The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-12-22
HAHPER;S.3

From T. 3. Peterson & Brothers we have
received the January number of Harper'S
Magazine, which has the following table of
contents-
"Old Christmas Carol, with an illustrated
border "Folk-Life in Sweden, A. II. Guern-
sey, with seven illustrations; The Passion
Play in Oberammergau in 1870" with twelve
illustrations 'The Voice OF Christmas Past"
Mrs. Zadel B. Buddingtou, with eighteen il
justrations; ''Blind, Il. H. Stoddard; ''Frede-
rick the Greatly the Seven Years War
(continued), with six illustrations; ''The Lit
tie Rift within the Lutte" Annie Thomas;
''Our Public Lands, W. r. Hooper; "a Chap
ter on Gems, w. H. Strobridge; The Dolli-
yer Family" Annie Moore, with nine illus
trations; 1.-The Young Naturalist in Mexico"
s. s. Copant, with nine illustrations; 'Anne
Furness," by the author of "Mabels Pro-
gress, "Aunt Margaret's Trouble, "Vero-
nica," ETC.; ''The Seed and Fruit, Lewis
Kingsley; "a Daughter of Music," Justin
Mccarthy; 'Aateros, by the author of 'Guy
Livingstone" ETC.. My Little Newsboy,"
Mrs Caroline Merighi ''The Christmas
Sheaf," Phoebe Cary; 1.-The Seventh Decade
of the Nineteenth Century, G. @. Hazewell;
1.-The Ancient Lady of Sorrow" Editors
Easy Chair; Editors Literary Record;"
Editors Scientific Record" editors His
torical Records" Editors Drawer"
From ''Folk-Life in Sweden" by A. II.
Guernsey, we take the following description
Of Swedish Christmas celebration
Jatl (Yule) is the great Swedish festival,
but it was festival among the Scandana-
vians long before the birth of our Saviour.
The origin of the name jul is lost in the night
of ages One explanation, which appears
the most plausible of all, is that it is simply
corruption of the word HUI, wheel" and
means the annual circuit performed by the
sun; the days shortening during one half and
lepgtheniEg during the other the point where
the longest night and shortest day met being
called JslL-naGt, "wheeLmeeting. They COM
menced their year with the longest night,
for, according to them, night, darkness, and
cold preceded daylight and warmth This
longest night comes on the 2lst of December.
Odin, who lived about hundred years be-
fore Christ, ordered that at this season
great sacrihcial feast should be observed
lasting during the period when the lengthen-
ing OF the days was hardly perceptible. This
festival, called Jt1-6L0t, continued, according
TO some until the 18th of January according
10 others, until the close of the month. AS
there was only four days difference between
Jul-mat and Christmas, when Christianity
supplanted paganism there was little diff
oalty in making the change of time, and the
heathen Jul, retaining it's own name and
some of its old observances, was transformed
into Christmas.
Preparations for the coming Jul are made
long beforehand. While the grain is un-
threshed the choicest sheaves are selected
from which to brew the Jul-ale and bake the
Jul-bread. On Jul-afton, the day before
Christmas, the cattle must be let out from
the COW. house and driven to water at an earlier
hour than common, and returned before noon;
otherwise the next harvest will be late. The
Swedish peasantry have the same antipathy
to forests which characterizes our pioneers;
all trees are carefully cut down around their
dwellings. But at Jul young pines, stripped
of their bark and lower branches, are set out
before the house; and as the sun goes down
q sheaf of unthreshed grain is hoisted on a
pole from the house-top for the benefit of the
small birds, for all creatures must have rea-
son to rejoice on the day when Christ came
into the world. Mean while, within doors the
women have been busy securing and bright
ening The room and household utensils The
best garments of the family are got out and
hung upon the walls, for they think that
the Jul-fre shining upon them will pre-
serve them from moths. The servants
then proceed to the cattle-house. A mess has
been prepared, composed of the same mate
rials as the dinner Of family; portion oi
this and bundle of the choicest forage are
given 10 each cow, with the words, "fhis II
Julafton, my little one" The horses, il
addition to their forage, have drink of ale
in order that they may be mettIesome wher
OoinO 10 T0atin0 thu uaxf rooraiuo Th.