Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1885-12-24


raj outgrowth of the domestic nature of
the observance. Perhaps it sprang from
the Roman customs of distributing little
images among the children, but the faith
ers Of the Church wouldn't admit an ori-
gin so rankly idolatrous. A practice
which was so widespread, and which
concerned the story loving children of an
imaginative race, of course, demands a
patron divinity, and he was found, nu-
merously, no doubt, but most conspicu-
ously among the Dutch, with whom st.
Nicholas became the especial saint of ey-
erything relating to children, as well as
of about everything else. 1t seems like
wild impiety to accuse the intensely holy
and ascetic st. Nicholas, of Myra, in the
province of Lyeia, where he was Bishop
in the fourth century, Of having "sat for
the genial character of our Santa Claus,
but there is likelihood about it. This
inconceivably good man 'eat only once a
day, and no flesh neither" as we are as
sured by large and reliable looking book
printed in London in 1880, He rose before
the break of day, which shows the des-
peratc earnestness of his purpose to do
good, and he never bought books, but
borrowed the many he read, alleging
hatred of all earthly possessions-which
was ingenious on his part and may have
been swallowed by the simple people of
Myra. This st. Nicholas, on one occas-
ion, came painfully near eating three ba.
bies, They were served up for him, en-
rag0m by some wicked fellows who were
actuated by the same irreverent spirit that
prompted the forty-two hoodlums Of
Bethel to poster the good but bald.headed
Elisha st. Nicholas saw through the
game at once, put the babies together, re-
stored them to life, and inflicted upon
their slayers some punishment equivalent
to the two she bears of the Bethel case.
And ever after he was represented in
church and cathedral windows with a
bucket containing these babies whole,
Sometimes the bucket was baptismal
font, and so it happened that St. Nicholas
came to be revered as the patron saint of
children. The Dutch settlers of New
York brought him over here. Diedrich
Knickerbocker an historian Of excellent
reputc, says the tigure-head of the Goede
Vroaw was carved image OF the good
saint, with pipe reaching to the end OF
the bowsprit. He is best known here as
Santa Claus. Knecht Rupert was his
name in Holland, and he was an actually
personated by some jovial person of the
village, to whom parents intrusted gifts
| intended for their children, and who
/, went about from house to house, in just
the rig the picture-books give old Santi
Claus, and bestowed the trinkets accord
| ing To directions. Then woe totlie naEgh
ty kid who had pulled pussys tail witt
too severe hand, or broke up the robin
, nest, for the white-bearded old fellow
! seemed to know all about it, and insteat
of the expected sled or top, gave terri
BILE scolding. In France, in the Middl,
Ages, the big yulelog was put on the fir
, and the children were sent into the cornc
, to pray that the log might produce bon
. bons, which it generally did, with NOR,
{ substantial gifts. The fireplace seems tt
. have been Saint Nicholas point of distri
, button, when he began his rounds so loDl
ago, and it was there that all the littl
: children hung their stockings last night
I Christmas greens have won as promi
| ncnt part as in the olden time, thougl
1 the pleasant custom Of thus decorating
the church and the house was for lon
r time little observed. It's CHEEKY pictur
: of Christmas tide, rejoicing the eve d
/. the wassail.bowl does the stomach. Gu
{ beautiful legend attributes the origin G
Il the practice to the desire to shelter tn
|. little spirits of the air, the trickery Aeria
e and frolicksome Pucke, who could fin
8 no protection against nibbling Jack Fro
v except in the evergreen leaves 1t
j. more probable, however, that it is DO
/. rowed from the rites of Druids and 9th,
|. Pagans. The Druids gathered the mi
q tetoe at the Winter solstice, and held
g in high veneration This heather origi
|, of the use of the ever green placed it for
"a long time under the ban of the churcl
IS and the mistlctoe as excluded long aft
e laurel and ivy ard holly were admitted
e The modern use Of the mistletoe is n
d likely to be forgotten or to fall into di
r. use, but it should be remembered that O
'. ter the maiden has been duly kissed Il
d swain should pick one of the pearly be
d ries from the bough and give it to h
l. for good luck. The young ladies of Il
- house should also see that the bough
s. amply provided with berries, for traditiC
il has it that the lass who Is not kissed III
N der the mistletoc will remain unwedd,
le till the next Christmas, at least.
IN AS to the games appropriate to the Sc
le son their name is legion, but upon tn
le point, as well as upon the customs th
d govern the eating and drinking and 9th
el household merry making. from the poi
:, pous ceremony OF bringing in the boar
" head to the concoction of the contents
Y the wassail bowl, there is little TO be 50
5. in amplifcation Of the inimitable treati
ID of the faithful Irving, whose account
d; the Christmas spread Mt Braccbridgc HI
n. shows him to have been loving stude
ir Of the history of the day and Its fit o
TX servance. The celebration OF Engli
at Christmas festivities abound with pass
v. ges that torment the palate, mayhap VIII
ht dinner is still hours away, with all {
tie troublesome details of "mince. pies al
et plum porridgc, good ale and strong beer
rn but French chronicles Of the day ma
H. little reference to eating. The Fren
us are not such gross feeders as the Englis
ly and nowhere in Gallic annals are recol
as ed any such feats Of gormandizing q
of guzzling as were common among the A
of glo.Saxons or Danes, who "gorged up
- the half.dressed steer" and swan
ey "seas OF sable beer" The Christn
or Carols, or Noels, of the French, form
as far the most interesting portion of
ed record Of the days celebration In that
lb- ton. They are exceedingly quaint q
he curious. particularly the Bourgnigr
be Noels Of the thirteenth century, tt
ZEN arc often rather free, addressing
IN. Blessed Virgin familiarly as MAJ On
or, 1imie," and sometimes exceed the boul
nd Of innocent mirth, but they have cho
Of full sympathy with the spirit OF
in day, that is surpassed by few Of the IN
10Y polished Carols Of this latter day. {
in Of the quaintest Of these Noels bears
ap- date Of 1900, and portrays La Battailt
ed Kdreme ct dc Charna0e--the Battle
ma Lent and Carnival. Karesme has on