Daily Kennebec journal., 1894-12-25
CHRISTMAS IN ERIN.
HOW THE DAY WAS CELEBRATED IN
YEARS GONE BY.

Wanderers Returned to Eat Dinner With
the Old NIks-Christmas Boxes, but No
Santa CIaus-Advent Week a Great
Courting Time For the Lads and Lasses.
There was a turkey rattle on Halsted
street, and Mr.. McKenna shook "a. He
came into Mr.. Dooley's with the turkey
under his arm, and Mr.. Doo,fy paused to
inquire, ''Whered ye get tlS reedbur-rd,
Jawnny?"
''Iwon it at Donnelly's rattle, " said Mr..
McKenna.
"Ye ought to we KEEP it in warm
place." said Mr.. Dooley. "It's shrinkin
so twill be flshball before ye get home
1t must be a canned turkey. I've seen the
likes iv that in tn ole country, FIR ivry-
body that cud get thin wanted turkey f'r
Chris mas, an il they cudden't get big
fat gobbler with mate enough on him to
feed rigmint iv Mayo min they took
what they got, an they got wan iv thin
little herrin turkeys like tn bur-rd ye have
under yer arm. Faith it wasn't all iv
thin cud get that much, poor thingsl
There was places in tn pa-art iv Ireland
yer people come firm, Jawn, with yer
di mons an yer gole headed umbrilla,
where a piece iv bacon an an exthra al
lowance iv pitaties was feast f'r tn KIDS.
twas in yer town, Jawn, that TIL little
girl, whin she wanted to reminder some
thing, says TO TIL ole man, Why she
says, 'ye reminder twas the day we had
mate says she. She remimbered it be-
cause twas tn day they had mate, Jawn.
Twas like Chris mas an tn Foorth iv
July an Pathrick's day, whin they had
mate in yer part iv Ireland, Jawn. On
other occasions they had pitaties an but
thermilk, or, if their neighbors wuz kind,
oatmale stirabout. Poor things Did
liver tell ye about me Uncle Clarence that
died iv overatin reed bur rds?"
"You did, said Mr.. McKenna surlily,
for it was point upon which Mr.. Dooley
often gibed him.
"Annyhow," said Mr.. Dooley grinning,
poor or rich alike, TIL people iv Ireland
never let tn Chris mas pass without celly-
bratin. Yo'd know tn day was comm
frim th' gr-reat coortin that'd be goin on
ivrywhere. Advint week was always
gr-reat coortin time FIR tn la ads. Thy'd
make love before Christmas an get married
aftherward if tn gir-rls'd have thin, an
lnby IlDSliy NOuIu Iuio "a Ndy Va
girls have tho wide wur-rld over
''Thin livery man'd wish FIR snowy
Christmas. A green Chris mas makes
fat churchyard, says TIL good book, an
like as not therc'd be snow on tn ground
at laste in Mayo, where / come firm. An
about Chris mas eve tn lads and lasses'
go into tn hills an fetch down ivy to hang
above tn hearth, an all tn kids'd go light
on tn stirabout SOS they could tuck in
more on tn morrow. Christina eve tn
lads that'd been away'd come thrampin
in frim Gawd knows where, big lads far
firm home in Cork an Limerick an tn
city iv Dublin--come thrampin home,
stick in hand, to ate their Christmas din,
ner with tn ole folks Dear, oh, dear, how
l reminder it! Twas long road that led
up to our house. an me mother'd put
lamp in tn windy SOS tn Ia ads could see
tn way. Manny's TIL time I've heerd tb'
beat iv tn stick on TIL road an tn tap on
tn pane an me mother runnin to tn dure
mn screamin Mike r Tim r Robert I'm
mitt an cryin on his shoulder. 'Twas-let
mo Sec four fours is 16 an 80 makes 46-
twas in th' Chris mas iv fifty sivin last
seen me brother Mike-poor fellow, poor
fellowl
Al,
we was up early !o may say .ha', vi
Eek mornih' some ~ eh pious vans
go 10 III hiiuiiienV hi,ss, an INN, w mo
caiieo 'o.eens' bu. III hius ii''u iiloio
tnought Nv mass tlli they opened .heir
Chris mas boxes, foor li,,ie ohris mas
poxes .hey was iiko ehough-a piI Nv a
uoily If IN iittie giriS an a yach 'ho
poX' win Whishers, ah stich ~ ca,iuy.
Ihere 5 OH wan tnlhg yo nave over lere
ohao we hiVer h',o a' i,oiiic' an 'ila' can
ny .laus. Mhy Is ie, SUPPOSE l hi.ur
knew .hae o0 Eaorich aruV nun ouO w, WIN
IN snakes oue hiVer heero Nv MN ''ii
come 10 .his Gouhthiy,
mn ai'hcr eh Cnris mas ooNes III
hlas go oue IN I'll roao an hoiiei
Snris mas ooa a' i'ry man .iiey ii1'' an
yin "uu oo1i ,n ~ ,n, Mna1 n,isa,; .no 80,
49, shs oL;.a .n =, shiI,i,, az t,-a ~ ~,
n annd ,np ,nap pn cor sa,na ~ him 500.
ssart,,, no., hor -, ,,oiit;ci,rs f,r tbov cnd
s",,, , ma, co.. ,,;,.ir h,r ~, roost hin, f,r
',;,,i,, u.t1, III, WV, oit;zen In tb, nar;sb
So, So thn,,;,, +|, h.+n b,s naiahhor liza nc n
,t,,.,, s. ~ 90 a,o w ~, Give a,yar, ya,d he,r
,h;,, t~,' co,n;s, ~ - home fr,n, tb, church .Tb'
iaa,, T., nI;i.a Casov ,r;vs, lin sb;Ilin,s wbin