Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1893-03-14

dresser, set high In the room upon its four
crooked and slender legs a wealth Of
Raudy crockerywarc ornaments It's capa-
cous shelve,.. aud one of it, two dccpdraws
provides for the reception OF the daily
gathering Of eggs, while the other Ia
hcaped to the edges with Che weekly bak-
ing Of barley clap bread, still the stafT Of
life In most Of the countryside homes BE-
You'd this IS the deal table, the family
board for common % festive uses. II isn
huge, stout affair, white as the silyorcd
hair Of tho dame whose moAher's mothers
mother sot the example Of it, daily scour.
ing.
Between this and tho dresser. a. well ns
beneath tho latter Is n row Of huge casks
md Jars. The largest ~ these contains
the greatest VI blessings to the Manxmnn-
his gray" or picked herring or "scad.
den" In another Is his store of sailed
mutton or goose. In others are preserved
fruits aud vegetables This region il 10.
cred 10 the single supervision of the house.
wife, aud woe to thu Mnux lad or lass found
In unlawful proximity. In the opposite
corner Il the family corner cupboard
the Mecca Of all childish longings and
eager glances. More than all olso this 70.
ccptaole stamps the Manxman NJ a boun.
teous liver. II IA never known to be lack.
Ing such comfortable matters a. a few
pounds Of homemade butter, toothsome
sklmmilk cheese, pots Of honey aud coarse
jam aud slices Of fancy bread and cake.
All this, outside the fnmiiy's require.
incnts, serves Ia most genial countryside
custom. Stranger or neighbor never calls
NJ Manx cOttngu without Invitation to eat
aud drink, and noighbors' children arc
never sent away from Mnnxrnnn's home
without carrying In their chubby fists
some hospitable token from the generous
corner cupboard
Huge wooden chairs and great arm
chairs which might have como down fran
King Otry's time give the place an ntnios.
phero Of ro.tfulnoss Flltchos NJ bacon.
golden brown from their bronzlng Of paat
smoke, hang tcmptingly from the rafters
below tho thntchlng. The tiny windows
nro shaded with snowy muslin. aud tho
light Is mCiowcd mud foftcned a. ID " m.
tered through n traccty " plants. The
flames Kicker blue above nn abundance Of
glowing peat, changing tho great fireplace
afon from orange TO purple, while, tick Ing
comfortably aud with friendly md com.
pnniouablc sound, "a huge eight dag clock
looks hlhndly down upon all Not gor.
gcous homes these. hut thcy are homes OF
integrity comfort and content, every one.
Strictly speaking. the Maux are fcrl.
Gus people. They are not given 10 fcstiyl.
ties. They are comfortable, happy and
content during all the year rather than
hilarious and turbulent ht stated periods
aud moody and discontinued IN tho long
aud mouuful Intervals. There H. but Que
day IN The year which may bc regarded ms
Of national Importance That IL Tynwnld
La. "a III. H..
land are promulgated and aolemnly rntl-
fed by court and people. Now, ns n thou.
sand years ago, all Mainland comes to tho
purple glen whore this ceremonial takes
place. for n few hours stands faca TO face
with customs Of Saga times. and returns to
tho centuries Oh Mnnx homes with the
precious wraiths OF King Orry aud his
NorsolawRivers revived In giant proacncts.
The ordinary Hmuscmcnts Of lowly Faro
pcan folk have little place among thom. \
surprising calm, a. n these folk cndlcssly
stood In the presence Of u mighty and be.
role past, seems TO brood upon ISLAND aud H.
lnnders. When midsummer days have
come the fires Of BcltCdn are lighted. They
flash from height 20 height, rs Ia pagan
days. No one can tell You why Il IL done
There Ia no weird and fetish exaltatlon In
these scenes as la some parts Of ireland, IN
the Scottish highlands and In Cornwall.
OF course the flames drive away fnll
witches, but with these stnid folk the fires
Of Baal must burn today not in supcrsti.
iious need, but because tho Manx fore.
fathers never failed to light them.
Indeed answering loyalty to established
customs II their most marked characters.
tic aud highest charm. They have utterly
grown out of supcrstitious incident, dread
or motive, which gave Importance 10 the
origin Of many. but hold to the net and
fact OF tradition with changclcss zeal
"Our fathers did thya and NO. We respect
the doings OF our fathers. caring not for
their reasons, save that thoy had them. -
governs all retention Of what may seem
inoongruous and uncanny 10 you and tome
Weddings are almost secret affairs. An
the tender and forgivahle cXcitemcnts of
preparation arc attended with rigorous
and austere repression NJ publicity. No
one can tell you why. IL simply Is 30. II
has always been 80 ON the contrary, as
In Cornwall, funerals are drawn out to the
utmost limit of sympathetic attention.
Tho body is carried, never driven, TO tho
churchyard. Hours, often days, arc con.
sumed from the start 20 the church. ln-
Vulnerable delays give occasion for lnnu-
morable outhursts OF affection and the sing
ing Of an equal number Of lugubrious
psalms, intontd in such shrll minor strains
that the weirdest and most thrilling OF
kccnlng at Irish wakes ia often surpassed.
The origin OF this custom Il als0a mystery.
No matter TO the sturdy Manx. Anything
different would be sorrow for the living, a
wrong To the dead.
In the tender holiday timo, when these
words will be read, Manx folk OF the re-
mote countrysides will have already cele-
hratod their most cherished annual custom.
Though discountcnanccd by the clergy ii
has almost ilercely held It's own since the
Introduction Of Christianity In the island,
This is the service Of Oicl VERGE. undoubt.
ediy u corruption Of icdU T0rTcy, liter
ally the Feast OF Mary, To supersude this
church authorities hold Christmas eve
services. But they are OF no avail When
the lights are out some one l. always found
with key to the sacred edilcu. Then
from the remotrst corners II the parish
come all, young and old, each with a long
lighted tallow dip tieI about with a bit of
ribbon or rosette, Then, rs the midnight
nears, old men advance toward tho com.
munion and chant tho widest, wrlrdrst
carols and dltties mortal ears may know.
Most are addressed to the Virgin. some
m, In honor uf Slga-time heroes. Still
Others are Of wreck aud death. Singers
and listeners often reach tremendous
pitch OF eXultation. Strange and wild
these midnight scenes at the moment Of
Nativity IN ManNlandl The bardlc strain
OF old, held true and firm down the shining
line Of a thousand years, thus once eurh