The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-12-25
CHRISTMAS CHEER.

CHRISTMAS CHEER.
The household all assemble in the
spacious dining-room, the walls, the
ceilings, the chandeliers and every
available thing is covered with
the mistletoe boughs and the green holly
with it's red berries. The best silver
ware, the whitest napery and the most
delicate china adorn the table, at the
head of which sits the master OF the
house, and at the other end the mis-
tress, with the family and the guests
assembled around. The dinner is
served in real old English style-roast
turkey, roast goose, roast beef and
the traditional plum pudding form the
staples of the feast. AS the wine flows,
the merriment increases, until the twi-
light deepens into night and the lamps
are lighted.
In the great open fireplace in the
spacious hall the yule logs are burning,
the musicians are seated in their
places and the hours that follow dur
ing the long winter evening are given
OVER to the young people and the chill
dren. 1t is their time, and the elders
readily concede to them in all things.
They dance, play games, chase each
other under the mistletoe, and hold
high revels. The Christmas carolers
come along and sing, first on the out
size their hymns VI praise ddO1
ton to Christ, the newborn king; the
doors are thrown open and the singers
join in the general merry making,
which lasts till well into the night, when
Christmas is gone and everybody re-
tires to dream of the hale, hearty old
fellow who, with his CHEEKY Merry
Christmas will not be seen or heard
till another year has rolled around.
HUNTING THE FOX.
A favorite pastime on the day after
Christmas is fox hunting. On that
day the largest and most miscellaneous
kinds of meets are held. Early in the
forenoon the huntsman's horn is heard
and the equally melodiouS baying OF
the hounds struggling with their keep
erS in their efforts to break away from
the leash The whole country turns
out, mounted on horses of all kinds
and classes Fhe members of the hunt
club wear their red coats, knee breech-
es and top boots and the others don
any kind of uniform they like. or ordi-
nary everyday clothing as fancy or
pocket dictates. Ladies are in the field
with closely-fitting habits and tall silk
hats, and, mounted on the fleetest of
steeds, play an important part in the
sport. Farmers, farm laborers and
anybody and everybody who owns or
can beg or borrow a mount and can
ride. are there. Through the woods
and over the fields they slowly make
their way, ever keeping the hounds
and the huntsmen in sight until wiley
reynard is driven from his lair. Then
the dogs are slipped and away they
go-fox. hounds and riders-over
bitches, gates and everything else.
Here the lord of the manor is no bet
ter than the farmers boy. The true
sportsman stops at nothing, for miles
and miles they go until the cunning
old fox either escapes or falls prey
to the voracious dogs, and in the lat
ter case the brush" is presented to
the lady first in at the death, to be
treasured as trophy.
Then the throng that turned out,
shining, glittering, spick and clean,
ride back in little groups, mud-bespat
tered, bedraggled and weary, but with
appetites equal to another Christmas
dinner. JOHN w. HUGHES.