Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1892-12-24

house place, living room and kitchen com
bined, Is on one side of green painted
door and short passage. On the other is a
narrow slip of a psrlor, for, as with the
Statfordshire potters, the parlor Is q he
reditary and necessary dignity with the
Manxmen. 1t is, as usual with other
places of dignity, the only place of dis
comfort in the kindly island homes. In
the center of this room will always be
found little square mahogany table. A
family Bible rests upon 1t. A half dozen
ancient mahogany chairs are adiusted
against the walls with q view to their sup
port. A short, low-backed mahogany
framed chintz settle is In the window.
Over the mantle piece Is a huge mirror
whose texture is as ehoppy as the surface
of the Man-encircling SEA; but this reflects
In ziz-zag way marvellous collection of
stuffed birds, dried grasses, China dogs,
vases and rampant shepherdesses, with
sundry carvings from Druidic days and
huge shells which sailor-sons have brought
from far-off shores. This dim little re-
treat is seldom disturbed. Fifty enough
it is almost exclusively sacred to the uses
Of funerals and weddings.
But the comfort of the roomy old house
place and kitchen atones for all this. The
stone hearth Is deep and wide, and the
feet of great family might all have place
upon 1t, with room for hide-snd-see for
the little ones between the owners chairs
The ireplaces are broad and deep and
high, for burning peat or wood, with huge,
vast ehimneys above them, where a whole
sheep or pig might be roasted, and the
great chains and hooks for Singing the
pots above the fire, would bear the weight
of a cow or an OK.
In some of these habitations tine chin
ney is so set back and outward into the
garden that genuine Scottish 'fngle-
neuk," such as may be found In the olden
wesvers' village of Gartenside, near Mel
F rose, is formed. with tiny deep windows
splayed inwardly. Others have ar one
side the Cornish "ungcsrnsr," or fuel re-
ceptacle. There is always a recess for
storing peat or wood, something finished
like an old time chest, with a wide, long
deal cover. This provides a rude settle,
upon which, when not occupied by come
member of the family, will always be
found that strange but ever-beloyed ami
NAL, the tailless Manx cat A "stubbins, {"
as this tailless cat of Man is called, is re-
gsrded in many districts of the island
with an affection bordering on venerstion.
1t Is more than a superstitious notion, 1t is
belief, that any one injuring a cat will
suffer dire harm when at sea; for the pro-
genitors of this curious species were cast
upon the island from a wrecked ship
from which no person was saved.
In one corner, on the fireplace side of
the room, will always be found the stately
dresser, set high In the room upon its four
crooked and slender legs. A wealth of
gaudy crockery ware ornaments its cspa-
cious shelves, and one of its two deep
drawers provides for the reception of the
daily gathering of eggs, while the other is
hesped to the edges with the weekly bsk-
ing of barley clap bread. still the staff of
life in most of the countryside homes
Beyond this Is the deal table, the family
board for common or festive uses. 1t is a
huge, stout affair white as the silvered
hair of the dame whose mothers mothers
mother set the example Of its daily scour-
ing.
Between this and the dresser, as we'll as
beneath tho latter, Is row of huge casks
and jars. The largest of these contains
the greatest of blessings to the Msnxmsn,
his ''gray" or picked herring or "scad-
den." In another is his store of salted
mutton or goose. In others are preserved
fruits and vegetables. This region is sa-
cred to the single supervision of the house
wife, and woe to the Manx lad or lass in
ner is the family 'tcorner-cupbosrd, the
Mecca of all childish lopgipgs and eager
glsnces. More than all else this receptacle
stamps the Mspxman as a bounteous liver.
1t is never known to be lacking such COM
Portable matters as a few pounds of home
made butter, toothsome skim-miik cheese,
pots of honey and coarse jam, aud slices
of fancy bread and cake. Ali this ont
side the family's rsGui-smeues,SseFSN
most genial countryside custom. Stran-
ger or neighbor never calls st MsnI cot
tsge without invitation to eat and drink;
and neIghbor's children are never cent
away from a Manxman's home without
carrying in their chubby fists some hospit-
able token from the generous corner CUP
board.
Huge wooden chairs, and great-arm
chairs which might have come down from
King Orry's time, give the place an atmos-
phere of restfalness. Pitches of bacon,
golden brown from their bror ziDg of peat
| smoke, hang temptiDgly from the rafters
| below the thatchi1g The tiny windows
are shaded with snowy muslin, and the
| light Is mellowed and softened as Ii is FL.
| tered through a tracery of plants. The
/ flames flicker blue above an abundance oi
| glowing peat, changing the great fireplace
anon from orange to purple; while ticking
L duu VIII q com
| psnionable sound, huge eight-day olocl
| looks blandly down upon all Not gor
| geous homes these, but they are homes oi
Integrity, comfort and content, every one
| Strickly speaking the Msnx are a serious
/ people. They ale not given to festivities
They are comfortable, happy and content
Il during all the year, rather than hilarious
and turbulent at stated periods, and moody
| and discontented In the long and mourn
full intervals. There is but one day in the
| year which may be regarded as OF nations
Importance. That is Tynwsld day In mid
summer when the laws of the land ar,
promulgated and solemnly ratified by cour
| and people. Now a. a Thousand years sgC
all Mainland comes to the purple glen
where this ceremonial takes place, for
few hours stands face to face with customi
of Saga times, and returns to the centu
ries old Manx homes with the precious
| wraiths of King Orry and his Morse law.
givers revived in giant prssences.
| The ordinary amusements of loEly Eu
| ropean folk have little place among them
A surprising calm, as if the,e folk end
lessly stood in the presence of a might.
and heroic past, seems to brood upon Is
land and islanders. When midsumme
| days have come the fires OF Beltesn at
lighted. They fash from height to heigh
as in pagan days. No one can tell yol
why 1t Is done. There is no weird AM
fetish exaltation in these scenes as In com
parts of Ireland, in the Scottish highland
and in Cornwall. OF course the flame
drive away all witches, but with thes
stsid folk the fires of Basl must bur
to day not in superstitious need, but be
cause the Manx forefathers never failed +
light them.
| Indeed unswervlng loyalty to establishes
customs Is their most marked characters
tic and highest charm They have utter
ly grown out of superstitious incident
dread or motive which gave Importance 4
the origin of many. but hold to the &C
and fact of tradition with changeless zeal
"Our fathers did thus aud 20. We re
spect the doings Of our fathers, caring no
for their reasons, save that they hsi
them" governs sll retention of what ma,
seem incongruous and uncanny to you ant
| to me.
Weddings are almost secret affairs. Al
the tender and forgivsbls excitements o
preparation are attended with rigorou
and sustere repression of Publicity. N
one can tell you why. 1t is simply so
has always been so. On the contrary, q
in Cornwall, funerals are drawn out to tn
The body is carried, never driven, TO th
churchyard- Hourp, often days, are cor
sumed from the start 70 the church. In
Vulnerable delays give occasion for innr
merable outbursts of affection, and th
singing of an equal number of lugubriou
psalms, intoned in such shrill minor strain
that the weirdest and most thrilling {
: keening at Irish wsAts is often SURPASSED
/ -. g Il an INV