Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1893-07-16
POET wAKEMAN's wANDERINGs.
Surprising Record of sturdy Reten-
tion In All Things Holding Fast the
Gcntler and Dearer Traditions Of
the British People.
Copyright 1893. by Edgar L. wakeman.)
For The Sunday Gazette;

| a VI aAN 'uhu"S bHHNAANs
london, July 3, 1893.
II Is most common aud pathetic
lament of most writers, and par
| ticllarly of those writer's who slmt
| themselves up In the shadow
| recesses of some moldy club, with the
| opposite street facade for the liint of
their horizon Of actual observation. that
the good old days and their good old
ways are dead and beautiful things of the
past. The change in conditions Of life and
| living IN Englpnd. Scotland and Ireland
have certainly been greater during Ills
century than Up all the 1--we centuries
Immediately preceding; and this has of
nnc,y made obsolete many ancient
customs aud observances that are
perhaps just as well TO have
survival In literary reminescence only /:
hut In most of those things holding fast
the gentler and dearer traditions Of
| people IN home, sporting, social and
even religious life, there Is a surprising
record Of sturdy retention.
should only those which have come
! under my personal notice since 1867
| De gwen the briefest reference, so great
q number could be grouped us to complete
" refute those dolOrous plants that the
pleasant olden customs are no more; and
j am quite sure that should some fri.
endly and enthusiastic pen be devoted
TO making an entire volume ON the subject
oil Famous British Customs Still in
Vogue" treating the matter something
after the gnrrnlous, genial manner of
That wonderful old ola podrida, "Honca
Every Day Book" the English speaking
and reading world of today would find
m the result genuine revelation of
pleasure and surprise.
In Ireland the tender custom of "con-
N0ying' the departing emigrant Is the
same today ns during all the sad cycles
since It's peasaniry Were forced to seek
lnImna "A F.p I'M Las IA.
weddings; It's fairs and frolics: its chill
drens' hunting Of the robin and the
wren, and countless other customs hun.
drcds of years old are precisely as they
We're in the heart of the better oldcn
Over in the sturdy little Isle of Man
every essential feature of its patriurchnl
ami representative government estab-
ilsErd early in the tenth century. exists
~ its original simplicity at the present
t,nlt. us Iynwuld court is still. as a
thousand years ago, held under the open
Sly on lis grassy 1Snwuld hill. Its
sheading cOroners, high bailifTs. house of
keys and swopl-bearer. promulgltr tho
mRWs Jusl MS they did in glorious King
orry's time. Some of its parish clerks
are still elected by the votes of only
lhose VINO put out smoke" that H.
whose hlbitaiions possess chimney. Its
hsher folk put to sea with Coolly pray
ers and psalms. Its peasant foil. In
HgreSs' customs superstitons and pious
ialth live lives of calm Indifference ia
me outer world of change, and the bordic
strain Of old, held true and firm down HE
sshlllihg Inc OF q thousand years, flashes
IHrth now as then in its weird. eynltcd
Vel Nerre in each succeeding Christmas
tide that comes Xmas
Ana who shall truly say TINT tho land
o cakes has lost its fine old customs md
o u Snl approximations altogether? Wlmt
y ~ tosl OF genial customs still cling 10
lhcse stern and fine folk through tLe IN
tluence of their "guid neebors. thc bena-
hcCnt little brownies alOncl Make merry
% u as you may, the lousehold Srntti.i
brownies still holds its helpful place In
o one hsarti OF the people beyond The Esk
lie Is never idle in all good Office IN
the lowly home OF the countryside ,rbsrg
You never fail of finding him. II Won do
NOT enter his realm in the spirit Of cayil
ana sc0iling. There in enrh sin,nIn
nome aud heart he sits entbronad viii,
every attribute of bsnevolcnce and aifrc.
non; lie not only works with giant
,hignt 10 assist in plougling the land
harvesting the crops. guarding the grain
ana minding the herds, but in every little
household drudgery of guidwife and barn
ne lends helping hand. No III can come
put that he has Tended its cruelest touch
No sorrow can fall upon the household
whose hurt would rot be deadlier were il
not for his kindly and palliative powers
Aud in all the glorious old land o. cakes,
his gentle influence adds zest to every
peasant joy. As the burns. springinr
from The misty, eraig-rimmed corries of
the North. descend and water the well
coming plains of the lowlands. the endless
streams of Gaelic superstition descend
from the weird and misty ceilidhs OF The
crofters' ancient homes and the centuries.
old cinchans and render perennial the low
land growth of Scottish folklore and
well-bcloved Olden ways.
Let all doubters of the existence in
Scotland of most ancient customs aud
pastimes step into the great farm kitch-
ems of the Lothians at HaliowInns Eve
Let them. at Aud Reckless ancient cross,
at midnight of any new years eve learn
what n Scottish h0gmanay truly Is. Lot |
them In spring and summer and autumn |
follow the keen-eyed. sure-armed golfer,
or know the thrill of winter curling joys;
Let them visit that most ancient and |
glorious Of Scottish fairs, the 81. George |
cattle fair Of Kelso, where the Tweed |
and Teviot mingle their historic waters. |
Let them wander TO the decaying realm |
of gipysydOm, quaint old Hetholm, hidden |
from both English and Scottish eyes In |
the mazes of the grewsome Teyiot hills, |
and see the ''Fasten Zen" games Of |
Bowmontside. In February, almost as
ancient as the Teviots themselves, and |
so brave, rough and brawny that the |
spirit of battle and the strength Of giants |
are required to Withstand them. Or still,
let them wander to old Hawick town and |
view something that church and state |
could never put down-the annual com
mon rdings and, AS the conet Is
mounted. feel the thrill of the hero-days |
within them as Hogs soul-stirring lines
sons OF heroes slain at flodden,-
Met 10 ride and trace our Common
hurst from thousands of borderer's
Threats: and they will know that the
scotia Of old, in tradition, feeling. pas
lime ana yenerated custom, IL the same
TODAY. as long. long before the solemn
league and covenant.
dawn IN Scared and enrth-rent old |
carnwaIl little indeed has been any man
ner of change for hundreds of years
In Is within the meory, OF those now liv-
ing when old folks were constantly
lanenting ia their ancient language,il
s,Tornoack eve all cea yer ven poble
vonnk if-Cornish is all forgot with the
Young peopler'--but there has iK,en no
ope 10 lament IN truth the departure
~ old customs In the rugged land OF
Tres, Pol and Pen. See what a host
Of these dear old drOlls- and these pat
few OF hundreds, even YANKEE eau NM
and remember the ''Takin sunday
when an tho lads and lhsses meet 10 &c.
-. ..rafr,Iners" for Mazard ichcfrll |