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Show SEhere is a delightful DE-iOT1 m? 0 1! I Ascription of an oldI flM ENGLISH CHRISTMAS CELE-, M M il BRATION, TAKEN FROMf!' MM km THE "SKETCH BOOK," WRIT- Mrl'l lwXt$ TEN NEARLY A HUNDRED W o lift ftFW YEARS AGO BY WASHINGTON ( U'pifM'tiAm illRVING. - - 'WMPilCp yiy T was a brilliant moon- I 1 light night, but ext.-eme- rf- f ly cold; our chaise whirled rapidly over the rj&f 1 r frozen ground; the post- Pm? ' T-ai ky smacked his whip I incessantly and a part of tlg"! the time his horses were f on a gallop. "He knows where he is going," said my companion, laughing. I LjfSfiU "and is eager to arrive 7 in time for some of the merriment and good cheer of the servants' serv-ants' hall. My father, you must know. Is a bigoted devotee of the old school, and prides himself upon keeping up something of old English hospitality. He is a tolerable specimen of what you will rarely meet with nowadays. In its purity, the old English country gentleman; for our men of fortune spend so much of their time in town, and fashion is carried so much into the country, that the strong rich peculiarities pe-culiarities of ancient rural life are almost al-most polished away. "My father was always scrupulous in exacting our holidays, and having us around him on family festivals. He used to direct and superintend our games with the strictness that some parents do the studies of their children. chil-dren. He was very particular that we should play the old English games according ac-cording to their original form; and consulted old books for precedent and authority for every 'merrie sport,' yet I assure you there never was pedantry ped-antry so delightful. It was the policy of the good old gentleman to make his children feel that home was the happiest place In the world, and 1 value this delicious home-feeling as one of the choicest gifts a parent could bestow." Queer Dinner Bell. I had finished my toilet and was loitering with Frank Bracebridge in the library, when we heard a distinct thwacking sound, which he informed me was a signal for the serving up of the dinner. The squire kept up old customs in kitchen as well as hall; and the rolling-pin, struck upon the dresser by the cook, summoned the servants to carry in the meats and fixings. The dinner was served up in the great, hall, where the squire always held this Christmas banquet. A dazing, daz-ing, crackling fire of logs hart ber-n heaped on, to warm the spacious apartment, and the Came went sparkling spark-ling and wreathing up the wide-mouthed wide-mouthed chimney. On the sideboard was a display of plate that might have vied (at least in variety) with Belshazzar's parade of the vessels of the temple: "Flagons, cans, cups, beakers, beak-ers, goblets, basins, and ewers;" the gorgeous utensils of good companionship compan-ionship that had gradually accumulated through many generations of jovial housekeepers. Before these stood the two Yule candles, beaming like two stars of the first magnitude; other oth-er lights were distributed in branches, and the whole array glistened like a firmament of silver. We were ushered into this banqueting banquet-ing scene with the sound or minstrelsy, mins-trelsy, the eld harper being seated on a stool beside the fireplace, and twanging his instrument with a vast deal irmre power than melody. Never did Christmas board display a more goodly and gracious assemblage of countenances; those who were not handsome were, at least, happy; and happiness is a rare improver of your hard-favored visage. Enormous Pig's Head. The parson said grace, which was not a short, familiar one. such as is commonly addressed to the Deity m these unceremonious days; but a long, courtly, well-worded one of the an cient school. There was now a pause. ?s if something was expected; when suddenly the butler entered the hall with some degree of bustle; bus-tle; ho was attended by a servant on each sid6 with a large wax-Lght, and oore a silver dish, on which was an enormous enor-mous pig's head. deArated with rosemary, rose-mary, with a lemon in its mouth, which was placed with great formality at the head of the table. ta-ble. The moment this pageant made its appearance the harper struck up a flourish; at the conclusion con-clusion of which the young Oxonian, on receiving a hint from the squire, gave, with an air of the most comic gravity, grav-ity, an old carol. Though prepared to witness many of these little eccentricities, from being be-ing appraised of the peculiar hobby of mine host, yet, I confess, the parade with which so odd a dish was introduced intro-duced somewhat perplexed me, until I gathered from the conversation of the squire and the narson that It was meant to represent the bearing in of the boar's head; a dish formerly served up with much ceremony and the sound of minstrelsy and song, at great tables, on Christmas day. "I like the old custom," said the squire, "not merely because it is stately and pleasing In itself, but because it was observed at the college at Oxford at which I was educated. When I hear the old song chanted, it brings to mind the time when I was young and gamesome and the noble old college hall and my fellow-students loitering loiter-ing about in their black gowns; many of them, poor lads, are now in their graves!" That Tiresome Parson. The parson, however, whose mind was not haunted by such associations, and who was always more taken up with the text than the sentiment, objected ob-jected to the Oxonian's version of the carol, which he affirmed, was different differ-ent from that sung at college. He went on, with the dry perseverance of a commentator, to give the college reading, read-ing, accompanied by sundry annotations; annota-tions; addressing himself at first to the company at .large; but finally their attention gradually diverted to other talk and other objects, he- lowered low-ered his tone as his number of auditors audi-tors diminished, until ho concluded his remarks in an undertone to a fat-headed old gentleman next him, who was silently engaged in the discussion dis-cussion of a huge plateful of turkey. The table was literally loaded with good cheer, and presented an epitome epit-ome of country abundance, in this season of overflowing larders. A distinguished dis-tinguished post was allotted to "ancient "an-cient sirloin," as mine host termed it; being, as he added, "the standard of old English hospitality, and a joint of goodly presence, and full of expectation." expecta-tion." There were several dishes quaintly decorated and which had evidently something traditional in their embellishments; but about which as 1 did not like to appear over-curious, over-curious, 1 assed no questions. Follows Old Customs. It would be tedious, perhaps, to ray foolish fondness for edd and ohsc.ete things, to which I am a little given, were 1 to mention the other makeshifts make-shifts of this worthy old humorist, by which he was endeavoring to follow up, thougtv at humble distance, th3 quaint customs of antiqu'ty. I was pleased, however, to see the respect s..own to his whims oy his children and relatives; who. indeed, entered readily into the full spirit of them, and seemed all well versed in their parts; having doubtless been present at many a rehearsal. was amused, too, at the air of profound gravity with which the butler and other servants serv-ants executed the duties assigned them, however eccentric. The dinnertime passed away in this flow of innocent hilarity; and, though the old hall may have resounded in its time with many a scene of broader rout and revel, yet I doubt whether it ever witnessed more honest and genuine gen-uine enjoyment. How easy it is for one benevolent being to aiffuse pleasure around him; and how truly is a kind heart a fountain of gladness, making everything In its vicinity to freshen into smiles; the joyous disposition of the worthy squire was perfectly contagious; con-tagious; he was happy himself, and disposed to make all the world happy; and the little eccentricities of his humor hu-mor did but season, in a manner, the sweetness and philanthropy. The Children's Games. After the dinner table was removed, the hall was given up to the younger members of the family, who, prompted to all kinds of noisy mirth by the Oxonian and MaEter Simon, made its old walls ring with their merriment, as they played at romping games. I delight in witnessing the gambols of children, and particularly at this happy holiday season, and could not help stealing out ci the drawing room. I found them at the game of blind-man's blind-man's buff. Master Simon, who was the leader of their revels, and seemed on all occasions to fulfill the office of that ancient potentate, the Lord of Misrule, was blinded in the midst of the hall. The little beings were as busy about him as the mock fairies about Falstaff; pinching him, plucking at the skirts of his coat, and tickling him with straws. One fine blue-eyed girl of about thirteen, with her flaxen hair all in beautiful confusion, her frolic face in a glow, her frock half torn off her shoulders, a complete picture of a romp, was the chief tormentor; and. from the slyness with which Master Simon avoided the smaller game, and hemmed this wild little nymph in corners, cor-ners, and obliged her to jump shriek ing over chairs. I suspected the rogue of being not a whit more blinded than was convenient. For my part I was in a continual eycitement, from the varied scenes of whims and innocent gayety passing before be-fore me. It -was inspiring to me to see wild-eyed frolic and warm-hearted hospitality breaking out from among the chills and gloom of winter, win-ter, and old age throwing off his apathy, apa-thy, ind catching once more ihe freshness of youthful enjoyment. 1 felt also an interest in the scene, rrom the consideration that these Heeling customs were posting fast into obhv ion. and that this was. perhaps, the only family in England in which the whole of them were still punctiliously observed. There was a quainlness, too. mingled witJ all this revelry, ,-hat. gave it a peculiar - est; it was suited to the time and place; and as the old manor house almost reeled with mirth and wassail, it seemed echol;ig back the joviality of long-departed years. |