Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1873-12-24

gate nightly at neighboring friends
houses to hear of
"Hobgoblins, ghouls, and suchlke parlous sprites'
It is to these gatherings we owe the
fact that much of our ballad and legend
airy lore has been learnt viU0 voce. and
handed down from generation to gener-
alton,
Christmas jewellers in the good old
times must have had rare digestions,
II we may judge from the following
sample of bill of fare served up in
baronial hall.
"Hogsheads of honey, kilderkins of mustard
Muttons and fatted beeves, and bacon swine
HerOns and bitterns, peacocks swans, and bustards
Teal, mallard, pigeons widgeons and, in fine,
Plum buildings, pancakes, applepies, and custards,
And withal, they drank good Gascon wine
With mead and ale and cider of our own;
For porter, punch, and negus were not known.
All sorts of people there were seen together,
All sorts of characters, all sorts of dresses:
The fool with fOxs tail and peacOcks feather,
Pilgrims and penitents aud grave burgesses:
The country people with their coats of leather,
Winners and victuallers with cans and messes;
Grooms, archers, varets, falconers and yeomen;
Damsels and waiting maids and waiting-women."
Truly, enough to dine an army corps !!
If we are to credit the rhapsodies of
Stowe and HDlinshed. cooks in those
days were paragOns, and well-drilled
army in the kitchen is half the battle
in preparing feast AS Sam Weller
observed of the meat-pies, /" the season.
ing does it."
I" No meaner creatures-scan 'em all
By fire their food prepare;
Man is the cooking ANIMAL
And need be nothing mair.'
The harper in the days known as the
"good old times,' and Christmas
times in particular, was fattered by an
attentive audience when he discussed,
as Shelley has it,
''The melody Of an old air, softer than sleep -
Or told of the doughty deeds of Sir
Topas, Bevis of Southampton, GUY of
Warwick, Adam Bell, or Clym of the
Clough. Alas, the good old times are
ever on the retreat !! and I" that there
never was such Christmas as the last, y
is a well-known truism. The fool, too,
''Ready in gibes, quick answered, saucy and
AS querrulous as the weazel,"
a veritable ''Wamba the son of Witless. y
excited mirth by his lively sallies upon
the -.
s.t4
''Damsels and waiting maids and waiting-woman.'
and voted by one; and all a 'stoo per-
streperous sauce-box." The squire
and his family mingled in the amuse
ments, surrounded by guests and de-
pendenus, beloved by all, the beau
ideal Of the English country gentle
man
GOOD to the poor, to kindred dear,
To servants kind, to friendship clear; !"
while the squire's lady,
I" woman in her freshest age
OfWondrous beauty and of bounty rare,
With goodly grace and comely parsonage"
had a gracious salutation for all, as.
leaning on the arm of her liege lord,
she passed down the hail, about to be
given over to the mirth of the bolster
GUS household. The heir to the old
estates
GA comely youth to see,
With curling locks and forehead high,
And flashing cheek and flashing eye D
stayed behind in order to put in practice
certain druidical ceremonies "under
the mistletoe bough," the willing victim
being
Beauty ripe as harvest"
The unhappy wren used to be an
object of persecution on Christmas day.
Please, boys, don't be hard on him this
year:
Although heis small, his family's great" etc.
1t would be too much to suggest.
- leave OF crab-setting, springes, and
figure, Of four" think of the time when
"Shepards watchd their flocks by night,
All seated on the ground"
and content yourselves with singing
God bless you, merry gentlemen!
Let nothing you dismay
Remember Christ our Saviour
Was born on Chrstmas-dayu
CADWALLADER WADDY,