Omaha daily bee., 1896-12-20
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The Christmas Feast
I at BraCebridge Hau.
Bu WASHINGTON IRVING
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! yet / doubt whether II ever witnessed more
honest and genuine enjoyment How easy
| il is for one benevolent being to diffuse
pleasure around him; and how truly is
Kind heart a fountain OF gladness, making
everything in its vicinity to freshen into
smiles. The joyous disposition Of the
| worthy squire was perfectly contagious; he
! was happy himself, and disposed to make
all the world happy; aud the little
eccentricities of his humor did but season,
in manner, the sweetness Of his philan-
thropy
After the dinner table was removed the
| hall was given up to the younger members
of the family. who, prompted to all kinds of
| noisy mirth by the ONonian and Master
! Simon, made its old walls ring with their
merriment. as they played at romping
| games. | delight in witnessing the gambols
Of children, and particularly at tins happy
! holiday season. and could not help stealing
| out OF the drawing room on hearing one
| OF their peals OF laughter. | found
! them at the game of blind-man's bun.
Master Simon, who was the leader
of their reves, and seemed on
ancient potentate. the Lord of Misrule, was
| blinded in the midst of the hall. The little
| beings were as busy about him as the mock
| fairies about Falstaff, pinching him, pluck
! ing at the skirts of his coat and tickling
! him with straws. One fine blue-eyed girl
| OF about 10, with her flaXen hair all in beau
| tiful confusion, her frolic face in a glow,
| her frock half torn off her shoulders, com
| plete picture of a romp, was the chief tor
| mentor. and from the shyness with which
| Master Simon avoided the smaller game and
hemmed this wild little nymph in corners
and obliged her to jump shrieking over
| chairs | suspected the rogue OF being not a
| whit more blind than was convenient.
When | returned to the drawing room |
| found the company seated round the fire,
| listening to the parson, who was deeply
| ensconced in a high-backed oaken chair, the
| work Of some cunning artitcer OF yore, which
had been brought from the library for his
| particular accommodation. From this ven
! cradle piece OF furniture, with which his
| shadowy figure and dark, weazen face so
| admirably accorded he was dealing forth
strange accounts of the popular supersti-
| tions and legends of the surrounding coun-
| try with which he had become acquainted
in the course of his antiquarian researches
While we were all attention to the par
| sons stories our ears we're suddenly assailed
| by burst of heterogeneous sounds from the
| hall, in which we're mingled something like
| the clang of rude minstrelsy, with the up
| roar OF many small voices and girlish laugh
| ter. The door suddenly few open and
| train came troopng into the room that might
| almost have been mistaken for the breaking
up OF the court of Fairy. That indefatigable
| spirit Master Simon in the faithful dis
| charge of his duties as lord OF misrule, had
! CDuCplNeu tnt lued vi Il NuI lsNlndS
| or masking, and having called in to his
assistance the OXonian and the young officer,
| who equally ripe for anything that
| should occasion romping and merriment,
| they had carried IL into instant effect. The
4 old houSekeeper had been consulted; the an
| tique clothes presses and wardrobes rum
| mayed and made to yield up. the relics OF
| fnery that had not seen the light for sev-
eral generations; the younger part OF the
| company had been privately convened from
1 naIlOr hall and the whole had been
! bedizcned out into a burlesque imitation of
! an antique mask. -...
Master Simon led the van as Ancient
Christmas" quantity appareled in ruff, a
| short cloak, which had very much the as
| pect of one Of the old housekeeper's petit
| coats, and hat that might have served for
| a village steeple and must indubltably have
| figured in the days of the Covcnsnters.
| From under this his nose curved boldly
| forth, flushed with a. frost-bitten bloom that
seemed the very trophy of December blast.
He was accompanied by the blue-eyed romp,
| dshed up as Dame Mince Pie in the venera-
| BILE magnifcence OF faded brocadc, long
stomacher, peaked hat ana high-heeled shoes.
| The young officer appeared as Robin
| Hood, in a sporting dress Of Kendall green
! and foraging cap with gold tassel.
The costume, to be sure did not bear
testimony to deep research, and there was
| an evident eye to the picturesque, natural
| to young gallant in presence OF his mis-
| tress The fair Julia hung on his arm
| III Il pretty ruStlC urCSS, as Malu Marian
! The rest of the train had been metamor-
| phosed in various ways. The girls trussed
| up in the fnery of the ancient bellies of
| the Bracebridge line, and the strpllngs be-
whiskerad with burnt cork, and gravely clad
! in broad skirts, hanging sleeves, and full
| bottomed wigs, to represent the characters
| of Roast Beef, Plum Pudding, and other
| worthless celebrated in ancient markings
| The whole was under the control OF the
| OXOnian, in the appropriate character of
MiSrulp. and | ObSprVp1 that hp pXpppiSp6
| rather a mischievOus sway with his wand
over the smaller personages of the pageant
The eruption of this motley crew with
| beat of drum. according TO ancient custom
| was the contamination of uprOar and merri-
"ent. Master Simon covered himself with
I glory by the statelness with which as An
| cient Christmas, he walked a minuet with
the peerless, though giggling. Dame Mince
| Pie. 1t was followed by dance of all the
characters, which. from its medley Of cos
| tunes, seemed as though the old family
portraits had skipped down from their
| frames to join in the sport. Different CEN
| turles were figuring at cross-hands and right
and left; the dark ages were cutting pirou-
cites and rigadoons and the days of Queen
! Bess, jigging merrily down the middle.
through line OF succeeding generations.
The worthy squire contemplated these
| fantastic sports. and this resurrection of
his old wardrobe, with simple relish or
childish delight. He stood chuckling and
rubbing his hands, and scarcely hearing
WOTu lne parSOn Salu, Notwithstanding tnat
the latter was discoursing nest authentic
ally on the ancient and stately dance of
the Pavon, or peacock. from which he con-
ceived the minuet to be derived For my
part / was in continual excitement from
the varied scenes of whim and innocent
gayety passing before me. 1t was inspiring
to see wild-eyed frolic and warm-hearted
hospitality breaking out from among the
chils and glooms OF winter. and old age
throwing off his apathy, and catching once
the frpshppeff Of Youthful inVmpnf
felt also an interest in the scene, from
the consideration that these fleeting Gus
toms were posting fast into oblivion, and
this was. perhaps, the only family in Eng
! land In which the whole of them were still
punctiiously observed There was a quaint
ness, too, mingled with all this revelry.
that gave it peculiar zest; 1t was suited
to the time and place; and as the old manor
house almost reeled with mirth and wassail,
1t seemed echoing back the joviality of long
departed years. r.r
LITTLE STOCKINGS IN A ROW.
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