The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1880-12-15
MISCELLANY.
For THE RECORD.
THE OLD SQUARE ALMANAC.

priated to Saint Nicholas; and marvellous
legends can one read of this good old-time
Bishop. We do not care to recount the
miracles imputed to him, some of which are
silly enough, but will give the outline of his
probable history. He was native of Patara
in Asia Minor and student in the neighbour
ing monastery of Sion, near Myra, until he
was made its abbot, and from which he was
called to be the archbishop of Myra. He is
ment under Diooletian, ending his earthly
course in A. d. 342.
The humility and simplicity of his cbarac-
ter, his learning, his genteness and kindness
towards the poor, and his love for children,
caused him to receive honor even after death,
especially as the friend and patron of young
people and children, and also of sailors
Schools and scholars were placed under his
protection. In France he is a great fayorite,
and on his festival the village school children
sing hymns in his praise, and receive their
annual gifts, very much as at Christmas here.
Among mariners he is very popular, and the
seaport towns of England, as well as on the
continent, dedicated many churches in his
name. But it is the town of Bari, in the
south of Italy. that makes greatest account
Of this amiable father. The Christians hay-
ing removed his remains from Myra to Bari,
for fear of the indignities that the Moham.
medans would have put upon them, the day
of his translation, or re-burial MAY %, is
kept as great festival for all the surround
ing country. The peasants come in from the
olive.crowned hills, pilgrims from remote
parts of the province, aud the sailors from
their ships, and all manifest deep earnest
ness III their efforts to make the occasion one
of high religious honor The middle-age
customs are kept up, not as mere forms and
relics OF the past, nor as parts of a social
merry making, but the whole soul seems to
enter into them, yet free from the frantic ex-
element of St. Januarius, at Naples and for
the simple minded participants they have
serious reality such as is found in few parts of
Roman Catholic Europe to-day. One is re-
minded of the serious, pious Inhabitants of
Ammergau and their Passion Play. An eye
witness of the Bari festival several years ago,
gives this account of the marine portion of
its ceremonial 's Early In the morning the
sailors enter the church in procession, and re-
ceive from the canons the wooden image of
the saint, attired in the robes and mitre of an
archbishop, which they bear in triumph
through the city, attended by the canons only
so far as the outer archway of the precincts of
the priory. They take their charge THAT is,
the image to visit the cathedral and other
places, and then fairly embark him, and carry
bin out to sea, where they keep him until
nightfal. They then return, disembark I'M
der the blaze Of illumination, bonfires and
fire. works, and the information, by the whole
heaving mass of the population, of a Gregorian
Litany of st. Nicholas ; parade the town,
visit by torchlight, and again leave, his own
church and finally, and late in the night,
return the image to the reverent custody of
the canons, who, In their purple robes, and
fur caps turned up with satin, play only
subordinate part in the solemnity. 1t is the
only time said a thickly- moustached by
stander-' 1t is the only occasion in Italy on
which you SEQ the religion of Jesus Christ in
the hands of the people, The conduct of the
fiesta was, indeed, in the hands of the mariners
and of the pilgrims the character Of the re-
ligion is different question"
We of the New World, in this day aud gen.
Grafton, however unconscously, render our
need of honor, too, to- the Archbishop of
Myra. By new association, his name is fast
growing into household word, and the
children of his love, in our modern homes,
welcome the charming monthly visitant, that
under the appropriate name of st. Nicholas,
gives us intellectual food in most attractive
forms. If the fourth century Patron of learn
ing and charity had his choice about 1t, VIC
may we'll suppose that he would rather be
represented and honored as the mild and
reverent schoolmaster on the cover of the
magazine, than as the over-dressed wooden
image on the ship-deck at Bari