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Show HAPPY NEW YEAR CUSTOMS 'as' Th Celebrations of the Mumm "re In Older p( Days In England Tending to icn( Revive Visiting. (her On Friday, January 1, tho mummen Th will mum that's their way of ushering ush-ering in tho Now Year. How many ol 'cn them know tho beginning of tho cus avc torn or tho ending! It began In loso nocently enough, but by tho seventh Tinll century it amounted to "diabolical ace poganlsm," outrageous, blasphemous Ilulllans robbed and oven murdered San under the protenso of merrymaking. hoo Not nil was frightful, however. Id ti Homo slaves wcro waited upon b e j, their masters and tho poor reaped ei veritable hnrvcBts, which was but nat- . ural, slnco it nil camo from tho sat urnnlla of tho Eternal City. In Englnnd tho mummers performed At ' plays, spoko dialogues nnd Unperson lllv ated famous peoplo, especially klngf cli nnd warriors. Songs were sung both nice by tho munimors and their entertain e of ors. Hero is ono: Is y To Bhnrton wlntc-r'n sailnem Hi'o wliero tho folks Willi Kindness If y DIhkuIiu-iI nil nro n-comlng . ltlglit wantonly n-imiinmlng. " I" In thoso days they loved, too, tc ' masquerade as nnlmnls, bears nnd tlle unicorns being especially favored dls !u'd guinea. Scott's couplet summed It 1 up: IThe Who lists may In their mumming see I, Trncm of nncluit minstrelsy. '' " At Inst this mumming enme to hr a ruennco ns well ns a nuisance, nnc I tho chaste Henry VIII rnado It n mis ll8s demeanor to wear a mask lar" It was Oeorgo Washington whe eil,lf mado tho day what It "onco was It 'ls this country. Said ho: "Nover forget 'tig tho cheerful nnd cordial observance ol nt New Year's day." Tho colebratloc ta i grow and grow, until n generation or ackln so ago, tho scenes onacttd at eomc 00,(oj receptions woro simply disgraceful so p) clety having progressed somo Mnce It was good form to tmblbo until the irn f blber quietly Hlld undor the tnble nrl- Of lato years thero has been a tend " oncy to revive visiting on the first i '""u duy of tlio year, llut it is nil verj li I inlormal, and every hostess knowt 'Mi 1 each nnd overy ono of her guests. ni which wns not always the caso when lad n It was tho fashion to hnvo as many nij i ns posslblo nrrd arty rnnrr counted one ,rea ( An amusing story Is told of one host . ess who. In u lull, left tho lino and wont over to tho punch bowl In the i: back parlor, saying to a man slit tftEfiy didn't know: "What Is your name? I don't think I know you." Ho told hr n She didn't remeinbor it, so she nskcdi . him with whom he hnd como He snld ho hnd como by himself, whereupon where-upon she ordered him out. Imagine her chagrin tho noxt day upon receiving receiv-ing from this man n lutter sho had written to u relative In a iiclghborliiK city ttsking that ho visit thero when ever ho should he in tho city Also to bo reminded by him thnt ho hnd sonr his letter of introduction and received re-ceived cards, which ho also Inclosed. In thq holiday rush sho bad simply - forgotten tho now name. |