifts among the gills,
as be among the boys. Sometimes he is
accompanied by the Christ-child.
In nianj' pails of Switzerland, Germany,
and the Netheilatids, St. Nicholas stiM dis
tributes his presents on St. Nicholas Eve
the 5th of December instead of on Christ
mas Eve. Iu the Nethei lauds and adjoin
ing provinces bo is especially ipulr, und
is perhaps the only saint who lias main
tained his full credit, even among the Pro
testants. For daj-s loeriotia to his ex
pected advent busy housewives have been
secret ly conspii ing with the bakers in gild
ing nuts cakes and gingei breau, ahd tor
turing pastry, prepared with Hour, sugar,
honey, spices and sec meats, into the
most fantasitcal forms, from which the
good saint may from time totime replenish
his supplies. As to the children, St. Nich
olas or Sunder Klass in the burden of their
prayers, the staple of their di earns, and tha
inspiration of their song. As they imtxir
tune him to let fall from the chiuiuey-tup
some pretty gift into iheir little aprons,
they go on singing with childish fervor :
"Fuiider Klitss du irode Itloot !
Ilrcnir mi N ot nn .uckcrhi o.1,
Nicht to vcel on inch l m:tia
Smict in mine Scuorten iu !"
In Belgium, on Jl:e eve of Ihe cod bish
op's serial voyage in his pastoiul visitation
of his bislioj i ies of chimney-tops, the cbil
dien polish their shoes, and al.er filling
them with hay, oats or cairns for the
saint's white horse, they put them n a
table, or set them iu tl.e tii--plare. The
room is then carefully cl'-stri and ihe door
locked. Next morning it is opened in the
presence of t he assembled household, w hen
miribi'c ih', (u .' iho fui uiture is found to be
tinned topsy turvy, while the little shtes,
instead of horse's f-u.ige, are filled wilh
sweetmeats and tojs for the god children,
and with rods for the bad ones. In some
places wooden or China shoes, stockit.gs,
barkets, rups and saucei s. avd even bundles
of hay, aie i-l.-ifd in the chinmej', or by
the side of the bed, or in a coiner of the
room, as the favorite receptacle of St. ,
Nicholas's present.
CHRISTMAS I)i:CORA TIOXS.
The custom of decora'ing with ever
gieens at Chiistmas is far from being a
modern one. The Romans two thousand
years ago did tl.e same thine. Indeed it
is more than probible tha the origiu of
adorning our homes with ivy, holly, and
bay must be sought for in the Roman sat
urnalia, held eveiy year towatd the end of
December. Foinierly the decorations of
rooms consisted of a few. blanches of ever
green stuck hcie and there ; but now I hey
arc of a much more complicated character.
To make effective and pictty designs re
quiies goHl tjiste, pr:ic ice, skill, and a
geneial knowledge? of ;he mateiials to ne
employed. Although holly, ivy, and mis
tletoe aie pi iucip.i'i! y used, 'bete are Tnnr.y
other plants admirably adapted to inter
sperse wilh the ab'.ite. Among il,t;n are
aibutus, aucuba, bay. enooyiuus, gold and
silver holl.es, ivies f I'iflereiit colors, lau
rels. 1-iimist inns, Poitual laurel, spruce
and silver firs, yew, a -d to f.ntb; alo;
branchlcts of arbor-vita-, cypress, deodar,
juniper, thuja, or auj- other ornamental
slu nbs obtainable. Aceoi.itug to ihe style
of decoration, s the foundation must be
selected. For g.ail..ms, wiie or slrorg
cord should tie ucd : the. l.Utei is prefeia
b'e, however, as it is not so li.Jde to twist
as wire ; and, for what aie called uptight
wreaths or j-ancls, lh;e i.i u io1j aie tl.e
best. For ornamental devices, pet f( dated
zinc sbor.ld be u-ed , for it ltcis, sti..ng
brown pajer; foriianow headings, wbeie
single leaves only aie ( u pli'U'J, lupe wire;
for crosses, piclurc-fin.rs, Itits, and so
foilh, ll.it laths oi ha. l iods ; for wreaths,
strong wiie ; ai.il, for small grrlnnds fine
twine is serviceable. In aid it ion to the
above, several balls of hemp twine, ripe
and coarse, la'ge titcd'.ts, and strong linen
thread, o.uk green r black, a pair of
scissors, I e: knife, ai.d lee of b nd ug
wire, intit also be at baud; and one f
the most imp'.i.nt tilings f be Mipplicil
wilh is A st long i. air of kid glovs to pio
tect the bands. HhVoh .Vy ;.'.'.. V-
Tl!E afiVcti ui of bras' s :;rd fowls for
n'.iu is a matter of food. Ttic Halifax
C'tv ,'?, says : "Whenever a ceitain old
gentleman approaches the pond at the
Public tianleus and calls 'Bobby, a goose
will leave tl.e jwiul i:d -it be' iile btm,jnd,
when he leaves to g home, will follow
close at l:i feet to the fate, and sonetiii.es
i:i1n tho stici t, when it Ins t be forcibly
tail back, to its manifest distrust, for it
goes ott" t- its native clement twisting its
tail with indignation, and giving vert to
sundry discoid.-mt squeaks. The oM gen
tleman m;s he has bevcr feu if. or pitted
it in any r.y, w 1 iob tnnkes it more is.
maskable ; but we were tol l by a fieqnent
er of the gardens tlmt abou two or tbiee
yeatsago; a man used to como there anil
lei -1 this identical ?- regularly, ait we
arc inclined to think M at it is a c!-se iif
mistake u identity on tLt j it .-f bib giue-bbip,'2
0