The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-12-24

And ilied all the stockings; then turned with )
ARD laying his finger aside OF his nose,
And giving q nod, up the obimney he rose.
He sprang to his sleigh, TO his team gave
And syay they all few, like the down of a
But heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of
Merry Christmas to all. and TO all good
Intimately connected with Christmas gifts
are Christmas charities; and here one of the
really touching customs of the season deserves
passing notice. Throughout the Christian
world 1t has ever been the custom, on the an
nual recurrence of the Christmas holidays,
for those who are blessed with an abundance
Of this worlds goods, to include in their mu-
nifcence not only their immediate relatives
and friends, but the poor and the strangers
around them. The worlds festival affords a
striking exemplifoation of what the world
should ever be-oharitable and all-embracing
in goodness. At Christmas times we witness
q partial realization of the truth that 'ft is
more blessed to give than to receive" and ap-
preciate how much better the world would be
If the poor were always remembered. Many
good folks never fail at this season to furnish
the INDECENT in their neighborhood with sub
stantial Christmas dinner; and, better yet, we
now have our newsboys' and bootblacks'
Christmas feast. So, too, in the public cor
reotive institutions it is usual to provide the
inmates with Christmas dinner. Nothing
could be more beautiful than this recognition
of the universal brotherhood of all men.
Christmas Everywhere.
All that has been said thus far concerning
the origin, history, and customs of the great
festival has been general in its character, and
must needs have embraced its modes of oele-
bration over the entire world. There remains,
however, a number Of special customs of par
ticular countries and localities which we shall
now take up in order, commencing with our
mother country.
In the county of Devon, England, the burn-
ing Of the Yule Log was attended with cere-
monies unlike those prevalent in other Sec
tions Of the country. Devonshire, in truth,
appears to have Christmas peculiarly its
own.
One Of the customs yet in vogue in some
sections Of the country is for the farmer,
together with his family and friends, to par
take, on Christmas Eve, of hot cakes dipped
in cider, the beverage itself being used to
wash down the crumbs. This done, the party
proceed to the orchard and make an Offering
of portion of these savory dishes to the
apple-trees. In the fork of the tree the cake
is deposited with due ceremony, while the
tree itself is drenched with the Juice of its
fruit. Meanwhile the men are firing off guns
and pistols, and the women and girls are
shouting this doggerel verse;
Bear blue. apples and pears enow.
Barns full. bags full, sacks full ~
Hurrsh hurfah hurrah ~
In the county of Norfolk they formerly had
similar custom of sprinkling the orchards
and meadows with spiced ale. In the neigh
borhood of the New Forest, in Hampshire,
similar ceremony is still practised.
Cheshire likewise has its peculiar customs.
In Chester and the neigbboring villages crowds
of singers parade the streets on Christmas
Eve, receiving substantial entertainment at
every house which they honor with a call.
So, by an ancient custom of the country, SER
wants engage themselves to their employers
from New Years Eve to Christmas Day only.
During the intervening seven days the mas
ters are obliged to shift for themselves.
At Manchester they have a fashion of cele-
brating Christmas in a way that is highly
Characteristic of the English of three and
four centuries ago. Under the superintend-
ence Of the Directors of the Mechanics Insti-
tuition, an annual "Christmas Party" is held
each year in the monstrous Free-Trade Hall,
which can accommodate full five thousand
people. The president of the institution
takes the .ohair at the opening Of the oere-
monies but he is soon superseded by the Jolly
"Lord of Misrule," under whose direction
masking, mumming, and singing have fall
sway. Sometimes there is also procession
of the months, at other times of the seasons
and at all times of the old-fashioned Wassail
Bowl. Nor is the bringing in of the Boar's
Head eyer omitted. At one of these festivals
recently, the great national drama of iSaint
George and the Dragon was represented in
handsome style. The patron saint of Eng
land, after performing prodigies of valor, a.
last encountered the ferocious "Dragon," I"
whom he slew after hot and furious contest.
The d6bris of the battle was then cleared away,
when the delighted spectators betook them
selves to tripping 'the light fantastic toe"
There are many other localities in England
In which interesting local ceremonies are still
practised
In Scotland, as we have already stated, IL is
only in the Highlands, and in few sections
of the southern portion of the country, that