The Russellville Democrat., 1882-01-26
nowned nuraery rhyme of
Little Jack Horner Sitting in the corner,
 Eating his Christmas pic; He put in his thumb And nnlled nllL a rlnmh


 l Eating his Christmas pic;
 He put in his thumb
 And pulled out plumb,
 And said. "what good boy am J2s
 has connected with it curious tradition as to ifs origin. It is as follows When the monasteries and their property were seized, orders were given that the title deeds of the abbey estates at Mells. which were very extensive and valuable. and partly consisted of a snmptuous grange built by Abbot John Selwood, should Re given up to the commissioners Afrer some delay 1t was determined by the Abbot of Glastonbury to give them up; and for want of a safe mode of conveying them, it was decided that the most likely way to avoid their being seized bv any but those for whom they were intended was to send them in pasty, which should be forwarded as a present to one of the commissioners in London. The safest messenger, and least likely to excite suspicion, was considered to be a lad name Jack Homer, who was the son of poor parents living in the neighborhood of the Grange. The lad set out on his journey on foot, laden with his pasty. It was a weary road, and England not being so thickly inhabited as now, he sat to rest in as snug corner as he could find by the wayside. Hunger, too, over came him, and he was at loss what to do. when he bethought himself that there would be no harm in tasting ever SO little of the pasty when he was car rying. He, therefore, inserted his thumb under the crust, when lol there was nothing but parchments. He could not read or understand these parchment, yet he thought tfey might be valuable. He, therefore, took one of them and pocket rest of his pasty. Upon his delivering his parcel it was discovered that one of the chief deeds-the deeds of the Mells Abbey estatcs--was missing; and as it was thought tbat the abbot had withheld 1t, an order was straight way sent for his executor. But the sequel was, that after the monastories were despoiled, thQrc was found in the possession of the family of Jack Horner q piece of parchment, which was in fact the title deed of Mells Abbey and lands; and that was "the plum" which little Jack Horner unwit- tingly become possessed of. The Abbot Whiting was executed for withholding deeds.
 God Tempers the Wind to the Shorn Ismb-rhis phrase is not as many sup pose it to be. of Bible origin. 1t is found in Yarick's Sentimental Journey through France and Italy," by the celebrated Lawrence S erne and in the tender and touching story of Maria" Maria was a disappointed and demented maid, who sometimes strayed with her goat along the road to Moulines. It seems that Mr :. had met her upon a previous occasion to the one in which the above quoted language was used. Referring to her, he says: "She had since that, she told me, strayed as far as Rome and walked around St. Peters once, and returned back; that she found her war alone across the Appenines; had travelled all over Lombardy without money, and through the flinty roads of Savoy without shoes. How sae had borne it, and how she had got suppotted she could not teIl-but God tempers the wind 70 the shorn lamb. JOHANNES FACToTUM.