Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1893-07-16
FORT WORTa LAGER BE1E;E.

all Of which Is not in defense Of n sys
ten, hut the statement of u historic fact
and practical illustration OF most iu-
tcresting sociological spectacle,
Gencrulizing, there are innumerahlc
ancient customs and ohserVauces rrmaiu-
ing in England peculiar to its people
which nre almost rs unconscious as
fndclrss The greatest host OF these are
Of a half religious aud half social nature.
solely the outgrowth of the influence of
the Church Of England, which are so
much Il part Of national aud individual
life, even among disscntcrs, that their
existence is almost uurecOguizable among
the people themselves. The single In
stance that the ancient caudle and christ
ening feasts and ceremonies are greatly
revived, aud often moro extrayugnnt
thnn Ia former times Is sufficiently "
Illustrative. ! have heard the town crier
announcing the arrived Of the coach at old
Warwick town, and grotesquely uni
formed sergoauts al mace -"r0bin ND
breasts" they are locally cnllrd-siridc
about within the wall. VI ancient london
derry precisely as they did before the
long siege, Derby day the memorable
movable feast and outing and the stat
utory feast of the Twelfth Of August,
are rellgiously kept. Parliament always
adjourns for the first, aud nothing byt
impending national calamity could tempt
il to meet at the time dedicated 10 the
opening slaughter Of grouse.
Nearly all the old university aud English
public school observance and customs are
intact EVERYBODY knows that Guy
Fawkos is annually officially and literally
searched for IN the cellars Of parliament
house before the opening Of parliament.
The ancient custom Of "doleing'' food nnd
clothing to the poor is still observed on
St. rhOmns day IN Kent That unim-
penchablc custom Of universal guzzling
which, IN 1874 alone, brought the ma.
tional treasury q revenue Of Ell ,WO,Wp,
seems TO brayely hold Us oldcn own.
Over nj great Yarmouth by the sen you
viii still lind la general use the famous
ancient two-whccltd Yarmouth cart,
little, narrow and low with shafts ms
long as a Cuban ydantc's, AZ Coventry
the town council meets In st. Mays
hall, structure built for this selt-same
purpose 600 years ago and many III The
oldest ceremonies are preserved, while
every year brings It's Lady Godlyo pro
cess0nals upon which Peepins Toms with
wooden heads and Tearing eyes lool, down.
English lovers stlll Runaway. TO get mar.
ried after the ancient Scotch fashion of
consent before witnesses AT GrrtnA
Green.
Over In Dcrbyshire Is sill splendldly
alive the ancient and beautiful ceremony
Of ''well-drcssng" aud IN the heart "f
Wortsworth's land. beside the very SPIT
where the grand old singer Hes, may be
annually the sweetest OF all plous pas
toral customs, "rnshhrariS cere-
mcny perhaps thousand years Old,f
than Christianity itself There IRE more
'hnt cross buns now sold every Good
Friday in England thnn were ever lis
posed Of on that day before the REFORM
alton. Who can close bis eyes or his
al Hal Of
Tipping which holds the classes nu ]
masses 80 firmly togetherY That glorious
fountain Of childish pleasuie, The Punch
aud Judy show. flOurisles everywhere
and IN blessed youth perennial. There e
a hundred times the cr0srcountry rid
Ing that there was u century ago. Some
time since ! figured out, from reliable
data, that the rentols OF shooting md
fishing privileges IN Scotland alone an.
nunlly exceeded f4Gg,Gl2. or S2,3OO,0O0i
What must they be for the three KING
doms, and who can truly say that ia We
most ancient and inspiraung OF British
sports are falling into decny! What
would the boys aud youths Of England
say TO the assertion that "hare-and-
hounds" football, cricket and erfu
wrestling aud putting die stone" were
not UNNECESSARILY more universal aal
manfnly now done than OF yoref And
last-because one has TO stop somewhere
Of recital which, il briciiy made, would
fill every column Of this paper-it would
not be- yenturesome thing for one who
had tramped the length and breadth u
the British isles as ] have done, TO ex-
press the firm belief that, two 70 one.
there " today more ringing claiter Of
better hc0f, more juggling Of better bar
ness, moro ratiling Of superb coaches
and meIrler notes from bugle and horn.
aud this, too. every whit for pleasure,
along the grand hedge-b0rlered highways
Of Saxons, Gaels aud Cells. than were
ever, known IN Briiniu's palmiest oldei
days.
EDGAR L. WAKEAfAN.