The herald., 1895-12-22

newed attraction and carols were sung
by village choirs all over the continent
of Europe.
In some or the far-away countries of
England, where the changing fashions
OF London have not yet penetrated to
the rustics the old-time custom is still
continued of the parish choir making
the rounds of the homes of the gentry
and singing Christmas carols.
A well-knoWn New York society man
who was the guest of titled English
man at the latter's country house dur
ing the Christmas season, described the
doings of the parish choir to the writer
in this way:
"The carols still sung in the country
in some parts of England by boys in
smock-frocks, with ribbons tied to their
hats and shoulders, are q curious mix
ture of religious and profans; and / re-
call verse or two of these noels that
are really comic.
"LookiDg out of my window one
night was passing Christmas week
in the north countree'-to learn what
was the cause of subdued muttering
and whispering in the carriage drive,
in front of the old Elizabethan house,
1 saw some dozen chawbacons, most of
whom carried lanterns, arranging
| themselves in half-circle on the snow
outside.
"One white.haired old man, with
| spectacles and knitted woollen night
cap, held clarionet and seemed to be
| the percentor. He was probably the
parish clerk. Another WAS presiding
over an enormous bass viol, while a
small boy, who was enveloped in a
worEted comforter and gloves, which
| together nearly concealed him, held
aloft small fir tree on pole, with a
lantern hanging from beneath the
| boughs.
"The clerk was so impressed with
the dignity of his position that he
took some time to make his prepare
tions, which period was employed by
the choir in stamping their feet and
clapping their arms across them to
keep up their caloric. There was a
keen wintry wind which carried all
sounds away, now and then, except the
| few notes that the double-bass grunted
out; but I caught the most important
| stanzas and have never forgotten them.
Imagine them sung to The few notes
of some monotonous old canticle, &C
companied by the dyspectic means of
the viol and the ear-piercing discords
of the clarionet, with the hilarious
cries OF a north wind in the old park
trees joining in, and you will have a
faint idea Of the beauty Of the serenade.
THE CAROL
Greet another Christmas morningt
Pass the mug of good brown alei
Pomps and vanities a-scorning,
Christians, pull the Devils tail!
Gentles all! Come. breach barrel
TO the health OF our Squire!
When you hear our Chr stinas carol
Don't forget the Parish choir
"When they arrived at the last line
the small boy waved the fir-tree flag;
the double bass put tremolo into his
awful scrape; the clerk with the
clarionet allowed himself to attempt
sentiment in his Internal blowing, and
the choir generally took care that no
one who heard them ever could forget
them in the ewiakeit. OF course, they
got their beer. That is what they came
for.
"Past midnight as it was, they had
been expected, and were invited into
the baronial kitchen to large bowl of
'frumety,' another relic of the Saxon
Yule, word derived from frumenta, or
wheat corn. This, kind Of porridge
made of ecreed wheat lin Scotland of
| 'sowans,' or catmeaD sweetened with
honey and dried currants, is to be net