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

The old Welsh 'Plygain." or religious
musical service, to watch the dawn COM
memurative of the coming of Christ and
the daybreak of Christianity, is stll kept
up in some of the parish churches in the
rural districts; bu, this beautiful custom.
which was so popular In Wales about half
a century since, has lost its former char
actelis,ics. In Il few of the Nonconformist t
chapels the early part of Christmas day Is
devoted 10 Il service which may be termed
modern Plygain, but al the greater num-
Der of the chapels of ''the four denomna-
tions." special preaching services are held
on Christmas eve and Christmas day. at
which some of the leading Welsh preach
ers officiate. and in several of the towns
and villages eisteddfodau and Cyfarfoydd
l.lenyddol are held. Judging from the lists
that nave already been published of the
compe etitors in the various departments
of poetry, prose, music and art, and the
announcements of the preaching meetings.
last Christmas festivals in Wales were as
popular AS ever
Wales must keep watchful eye on
Pedrog, for it is said that the chair bard
of the Llanelly national eisteddfod, who
has just returned from prolonged tour
in the United States has received
unanimous call to the pastorate of Welsh
Congregational church in New York city.
The cordially Of the welcome home given
to the reverend gentleman by his church
at Liverpool seemed to indicate that 1t
would be no easy matter 10 sever the con-
nection between that church and It's pas
tor The Welsh Americans talk of sending
their ministerial students TO Bala college,
and here al the same time they endeavor
. to rob us Of our best men. The exchange
is not one to be enamored with Gush! 1t
will be a mighty cold day when American
Welshmen will return 10 Wales for col
legiate education. Education at country
schools in America Is far superior to the
best collegiate course rendered in that
little country We VIII say no more.
This Is how Daronwy renders in the
Saxon tongue the well-known hymn. Beth
sydd mi yn v byd," now invariably sung
at Welsh national eisteddfodau to Dr. JO-
seph Parry's tune, "Aberystwyth:'
What Is for me in this life
But oppression vast and strife?
Foe succeeding bitter foe,
Night and day enhance my woe
Great Physician. come, l pray,
1ieal my wounds without delay;
of Thy blood I'll sing and preach
Till the Heavenly Land | reach.
aristocratic The present high sheriff of
Carnarvon IL a grandson of the celebrated
Methodist minister, Jones Talsarn,"
whose memoir by the late DR.. owen
popular Welsh books published. The Lord
Lieutenant Of Anglesey is a Methodist
deacon, and son-in-law of the late Rev.
Henry Rees: and next year. in all prob
aDllllN. w tIsH usdcOl tiie per :
son of Mr.. William Jones, of Tregaron and
Birmingham, will be the high sheriff Of
Cardiganshre.
A Welsh adaptation of the national an
them, "God Save the Queen" by Ieuan
Gwyllt, appeared in V Cerodor Cymreig
for April. 1868. which was then under his
edtOrshp. The third verse, specially
written by Ceiriog, is as follows
Ar weddw Prydain Fawr.
% ArglWydd, awenai lawr,
Trwy niwl glyn
Mae angau'n gwy1io'r bedd,
ln ddu ei wisg al wedd,
q gyr wylio j sedd,
by angel gwyn.
Ii is to be feared that The age of chivalry
is gone from Llanelly. The other day
one of the lady members of "a literary So
cety In that town claimed that her sex
were quite a match for them men," and
asked Indignantly, who darns their
| socks%' The reply to this query came Il
| few days later from an ungallant man
member. He sang:
Full many a socl; is left to go unjarred.
The suffering feet of men, alas! do wear.
Full many a hole and many rent there
Stern monuments to woman's want Of
care.
Sir John Puleston, AIr. Charles j. Davis
and the Rev. Thomas Roberts have been
unanimously reelected respectively chair
man, treasurer and secretary of the great
annual London Welsh festival. The COM
mittees which includes many well-known
persons of various shades of religious and