Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1884-12-19

CHRISTMAS IN ENGLAND.
ny RrY. BROOKE HERroRp.


England there is not much TO say that would
be new to an American reader. 1t is kept
very much as here only good deal more SO.
Add all the family associations of New Eng
land Thanksgiving-da to the ordinary Amer
lean Christmas-day, and you have something
of what Christmas is in the old country. 1t
is prepared for days, weeks and sometimes
months, beforehand. The good country
housewife will tell you that the minoe meat
ought all to be made within q week of "Stir-
up Sunday" q certain landmark Sunday in
the middle of November, which derives it's
name and its recognition from the fact that
the Collect for that day, the 25th Sunday af-
ter Trinity begins Str up, we beseech thee,
o Lord, the wills of thy faithful people!" A
great festival in the old-fashioned home is
that making Of the mince-mea and the Christ
mas pudding in which every one down TO the
youngest child must have some hand, even if
it be only 20 give stir TO that dark, fragrant
compound which, after being boiled for nine
hours is to be served up with sprig of holly,
and on a flaming dish, IS The plum-pudding.
Then, for long beforehand, the children are
busy in corners, holding youthful conolaves
over the great question of what presents are
TO be made for mother and father and all the
relations and friends. They do not know
much about Santa Claus" and his secret vis
its in England. He, like the Christmas tree,
10 btIAnhu luuONhhuut Dub NV huCh
ed, the English equivalent being called Faith
er Christmas" Besides, there is something
more social and family like in the old English
way Of having the Christmas presents given
| all together, at the breakfast table or imme-
diately after.
But the "Waits"--they are perhaps the
most distinctive feature in an English Christ
mas. Christmas carols here are any Christ
mas songs sung in church or school but in
England the carol-singing in church or school
is a merely secondary thing. The old Eng
lish carol" is the song sung in the darkness
of the early Christmas mornings memorial
OF the angels song that came upon "the list
ening ear of night" Jeremy Taylor, writing
of that first song of the angels says, 'As
soon as these blessed choristers had sung
their Christmas carol, and taught the church
a hymn to put into her offices forever on the
anniversary of this festivity, the angels re-
turned into heaven" As the clock strikes
midnight, all the church-bells throughout Eug-
land begin to clash and clang with the most
| joyous resonance that can be beaten out of
them by the bands of ringers who have been
eagerly waiting for the hour. Then come
round the waits (vhose very name comes
down from the old Gothic "wRhts" -wstch) the
carol singers. Very various they are, in char
acter and in numbers, from full choirs and
bands to the little street arab who half sings,
half cries, through the keyhole of the front
door,
"God bless the master of this house,
| The mistress Al-soi
| And all the little children
| That round the table go.
wish you . Merry Christmas
| Aud Happy New Year,
| pocket full Of money
| And cellar full Of beer"
These boys, however, with q mercenary dis
regard of the chronological proprieties, are
going about, especially in London, for days
| before and after but tn good old-fashioned
"Christmas waits" belong to the early hours
OF Christmas morning, and very sweet it is,
first to have their music mingliug with ones
dreams, and then TO wake up to the old strain
Of the Christmas hymn
"Christians awake salute the happy morn
| Whsreon the Saviour Of the world was born"
Then the rising, and the pleasant greetings,
MERRY Christmas !" merry Christmas" as
the family meet, and not only between the
msmbers of the family, but TO and from the
humblest waiting maid or errand- boy-some-
times, am afraid, not without Q hint of q
shilling or half crown in it !
Then to church-or "chApel" as the old
English dissenters, with something of the
pride of the old generations Of persecution,
still call their churches-where all is bright
with Christmas evergreens and holly and
the choir sing-not the weak quartette pret-
Illnesses Nnlcu are 700 cOmmOu 40 OhtletmAe
music but good old ohoruses from the Mes
siah"; and the parson breaches his brightest
and shortest sermon, with some story in it, II
he is a wise man, for the young folks.
After church, q wAlk-A good, brisk coun-
try walk-or, il there is ice, a few hours
skating, just as it is described TO the life in
''PickWick" (where the Christmas desorip.
tions, by the way, are quite as good as those
of the "Carol"), and then home, as the after
noon is waning for the great feast, where all
is light and brightness and the father has
all his children around him, and q few out.
siders "who could not go homo for Christ
mas" to mako larger heartful and hesrthful I;
and he stands up aud says grace" himself
without needing any clergyman to do il, and
bids all welcome and, If there is not room
for all at the one great board, little table is
set near him, at which some of the younger
ones have high time of their own, while
near enough to be quite of the party. And
the dessert afterwArd, with the cracking
chestnuts, and the one tender toast, in which
all Join, OF absent friends, God bless
them !" But the climax Of all is afterward,
when all are gathered for the Christmss even
ing, and the hrs is made up till II flames An
roars again, and all sit aroand it and siug
songs and tell tales, now and then breaking oh