The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-01-11

London, Jan. 1.-Christmas has come
and gone. and. In looking back at 1t, I
hnd that my most vivid recollections
OF the day are centered about the
splendid performance Of the ever-beau-
tiful Messiah" at Queens hall. in the
afternoon Of the day. OF course was
most interested In the soprano part, and
Marie Duma, the soprano soloist.
through the work. and with the keen
est Of enjoyment and interest. Mr..
Randegger, OF course. conducted. as II Is
his choir. and everything was beauti-
fully done. l could not help thinking
OF the dear old Wilkes Barre Oratorio
society, to which I have the honor to
belong. and Of our performances of this
magnificent work, performances which,
Indeed. could well AFFORD to challenge
comparison with those of many a FAM
GUS choral society. and in many larger
musical center than our pretty little
Wilkes Barre at home.
On Christmas night the Christmas
dinner claimed our attention, and we
certainly did 1t full justice. A baked
nam, roast turkey and a roast shoul-
der OF beef. constituted the principal
solids OF an English Christmas dinner.
which l suppose does not differ much
from our epicurean programmes at
nome, except, perhaps. in the crowning
point OF all, the plum pudding. Around
this delightful. though I must confess
rather substantial form Of dessert, there
movers an air of Christmas sanctity
with which nothing less than say Faith
er Christmas himself IL clothed. The
mere mention of plum pudding calls up
visions or respondent Christmas trees,
or stockings hanging at the fireplace,
OF Santa Clause and his twinkling blue
eyes, and In fact, all the joys of Christ
mas. For plum pudding belongs to
christmas and to no other festival Of
the year. and any well regulated Eng
lishman would never dream of such a
thing as having 1t at other times Of the
year.
Sacred to the Day.
There are those, Of course, whose
raDid radicalism causes them to disre-
gard any and every ancient custom of
Merrie Old England. and I dare say
their irreverence carries them even to
such mad lengths of depravity as to
have a plum pudding just whenever
they like 1t. But this IL sacrllegious. 1t
Is nothing short of dissertation; and II
you ever come to England, let me warn
you 10 beware of the company of such
misguided and fanatical persons. Seek,
rather, association with those whose
conservative Christmas tastes lead
them to duly respect the custom found
ed by jolly Old King Cole himself (they
say)-the custom. as l was saving, of
partaking of this too. too solid delicacy
at but one period Of the year-Christ-
mas week. This and this only Is the
time OF all times sacred to the English
plum pudding.
You will no doubt wonder by this
time what this delicacy Is like. 7 will
tell you. Who should know better than
!. Tor did not l assist one cook. only the
DAY before Christmas, in the dread rite
of compounding our pudding for the
Christmas dinner? Hearing from one
OF my chaperones that morning that
the pudding was about to be manufac-
tured. / seized my opportunity. and de-
scending to the kitchen, offered my SER
vices to the pudding genius thereof, in
pure spirit of helpfulness. She, how
ever, did not receive my kindly over
lures with the unmixed joy had ex-
pected of her. and questioned my mo-
tives, suggesting the Inappropriate one
of curiosity as chief. We had some
words, ] must confess, but it ended I'm
America remaining triumphant in the
field, installed as England's assistant
for the nonce, whether she liked 1t or
not.
An English Plum Padding.
So here Is what went in: Only
Six pounds each of raisins, currants,
sultanas, suet and sugar; then pounds
each of bread crumbs and flour; 2H
pounds mixed peel of lemon orange and
citron, the grated peel of dozen lem
Ons; 3 grated nutmegs; so eggs; ~
pints brandy: 2A pints milk; W ounces
sweet almonds: ounces of bitter al
monds, 3 teaspoonfuls Of allspice;
1 silver thimble, silver thripenny
bit. and l wedding ring. We chop
ped UP all the raisins or 'plums."
suet, almonds. peel. and SO on, mixed
everything all up together and then
called the family together for the STIR
ring of 1t. This is a solemn occasion.
and every one in the house, one
after the other, seizes the big wooden
spoon in both hands and gives the
dough an energetic belaboring, while
the cook stands by beaming at the
thought Of the work we are all uncOn-
sciously doing. And at last II Is mixed.
1t Is then emptied into q mold, tightly
closed and carefully lowered into boil
ing water, where this tOothsOme morsel
now proceeds to boil to the best of It's
ability. for eight mortal hours! Some
there are that boil them six, but our
cook knows better, she Just does. and
she boils ours eight. Let them as doesn't
know nuthin' make dough o theirs,
but as for her, none o. her young
ladies shall get distemper to their
stummages on Christmas day! No in
deed-ee! AS a matter Of fact they say
that the longer they boil the better they
are, and in this matter individuals suit
themselves.
Tho Puddine's Induction.
Now, during the preparation Of the
Christmas feast, 1t Is boiled up again,
just to heat 1t through and make 1t
light, and then turned out upon hot
platter, and when 1t is to come upon
the table at the Christmas feast the
gas Is turned out, and we sit in dark
ness awaiting the advent of this
wonderful yule-tide dessert. The door
Is thrown open and the servant ap-
pears carrying the beloved pudding.
over which some brandy has been
thrown, and then lighted and the
whole platter Is in q blaze Of blue and
silver alcoholic flames. in the midst of
which calmly repOses the pudding,
grand, cOmplacent-looking, rich and
smoking, and as edifying a sight as any
one might wish to see, with it's pretty
sprigs of fire-lit holly sticking into It's
brown dignity In the midst of breath
less interest this miniature confagra-
ton is cut and passed around. its small
and fiickering flames lighting up the