Los Angeles daily herald., 1886-12-25

Here he comes with flowing bowl.
Don't he mean to take his toll?
Snip! snapl Dragon!
"Take care you don't take too much.
Be not greedy In your clutch.
Snipl snapl Dragonl
"wlth his blue and tapping tongue,
Many OF you will be stuug.
Snip snapi Dragonl
"For he snaps at all that comes
snatching at his feast of plums.
Snip! snapl Dragonl
+" But old Christmas makes him come,
Though he looks so fee! fol fumr?
Snip! snapl Dragonl
"Don't zee fear him. but be bold
Out he poes, his flames are cold,
Snipi snapl Dragon"
Ducking for apples was q pastime akin
to snap-dragon. A large tub was pro-
cured, which was filled almost to the
brim with water. Into this were cast q
dozen or so fine apples. Then those who
meant to 'duck," had their hands firmly
tied behind their backs, and thus were al.
lowed to get all the apples they could
by taking them from the water in their
mouths. The apples were large and
therefore hard to insert the teeth in. As
soon as touched they were forced beneath
the water, and glaucing aside,
"Bobbed up serenely from be low"
While oftentimes the QUICKER lost his bal
ance and plunged head foremost to the
bottom of the tub. As he drew his drip.
ping locks from the water he was greeted
with peals of laughter at his expense.
''THE MuMMERs."
But it was with the "murmers" and
around the "Lord of Misrule" that the
fun was fast aud furious. Masked and
disguised in the most fantastic and gro
tesque costumes, lisence ran to an ex.
treme degree. Practical jokes and
auirks of the widest character were
permitted, and all had to be taken in
good part. 1t was here that the gross.
est features of the Roman Saturnalia
and the Bacchanalian rites of heathen-
ism ran riot. Sir Walter Scott in ''Ehe
Abbott" aud also in "Ksnnilworth'
gives excellent pictures of these pas
times of the olden time, which have
now been done away by the refined
fastiousness of our day.
THE MODERN CHRISTMAS.
In these times, outside of the religious
aspect of the day, the abservanceofC Christ
mas is mostly confined to the children s
Christmas tree, the giving Of presents,
and a quiet dinner, where oil the mem.
bers of the family are likely to be gath
cred around one board, in most decor.
Gus manner; where dulness, and too
much eating are the most prominent
features OF the affair. In England it is
observed in a manner best explained by
the following poem in the Caristmas
number of the Graphic entitled:
THE HUNTING DAY.
.sWhat fine hunting day!
'Tis as balmy us May,
And the hounds to the village will come;
Every friend will be there.
And all trouble and care
Will be left far behind them at home.
See! servants and steeds on their way,
And sportsmen their scarlet display.
Let us join the glad throng,
That goes laughing along,
And we'll all go hunting to-day.
CHORUS.
All nature looks smiling and gay
SO we'Il join the glad throng
That goes laughing a ong.
And we'll all so hunting to-day;
"Farmer Hodge to his dame
Says: I'm sixty and lame,
Times are hard, yet my rent must pay,
But don't care a jot
II raise 1t or not,
For / will go u hunting to-day.
There's a fox in the spinney they say,
We shall find him and get him away.
I'll he first in the rush,
And ride hard for the brush,
Sol must 60 hunting to-day
There's the doctor in boots,
With a breakfast that suits
Him, OF good home brewed ale and goot
beef,
And his patients in pain
Say We're come on0e again
To consul you in hope of relief
To the poor he advice gave away.
Fo- the rich he prescri bed and took pay,
But to each one he said
You will shortly be dead
If you don't go hunting to-day.
"As the Judge sits in Court
He gets wind of the sport,
For the lawyers apply to adjourn.
As no witnesses come,
And there's none found at home:
They have followed the hounds and thu
Says his Worship. Great fines they mus
pay,
Ifthey will not our summons obey;
Yet it's very fine sport,
So we'll break up the Court,
And we'll all go a hunting to-day
"Then the village bells chime,
There's a wedding at nine,
And the parson unites the fond pair;
Then he hears the sweet sound
OF the horn and the hound.
And he knows It's his time to be there.
Says he, For your welfare I'll pray,
And regret no longer can stay,
Now you're safely made one,
must quickly be gone,
For must go hunting to-day.
VI.
''None were left in the lurch,
For all friends at the church,
With beadle and clerk. and all near,
Soon determined to go
And to shout Tally Hoi'
And the rin2 ers all Joined in the rear.
With bridegroom aud bride In array,
One and all to each other did say.
Let us Join the glad thrOng
Which goes laughing along,
And Well all go hunting to-day
VII.
There 1, only one cure
For all maladies sure
That reaches the heart 10 It's core;
'Tis the sound of the horn
On fine hunting morn,
And where is the heart wishing more?
II turneth the grave into gay,
Makes pain unto pleasure give way,
Makes the weak become strong,
And the old become young,
80 we'll all go hunting to-day"
Long ago, when New Orleans was
still a city, the cotton market of Mem.
phis was of small moment. Travellers
recently from the lower Mississippi
Valley say that recent, excavations re-
veal traces of large city, supposed to
have been New orleans. Amsng the
most interes ting relics Ia somethinp that