The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1897-12-30

service, ii not so sumptuous in its ap-
pointments is individually more pictur-
esque, for there, as the hour approaches,
one sees the great stone church that
dominates the parish lit like vast Ian
tern, and stretching from it on either
hand the homes of the habitants each
one doing its little best in loyal imita-
tion. Hardly have the big bells in the
tower begun to ring out their clear call
upon the crisp, cold air than the little
bells on the horses necks send back
tlnkllng responses as one after another
the cariOles appear upon the road aud
speed swiftly toward the church.
The houses are awake and ablaze all
night for when the long service at last
comes to an end the congregation does
not 60 quietly home, but breaks up into
little groups, usually consisting Of fam
lily circles, that with chattering and
laughter hasten indoor to enjoy the
bountiful supper which is the reward Of
their piety and at which by immemorial
custom doughnuts and potted head form
the pieces de resistance. These family
gatherings are perhaps the cheeriest Of
all the year. The strangeness Of the
hour, the sense of satisfaction at having
done their duty as good Catholics, the
inspiration, no doubt, gathered from
the service they have just attended and
the fact that the day already broken in
to is to be given up to pleasuring to the
full extent of their ability, all these in
fiuences not only combine to put every
body into the best Of humor, but to pro-
duce an exultation Of spirits that drives
all care and worry into temporary obliv-
ion.
For those who are very piously dis
posed this midnight mass by no means
completes the religious programme Of
the day, for if they SO choose they may
again attend high mass at 1O,p'clock,
vespers at 2 o'clock and benediction at
o'clock, thus practically spending the
day in the church.
Not many, however, are so devout as
all this, and the majority Of the men
60 in for good time, according to their
taste, whether it be to gather at the
tavern and play cards and checkers, or
to regale one another with we'll worn
stories garnished with tobacco and eau
de vie, or to engage in horse racing,
shooting matches and similar sports
As l have already stated, Jean Bap-
tiste divides his Christmas By this I
mean that two important features Of
the festival as celebrated by English
people on the 25th day of December are
reserved by the French for the 1st day
Of January-namely, the giving Of pres
ents and indulgence in especially good
fare.
With regard to the giving of pres
ents, in which the French take Just as
much delight as the English. it is in
teresting to note that these etrennes, as
they are called, are by the little folk
! credited not to Santa Claus. but to le
petit Jesu and are perhaps all the more
enjoyed on that account.
AS to the culinary characteristics of
the day, my readers may perhaps be in
terested in a list Of dishes, some or all
Of which may be found upon every
French Canadian dinner table on this
occasion They are: Pain dore (toast
with egg, pate aux patates (potato
pie), poulet sauce blanche Chicken with
white sauce), tourtieres (meat pie),
graisse de roti (fresh pork grease, CO.
chon au 1ait (sucking pig), paleron
(roast Of fresh pork-shouldeD and tarte
aux snelles (pie made of haws).
]. MACDONALD OXLEY.