The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1878-12-25
By SOPHIE SPARKLE.

Some say that ever 'gainst that season comes
Wherein our SAvior's birth Is celebrated.
~" SHAKESPEARE.
Around no season Of all the year
dops there cling so many quaint and
curious legends as around the Christ
mas time. Every nation has Its pop
Mar traditions concerning this hal
inwad festival; traditions which have
been handed down from generation
10 generation, in oft-told tales which
awaken in the hearts OF the listeners
feelings Of mingled pleasure and fear.
But In this wise, matter-of.fact age
of the world, the old legends are fast
losing credence. The only one still
cherished seems TO be that Of the good
saint Nicholas, who comes down the
chimney to fill the stockings Of the
little folks!
But even the chimney corners are
becoming obsolete, and the preco-
cious Young America puts away this
childish belief when he dons his first
pair of pants, and ever after dlsdain-
fully rejects the idea Of q queer little
parsonage who,
"Drcsscd all in fur. from his head to his foot"
ia abroad upon Christmas Eve, carry
ing gifts to all good children.
But there Is, aud always will be, a
certain charm lowering around the
old superstitlons. One Of the most
beautiful Of these Is, that upon Christ
mas Eve the cock crows all night
long to Brighten away all evil
things from injecting the holy hours"
"And then. they say. no spirit datos stir
Tho nights arc wholesome. then no planets
No airy takes, no witch hath power to charm,
So hAllow'd and so gracious Is the time"
Exactly at the hour of midnight
upon this mystic eve, the cattle are
said to kneel In their stalls, In adora-
tion of the Babe who was born In a
manger, and afterward to hold con-
verse like men. Brand relates that In
ITO a Cornish peasant told him that
he, with several others, had watched
the oxen uponold Christmas Eve, and
"at twelve o'clock at night they OBJ
served the two Oldest oxen to fall up.
on their knees and to make q cruel
moan like Christian creatures" This
belief appears not only to have pre-
vailed In England, but also across the
seas, as Mr.. Howison, in his Sketches
Of Upper Canada" says that on one
beautiful moonlight Christmas Eve,
at the hour of midnight, he met an
Indian creeping stealthily along, who
motioned to him to keep quiet, and
when questioned rs to his motive, re-
piled: ME watch to see the deer
kneel; this Is Christmas night, and
all the deer fall upon their knees to
the Great Spirit, and look up" Even
the bees are said to hum In their lit
tie cells OH Christmas Eve at twelve
o'clock.
There is q legend which says that
the watcher may hear the ringing OF
subterranean bells tolling tile mid
night hour upon this night. III min
Ing districts, the miners declare that
solemn mass Is held In that cavern
which contains the richest ore; that
service ischanted byinvisible beings,
and that the cavern Is most brilliant
ly Illuminated with candles.
Thus sings an old carol:
IAN the bells on earth shall ring
On Christmas day, on Christmas day.
And all the bells on earth shall ring
On Christmas day In the morning.
"And all the angels In heaven shall sing
n LII las hRtaf Il y
And all the angels In heaven shall sing
On Christmas day In the morning,
"And all tho souls on earth shall sing
On Christmas day, on Christmas day.
And all the souls on earth shall sing,
On Christmas day In the morning"
The Germans also have a traditional
Christmas bell. In the village Of Nor.
Ingen, near Goettingen, there is a pond
called Opferteich, u sacriiicial pond.
The water is very deep, and 1t Is said
that every year at Christmas n bell is
heard toliing In Its depths from the
hour of twelve until one.
This bell Is the same which once
swung in the church-tower near by,
but having been placed there without
being consecrated by baptism, as was
the Olden custom, when 1t COM
menced to ring out the Christmas
chimes, by some supernatural power
1t was hurled from It's place into the
depths of the Opferteich, and there 1t
Is believed to lie to this very day, and
every Christmas Eve to rise to the
surface Of the pond, toll, and then to
sink again.
Should any one desire to know what
will be the state Of the weather dur
Ing the ensuing year he has only TO
take an onion, and cutting II In two,
thus making twelve small cups, fill
them with salt, and let them stand
until the following morning. These
cups represent the twelve months Of
the year, and those in which the salt
Is found dry will be the dry months,
and Vice versa. So say the legends.
Sir Walter Scott says In his notes to
"Marmion" that "they who are
born on Christmas or Good Friday,
have the power Of seeing spirits, and
even Of commanding them!n He
E also adds that "the Spaniards imput-
ed the haggard and downcast looks
Of their Philip II. to the disagreeable
visions to which this privilege sub
IeCted him."
On the banks OF the Weser, they
say, that no one must spin during the
twelve days Of Christmas-tide; but
they spin toads into the house, or get
black-puddings and sausages instead
Of yarn. This custom Is faithfully
observed, and II sewing Is necessary
to be done, they take It to a neigh
boris house.
At Christmas all the spinning
wheels are plentifully furnished with
lax, and left standing to await the
visit Of Hulda, the divinity who pre-
sides over domestic affairs, and who
comes at this season to reward the
GllIigent and punish the idle. But at
SShrove-tide when Hulda returns to
aer home, all the fax must be spun
OIL, aud the spinning, wheels be put
out Of sight-for that which is spun
MShrove-tide, Is sure to turn out III
Ais being the time Of holy rest. =.
When the sun shines, Hulda Is said
10 bA nNnN Hmm I,nn hafns mud Nuhan N