, 1863-01-01

18G2-l883.

-lnc HQOle uuQeF lAc d1rccllon Of INNS Ba~
1atka.
1862-l883.
To-day another year is subtracted from the
little sum Of life the great doors Of the two
faced Janus are slowly swinging upon their
frozen hinges to let one out and the other in;
to-day, great curse is lifted off the nation
and 1868 is linked with 1Ge0 and ITS.
As New Years. Day, the first Of January
holds prominent place in the modern calen-
dar. The merry-makings Of this day
are Of very ancient date. In England
the head OF the lousc assembled his family
around j bowl Of spIced ale, called in the
Saxon, Wass hael, whence the time honored
Wassail Bowl. But wassail was not conaned
to private families. The jolly old Monks had
their mighty bowl, poeHlnn, caritatis ut the
head Of the table and drank hcalths like jolly
good fellows, and didn't 60 home until morn
ing. The wassal bowl was an especial favor
ito in Scotland and is now. At twelve o'clock
the tthot pint" is prepared, general hand
shaking ensucs, with perhaps song "Wccl
may We a be-" It may not be inappropriate
here 10 give the composition Of the famous
Wassail bowl:
Simmer small quantity Of the following spices,
in a tcacupfnll Of water, VIZ: Cardamums, cloves,
nMtmeGs. mace, ginger; cinnamon and coriander.
ties Of port, sherry or Madeira, with one pound
and half Of dne loaf sugar poundcd) to four bot
tetl and sct a!l on the arc In clean bright sauce
whites Of six eggs. well whisked up in It. Then,
when the spiced and sugared wine ia little warm
take out ono teacuPfull; and 80 :, On for three Or
whole Of the remainder pouring it in gradually and
ftirrin, It briekly all the time, as to froth it.
The moment fne 1roth lie obtained, toss in twelve
fine roasted apples, and servc it up hot.
Spices for each bottle Of wine: 10grnins ofmace
46 grains Of clovcs, 81 graine Of eardamums, rs
grains Of nutmcgs 48 grains Of ginger - grains OF
coEiander seed.
Another Iestirity Of the day is the practice
of making presents, a practice derived from
the Romans. The saxons presented gifts to
each other, and Henry III. c1torted New
Years gifts from his subjects. When pins
were first invented, about the beginning Of
the sixteenth century, they were New
Years gift very acceptable to ladies, and
money given for tho purchase Of them was
called pin money. During the reign Of Eliza
beth, the custom Of presenting New Years
gifts was carried to most cxtrayagant pitch.
The presents to the Queen consisted Of Gums
Of money, costly ornaments, caskcts studded
with precious stones necklaces, bracelets,
gowns, embroidered mantles, smocks. mir
rors, fans, and great variety Of other articles.
It is mentioned that the Queen, in 1861, was
presented with pair Of black silk knit stock
ings by her silk women, and thcnceforth shn
never wore cloth hose any moro.
The custom Of making gifts is still kept up
in France with surprising yiror. For candy
alone, s10o 600 Is expended in P,rfs IN New
ycar,s Nav M ncrson on th;s d,r oh1a IN
give. pavs a visit emptr-h,naed. Ercrphody
accrnfs md evcrr man rires occord,nc n +ha
means he possesses.
Tn this country- New Years ia nr;nc;n.1,v
devoted to the presentation Of r;ffs and chi.
inr. The former bas become nearly obsolete
nnd the latter onrht to bccomc entirely sr
unless stripncd of those surroundings which
hare turned its observance into a drnnleY
s.h...,. 49, ,,.o.a,. .o..t,..+oa ~. -.
inr d,v or The new vcar Is acvotcd Ia mn in
v,s;on NJ vonr honscho1d hv an army -,
str,nocra ,rhorn von ,,crar CIV hetorc md
nerer u;s, In ..c .,a;n Tnov dr;,,. ,on,
coffse ~ w,ne os +he cesa n,ovha aovon- ,o,,,
refrcshments mntter a f,w h,c.norea .or,.
n]}ments and take their 1ena+turc Tha vho1e
nract,ce. tovcyer is ronid,v hecon,,,1 oheo.
lcfe. and rnanr of onr heat fn,,lipa ref},s. n
receive calls mon New Years d,v h.n,,;nr ,
card d:l,,sret fInm the aoo~.rIoh IT, reoaf.[
can7s which ansvcrs NJ, thc nnrnosss o'. ~ :.
chi. feOSe7 ~
But the triyialitics of ca1ltnr and nrescn,
making sink into insienlacance whcn ror1
pared With the great lessons TO be 1c,rnci
upon this day of all days.
The old rear opened and closed a1n,d III,
din of war. It has closed upon broken c,r
cles, new made graves, absent ones slecptn,
their last e1ccp beneath Southern soil: close
upon shattered armies, the wall Of the wound
cd and dying, aud the recedine murmur OF IL,
battle; closed upop blasted e1nectatfons an
almost ruined hopes; upon Union pressed b
desperate foes without aud treachcrous friend
within; closed am1d the gathering blacknes
Of the storm.
But to-day, this first day of the rear of m
Lord 1865 the Chief Magistrate of tn n.+,o NJ ~
arises In Lis place, and above the din Of va,
Tic tcmpest aud the storm. proclaims 1incr4 -.
to The down tso1deu. freedom 10 the eroar
fnp and onnncssed slave. To-day. the c,,,,r
fn1i To,dav tbc clan, of thc fettera cor
mcuces to cease The ifav of Emancinot1or