St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-12-24
IYULEIIDE IN
1HE OLDED TIME.
Z Some Tender Memories Recalled by
krs. Amelia E. Barr
How the Coed People Of Yorkshire Welcomed
Christmas Half Century Ago-The Yule
Log, the Wassail Cup and the Waits Car
rolled on Christmas Morning-Beautiful Gus
toms Now Gone Forever.

Log, the Wassau Cup and the waits Gar
rolled on Christmas Morning Beautiful Gus
toms Row Gone Forever.
When was child, Christmas Day was the
pearl of the year, and the river of life which
flowed On ordinary days was not the river
which flowed from Christmas Day until the
second of January. Christmas now has lost
all touch OF social electricity; then, it was the
household festival of the year; and in most
parts of England they made haste to begin it
on st. Thomas Day, when evergreens were
cut for decoration, and all clerical charities
distributed.
The first Christmas which makes any distinct
impression on my mind, occurred more than
half q century ago. spent it in the cathedral
city Of Ripon, an old town in the North Riding
OF Yorkshire, head of a diocese since A. d.
67s; and even yet, retaining many very ancient
customs, one of which, is the blowing of horn
every night before the mayors door, at the set
ting of the watch. was staying with a friend,
whom suppose must have been tanner, for
I have to this day fearsome thrills, when
recollect certain place outside the city, which
is connected with my vista place of dark
pits, and of peri!ously narrow paths between
them, which reminded me continually, of
Christian, walking through the Valley of the
Shadow of Death.
But the family was large and joyous one,
and on st. Thomas Day we went out to Studley
Royal and Fountains Abbey, and from among
the bosky dells on the river banks cut ever
greens enough to turn every room into sylvan
bower. Misletoe was the sacred house plant;
but the holly's unwithering leaf and coral ber
ries always went with a holy song for the deco
80 az ho1x-
was in the frozen woods that day; and oh! how
little we cared for the icy wind. How we
shouted and laughed, we gathered the ever
green's; and how good natured were the men,
who were cutting the ash bole for the Yule
Logl
However it was not permissible to bring
home the Yule Log until Christmas Eve; and
then it was always the boys and girls of the
household, who went for it; so that the streets
of Ripon that afternoon, were full of parties of
wildly-joyful children. pulling home their Yule
Logs, amid mirth that was not only tolerated,
but encouraged and shared. For every one
then, who met a Yule Log, raised his hat to the
kindly symbol. None Of us felt the cold; the
physical exertion and mental excitement kept
us at summer heat; beside which, 1 had an eX-
allied feeling for one of the boys, who was going
to be Bishop-and who really did become one
had told me all about the mystical rite and
the wondrous power of Ash Log. So that it
seemed a perfectly solemn and natural thing
to me, that the Yule Log should be treated with
SO much ceremony-that when it was within
the threshold, each member of the family
should sit down on it-that it should be lifted
with clearly washed hands into its place on the
hearth-that it should be kindled from q brand
of the previous years log, which had been re-
Egiously kept for the purpose.
I can remember yet how it blazed and
how the happy Master of the house mixed the
Wassail Cup in its light. The old October
ale, with the sugar, and the spices, and the
roasted apples stood on the table for it; and he
gave to every child a little loving cup to drink
with our basins of J1'Ine7ty-a Christmas Eve
supper-dish, made from creed wheat, boiled
with milk; sugar, raisins, currants and spices.
All these customs have a distinctly pagan
origin; but at midnight was awakened out of
deep sleep by the strangest, widest music, that
ever hoated between earth and heaven; and
this was a purely Christian Christmas rite.
It was the voices OF Waits, carolling in the
clear frost air for Christmas dawning. Up the
still, stately garden came the sweet and simple
strains, and they thrilled me with wonder and
delight. I sat up and listened, and though
had never heard the song before, and have
never heard it since, these lines from it, still
ring in my memory:
"And all the angels in heaven shall sing,
On Christmas Day in the morning.
"And all the souls on earth shall sing,
On Christmas Day in the morning.
"And all the bells on earth shall ring
On Christmas Day in the morning.
And really the old Minister chimes seemed to
me to clash more joyfully as they were thus
invoked. A few years later, heard another
old carol which has the same haunting charm;
for can hear it across the chasm of forty-six
years, telling me:
And for the saving Of our souls, He died
upon the Gross:
We never can do for Jesus Christ, what he
has done for u.s.
Well; it may be an old-fashioned taste, to
prefer these simple heart songs of our fathers,
to the modern Sunday school carol; but in
faith! I do; and that with all my heart.
In those days Christmas presents were not
much thought of between friends and equals.
The rich gave to the poor: but not to each
other, and the kind of black mail now eXacted
from relatives and acquaintance, was not a
Christmas sentiment. Such presents as were
sent, were usually in the way of Christmas
deIicacies-hampers of country produce and
game, delicate cake, pasties and pastries, and
fine Drawn. Drawn, could not then be omitted,
and had not been for centuries; for when the
French took Calais, they found there large
quantity of it. Not understanding that it was
already cooked, they tried to roast, to boil, and
to fry it; and, of course, without success. How
ever, some monks tasted the finely prepared
4O he fcl, 70
their fast day Yiands. On this Christmas Day,
we had turkey; but turkeys were then rare and
expensive and a goose, generally had the place
of honor Every one, however, had abundance
of nince pies made in the shape of a manager.
Ripon had never been Puritan city, and so
these symbols Of the Wise Mems offerings,
were not considered idolatrous; nor yet their
eating ever made religious test. John Bunyan
when in Jail, and hard pressed for a dinner,
had indeed refused to eat them; but stripped of
their Objectionable form and symbol, they do
not now disagree with the most rigid Presby-
terrain.
Christmas pies were not, however, restricted
tonlince meat. The sideboard during the whole
holiday week raised crusts" containing whole
turkeys, chickens and such number of small
birds that the fabulous pie of four-and-twenty
bIackbirds, was eclipsed by the reality; and
even the kitchen tables were loaded with roasts
of beef, loaves Of sweet bread, and cheese, and
good ale; and Of such provision, the poorest
stranger might eat his I'LL, and be welcome;
Just for the sake of the Day, and of Him, who
came to bring peace and goodwill. and univer-
sal brotherhood among men.
The Sabbath that fell in Christmas week was
indeed a day of rejoicing. I can wildly re-
member every hour Of 1.-THE chatting, chatter