The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1882-01-14
VILLETrE'S VIVACITIES.

y Fabrics Of Fact and Fancy Fashioned b
/ fhs Fsciie F@bsr Of. 1.ir Feliclanian.
81 6:HR1srnAs. 1881.
On Christmas eve the belle were rung;
. On Christmas eve the mass WAS sung;
Twas Christmas broach'd the mightiest ale
-rTwas Christmas told tho merriest tale.
- Marmion.
! EDlToR CHIEy:
n A merry, merry Christmas, and thric
happy New Year to tho 0cneralissiu,o q
the CH.xr; big sids-de-comp; the con,
, miesioncd and non commissioned subor
, dinatcs down TO, and through the RAM
; and file. How can any hcart feel sorro,
Or cheria'' bitterness on this Happy Day
whom through the length and breadth .
the lsnd-wherever tho sweet story 0
tho Babe Of Bethlehem IL told-the boil
Of His Church are rpng in joyous choru
to the heavenly refrais, "Mory to Go,
in the highest; on earth peace, good viii
toward men'" Whose thoughts are the,
that do not 50 back on this anniversary
to that blessed morn when that thric.
happy mother clasped the Savior Of tn,
world 70 her pure hearth close m,
Dyes and can see that distant land, Beth
lehem Of Judah, tho birthplscs Of Ben.
jamin, whom his dying mothss called
Ben.oni. con Of NY sorrov, but whose
name WAS changed by Jacob in prophetic
inspiration, to son Of my right hand the
land whers the sweet idyl of Ruth and
Boas was enacted; the land where David
the shepherd lad was born. reared and
snointsd King Of Israel by Samuel; and
more than all, the birthplace Of Jesus,
God aud Man. L fancy can 500 the
bright dawn Of the Orient lighting up
the dark yerdurg Of the olive-groves and
tho burdened trellises of the vineyards
upon tho crasgy hillsides; the dazzling
white houses clustering under the spread
ing shade of the flg troes; the humble
Jun with stone Intel and paved porch,
whose guests little dreamed that within
fsw PAGES Of them lay Ono greater far
than Herod, creator far than Caesar; the
straw-strewn maDser in whose depths
He reclined with His Mother; the sad-
eyed oxen that stood by, patiently ru-
minating while the Glory OF Heaven
flooded the whole place. What matter
is it that scholars wrangle about, and
theologians dispute the day and spot of
the Nativity Unquestioning faith
doubts not tho Rlcssed Story which be-
gan ut Bethlehem to eud on Calvary.
Those skeptics who take severe de-
light in appealing to corroborate history
in support Of their testimony, rejoice in
telling 10 that Christmas aud the seven
days following were substituted on the
Christian Calendar by the Latin races
for tho Roman SstAyns}ia, to satisfy the
still dominant psganism Of tho early
Christians; that during that season Of
universal jollity and license the Romans
wcrs wont to present to their friends
offerings Of sweet,neats, otc., to which
they gave the name Of Sc
ew widsi-aat1 :s"ae, aud hence
ii Chr Custom Of gift-making
1sfistmss. love to think, though,
sven in tho face Of history and research.
that we Derive that usage from tho visit
Of the Wise Men who drought unto
Him gifts; gold, frsnkincenso .nd
myrrh."
Our rejoicing and cheer seem poor and
meagre compared with the nerry-,nak-
ings Of our English fpFefsthers in Ye
ancient days" Think what Christmas
must have bosn in those old baronial
halls! Can you not. fancy that you see
the polished oaken floors and settles; the
wainscotted walls HING with stag horns
aud other trophies Of tho chass-perhaps
also with tattercd banners, or curious
weapons Of Eastern warfare, brought
homo by some valiant crusader from EN-
counters with the Saracens-and all ill.,
tertwinsd with the bright green aud red
of the holly boughs, aud the waxy fruit
Of old, Druidical mistletoef There tile
immense fireplace yawned, diffusing its
hospi.able GLOW, tho great iron-dogs sup
porting the huge, blazing Yule-Log (re:ic
Of the Gothic, pagan fsss. of Yslc or J.l,
celebrated in honor Of the sun at tho
winter solsticel the heavy tables "mas-
sive board" groaninx under
Salmon, venisOn and wild boars
by hundreds, and bv dozens aud by scores;
Muttons and fatted bseves, and bacon swine,
Zeal, mallard, pigeons, widseenA aud in
fuo
Plum pudding. pancakes. "pp'a-pies and
And there withal FARO, good 0aacon wine,
With mead and Mo, aud cy,ler like our own,
For porter, punch apd pogps were not
The "gooillle co,npanie" Of retaipers,
man and maid; the ruddy-faced and
portly lord of the manor; his wife aud
daughters in wimple and kerchief, who
disdain not to mingle with their humble
dependents in the pastimes of the season.
sach u Snap Dragon, Hsnt-tAe-Sl;ppey,
TAe Abbot Of U.ressous, &c. There, too,
the village priest might bs found, q look
sr-on in Venice, as it were, snngly and
warmly ensconsed within the arch Of the
wide chimney with his fagon of brown
ale; his companion some cowled Palmer
from Holy Land, with cockle-shell and
the rod keys Of St. Peter embroidered up
on his black cloak, welcome guest