Daily new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1897-1906, 1897-12-24

DeloTe dlnnef time, or Uh0Se VINO were
suspected of not observing it, and car.
ried away whatever meat they found
and ate it. For these were exempted
from fasting provided they made eth
ers fast, Sir John Birkenhead wit
tily enquired whether the parliament
had not cause to forbid Christmas
when they found their public acts
under SO many Christmas pies? But
Ter wrote of the dominant Presbyter-
ians as
A sect whose chief devotion lies
In odd perverse ansipathies;
In falling out with that or this,
And finding something still ams;
That with more care keep Holy Day
The wrong, than others the right way.
Still SO perverse and opposite,
As ii they worshiped God for spite
Rather than fail they will defy
That which they love most tenderly !:
Quarrel with mine d-pies and dispar-
age
Their best and dearest friend, plum
porridge;
~ pig anu kOOSt itScil OppOso,
And blaspheme custard thro' the nose.
Men were declared incapable of serv-
ing in parliament who had evergreens
in their windows or minced-pies at
Christmas, and Warner, afterwards
Lord Mayor, ''raised tumult in
Christmas about Rosemary and Bays. y
We read in the petition OF E. H., Esq,
in No. $40 OF "The Spectator, that
in his day he was remarkable for hay
ing dared to treat some visitors ''with
Drawn and Mined pies on New Years
Day."
A numerous poem of the time went
thus:
All plumbs the prophets Sons dispise
And spice brOths are too hot;
Treason's in December pie,
And death within the pot;
Christmas farewell, thy days Il fear)
And merry days are done;
So they may keep feasts all the year,
Our Savior shall have none.
Gone are the golden days of yore
When Christmas was an high day,
Whose sports we now shall see no more.
lis turned into Good Friday.
The reign of the theological prudes
soon come to an end. 1t was too
much for honest human nature to
bear. Christmas in all its varied
customs for various parts Of the king
dom returned stronger than ever All
joyously hailed
The happy night
That TO the cottage as the crown
Brought tidings of salvation down."
The bells pealed again merrily, the
yule log blazed unrestricted, and
dance and merriment, with much
foolery, too, at times, once more
lifted up the hearts of old and young
"Poor Robins Almanac" for 1916 says
Of winter ''And lastly, who would
not but praise it because of Christmas,
when good cheer doth so abound as If
all the world were made of minced
pies, plum pudding and furmety."
A description of the old dishes and
quaint customs Of this period would
fill volume. A good pie was a great
favourite. Allen Ramsey tells us how
the ale-wife drew her customers:
linen ay at ule WAeHe er we came
a bra goose-pye,
And was ma that a good belly baum?
Name dare deny"
Let us be thankful that the odious
tyranny of the commonwealth and
the stupendous immortality of the
Restoration have passed away; that
we have secured our liberties and
our morals upon firm bases that need
never be removed; and that with all
our faults we are lovers of mercy, of
justice, and of right doing. TO all
that aids towards the New Brother
hood of Man we say, God speed, and
so we welcome Christmas with thank
full hearts as one strong link in the
eternal chain to bind men together.
All that remains for us is to use its
good things in moderation, as BELTS
those who should live well and wise
ly, and to see, so far as we can, that
all have a share. Let all strive for
all, that this and every succeeding
one may be merry Christmas and
each New Year happy one, remain
ing ever green in our memories and
fragrant of the bud and blossom Of
kindly deeds.