Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1889-12-20
9.HECITI1EN.
Christmas at Bracebrldge Hall.

too, at the lodge, who had been born ana
brought up in the family, and was a great
gossip among the maid servants, affirmed
that in her young days she had often heard
saw. that on Midsummer eve, when 1t was
well known all kinds of ghosts, gobhns,
and fairies, become visible and walk
abroad. the crusader used to mount his
horse. come down from his picture, ride
about the house, down the avenue, and so
10 church to visit the tomb; on which oc-
easion the church door most civilly swung
open of itself; not that he needed it-for he
rode through closed gates and even stone
walls, and had been seen by one OF the
dairy maids to pass between two bars OF
the great park gate, making himself as thin
as sheet of paper.
All these superstitions I found had been
very much countenanced by the Squire,
who though not superstitious himself, was
very fond of seeing others go. He listened
to every goblin tale of the neighborlng
gossips with infinite gravity, and held the
porter's wife in high favor on account OF
her talent for the marvellous. He was
himself great reader of old legends and
romances, and often lamented that he
could not believe in them; for a super
stitious person, he thought, must live in
kind of fairy land.
Whilst we were all attention to the par
sons stories, our ears were suddenly assall-
ed bv burst of heterogeneous sounds
from the hall, in which were mingled
something like the clang of rude Minstrel
sy, with the uproar of many small voices
and girlish laughter. The door suddenly
flew open, and train came trooping into
the room, that might almost have been mis-
taken for the breaking up of the court OF
Fairy. That indefatigable spirit, Master
Simon, in the faithful discharge of his duties
as lord of misrule, had conceived the idea OF
a Christmas mummery, or masking;and hav-
ing called in to his assistance the Oxonian
and the young officer, who were equally
ripe for anything that should occasion
romping and merriment, they had carried
il into instant effect. The old housekeeper
had been consulted; the antique clothes
presses and wardrobes rummaged, and
made to yield up the relics of finery that
had n ot seen the light for several gener
ations: the younger part of the company
had been privately convened from parlor
and hall, and the whole had been bedizen-
ed out, into burlesque imitation OF an
antique masque.
Master Simon led the van as Ancient
Christmas" quantity apparelled in ruff,
a short cloak, which had very much the
aspect of one of the old housekeepers
petticoats. and a hat that might have
served for a village steeple and must in
dubitably have figured in the days OF the
Covenanters. From under this. his nose
curved boldly forth, flushed with q frost
bitten bloom that seemed the trophy OF a
December blast. He was accompanied by
the blue-eyed romp, dished up as "Dame
Mince Pie" in the venerable magnificence
Of faded brocade, long stomacher, peaked
hat and high -heeled shoes.
Hood, in a sporting dress of Kendall green.
and foraging cap with a gold tassel.
The costume, to be sure, did not bear
testimony to deep research, and there was
an evident eye to the picturesque natural
to a young gallant in presence of his mis-
tress. The fair Julia hung on his arm in
pretty rustic dress, as maid Marian" The
rest of the train had been metamorphosed
in various ways; the girls trussed up in the
finery of the ancient bellies of the Brace
bridge line, and the striplings bewhiskered
with burnt cork, and gravely clad in broad
skirts, hanging sleeves, and full-bottomed
wigs, to represent the characters OF Roast
Beef, Plum Pudding, and other worthless
celebrated in ancient maskings. The whole
was under the control of TIE Oxonian, in
the appropriate character of Misrule; and l
observed that he exercised rather mis-
chievious sway with his wand over the
smaller personages of the pageant.
The irruption of this motley crew, with
beat of drum, according to ancient custom,
riment. Master Simon covered himself
with glory by the stateliness with which,
as Ancient Christmas, he walked minuet
with the peerless, though giggling, Dame
Minee Pie. 1t was followed by dance
from all the characters, which, from its
medley of costumes. seemed as though the
old family portraits had skipped down
from their frames to join in the sport. Diff
ferent centuries were figuring at Cross
hards and right and left; the dark ages
were cutting pirouettes and rigadoons; and
the days of Queen Bess, jigging merrily
down the middle. through a line Of sue
ceeding generations.
The worthy Squire contemplated these
fantastic sports, and this resurrection of
his old wardrobe, with the simple relish of
childish delight. lie stood chucking and
rubbing his nands, and scarcely hearing n
word the parson said, notwithstanding
that the latter was discoursing most au-
thentically on the ancient and stately
dance of Pavon, or peacock from which he
conceived the minuet to be derived. For
my part, l was in continual excitement
from the varied scenes of whim and inno-
cent gayety passing before me. 1t was
inspiring TO see wild-eyed frolic and warm
hearted hospitality breaking out from
among the chills and glooms of winter, and
old age throwing off his apathy, and catch
ing once more the freshness of youthful
enjoyment. | felt also an interest in the
scene, from the consideration that these
fieeting customs were posting fast into
oblivion, and that this was, perhaps, the
only family in ngland in which the whole
of them were still punctiliously observed.
There was quaintness, too, mingled with
all this revelry, that gave it peculiar
zest: it was suited to the time and place;
and as the old NJ amor house almost reel
ed with mirth and wassail, it seemed echo
ing back the joyiality Of long departed
years.
Travellers should be prepared for
changes of weather and the effects of ex-
posure by providing themselves with DIR