Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1878-12-21

and that accomplished, the festivities OF the
season properly began. Sir Walter Scot
has told in "Marmion how
On Christmas eve the bells were rung;
On Christmas eve the mass was sung;
That only night in all the year,
Saw the stoled priest the chalioe rear.
The damsel donned her kirtle sheen;
The hall dressed with holly green;
Forth to the wood did merry men go,
To gather in the mistletoe.
Then opened wide the bsron's hall
To vassal, tenant, serf and all
Power laid his rod of rule aside,
And ceremony DOTTED his pride.
The heir, with roses In his shoes,
That night might village partner choose.
Thelord, underogating, share
The vulgar game of post and pair
All hailed with uncontrolled delight
And general voice, the happy night,
That to the cottage, as the crown,
Brought tidlngs of salvation down.
The fire, with well-dried logs supplied,
Went roaring up tho chimney wide;
The huge hall tables oaken face,
Scrubbed till it shone, the day to grace,
Bore then upon its massive board
No mark to part the squire and lord.
Then brought in the lusty Drawn
BY old blue-coated serving-man;
Then the grim boar's head frowned on high
Crested with bays and rosemary.
Well can the green-garbed ranger tell
How, when and where the monster fell;
What dogs before his death he tore,
And all the batting of the boar,
The wassails round in good brown bowls,
Garnished with ribbons, blithey trowls;
There the huge sirloin reeked hard by
Plum porridge stood, and Christmas-pie;
Nor failed old Scotland to produce
At such high tide her savory goose.
Then came the merry maskers in,
And carols roared with bithesome din;
If unmelodious was the song,
1t was q hearty note, and strong.
Who lists may in their mumming see
Traces of ancient mystery;
White shirts supplied the masquerade,
And smutted cheeks the visors made.
But, oh what maskers, richly digit,
Can boast of bosoms half so light.
England was merry England, then
Old Christmas brought his sports again,
Twas Christmas preached the mightiest ale;
Twas Christmas told the merriest tale;
A Christmas gambol oft could cheer
The poor mans heart through half the year.
How little there is in the celebration OF
our modern times to recall this vivid pic
ture! The old-fashioned fireplace has
vanished, and with it the yule log. Strictly
speaking the custom never had any exist
ence in America, but one somewhat analo-
gous used to prevail among the negroes in
the Old Dominion, who, as regularly a.
Christmas came round, cut an immense
backlog" for the hearth. Until this had
been burned entirely through, which did
not occur usually for several days, they
were in the habit of claiming holiday
from their masters. They dated their term
of service, too, invariably so that it expired
on Christmas, and in this respect seem to
have but adoped an old English custom, for
in Cheshire county, at least, we read that
the servants engage themselves to their
employers from New Years eve to Christ
mas day, and then for six or seven day
they leave their masters to shift for them
selves"
CHRISTMAS GAMES.
Some of the Christmas games which
were played in England century and Il
half ago have become quite obsolete, but
many still retain their hold upon popular
affection. A description of a Christina,
eve in Devonshire runs thus: "The
members of the household master, family
and servants. -seat themselves on the settles
beside the fire, and all meet on terms OF
equality, the ordinary restraint characteriz
ing the intercourse Of master and servant
being, for the occasion, wholly laid aside.
Sports of various kinds take place, such Il,
jumping in sack, diving in a tnb OF water
for apples, and jumping for cakes and trea
Gle; that is to say, endeavoring by spring,
(the hands being tied behind the back to
catch with the mouth cake thickly spread
with treacle, and suspended from the cell.
ing" Another authority says: "The
time of the year being cold and frosty, tn,
diversions are within doors, either i'll exer-
else or by the Preside. Dancing is one OF
the chief exercises; or else there is a match
at Blindman's Buff or Puss in the Cor
ner.' The next game is Questions and
Commands when the commander may
oblige his subjects to answer any lawful
question and make the same obey him in
stantly, under the penalty of being smutted
(having the face blackened) or paying such
forfeit as may be laid on the aggressor
Most of the other diversions are cards and
dice" The standard English game OF til,
season, however, is Snap-dragon.'
handful of raisins having been placed in
large shallow bowl, and spirits poured over
them and ignited, every spectator in turn
tries to snatch one. To do this he mus
necessarily thrust his hand through til,
flames Of the burning alcohol---a feat which
though not really very perilous, appears so
and the unsuccessful competitors, therefore
get but shouts of laughter for their pains
The following verses, almost as old as thu
game itself, give its full flavor:
Here he comes with flaming bowl,
Don't he mean to take his TOLL
Snip snap! Dragon!
Take care you don't take too much,
Be not greedy in your clutch.
Snip snap Dragon!
with his blue and flaming tongue,
Many Of you will be stung.
Snip! snap! Dragon!
For he shifts at all that comes,
Snatching at his feast of pums.
Snip snap! Dragon
But old Christmas makes him come,
Though he looks SO fee TO FUN
Snip snap Dragon!
Don't zee fear him, be but bold,
Out he goes, his flames cold.
Snip snap Dragon!
MUMMING.
| The custom of mummIng, or masquerad
ing is as old as the Saturnalia, of which
was Distinguishing feature. The word
of Danish or Dutch origin, and suggests tn
source of this peculiar type of masquerade
| At first mumming was not by any mean
confined to the Christmas season, and no.
it has lost all of its leading characteristics
disappearing is still common enough, il
deed, on Christmas eve, both in Englan
and America, and on that alone of a