The Worcester spy., 1899-12-24

and when Christmas day was Done,
there was not one left. For sensible
gifts are the orders given by this
youthful American, in her effort to sus-
tain the historic warmth of heart and
cheer of merrie old England. There
are portentous stirs in the under part
of the palace as the bakings and roast
ings go on day by day to make every
thing in readiness for the feast to be
spread within the house, and then scat
| tered by Kindly dole for many miles
around
An idea of the magnitude of the
cooking operations may be gained by
the statement of the chef that for the
last holiday season 800 plum puddings
were made in advance, that thus at
least one of the prime requisites for the
British season of thanksgiving might
not be lacking in the scores of homes
to which they were sent, in addition
to other equally acceptable stores.
Groceries, cakes, bread beef, Goals,
garments and like substantials are
the form that the bulk of the gifts
takes, with thoughtful little luXuries for
the sick and others whose cases are
special.
The century-famed baron of beef is
cut from an OK of the choicest breed
from the Marlborough stalls, and form
erly was roasted at the roaring old fire.
| place in the -yawning palace kitch-
| ems. Modern ranges have come in to-
| change this picturesque and perspiring
! function in part, but the cooks have a
busy time at it. One can still easily
| imagine the day when the Norman no.
J bility hunted the red stag over the hills,
| and the spoils of the chase found their
way to the spits before such a great
| fireplace There is also a survival Of
the stately pye" of Shakspere's time,
| then made of a peacock over which
the knights of chivalry swore their al
| legiance, Now a woodcock pie COM
monty takes the place of the ancient
/ peacock spread" in England, and
among poorer folk, beefsteak- serves
the purpose. Some Of these Christmas
| pies still consist of wonderful as well
as somewhat terrifying mixture of.
meats, tongues chickens, eggS raisins,
sugar lemon, orangepeel, spices, and
| whatever else culinary ingenuity can
suggest for the dinner table joy and.
| postprandiaI torment of man. The
goose as a piece de resistance still sus-
tains it's aged prestige on the British
| Christmas board.
Queen Victoria was the first to bring
the Christmas tree into the English.
celebration, borrowing the pretty idea
from Germany, the land of her hus-
band, the prince Consort, Albert. Con-
SutlO uuCueSS now taxes ln6
Teuton custom and lightens it up with
the ingenious touches learned in her
western land. while discounting none
of it's worthy historic features. Both
her majesty and her grace erect a
yearly Christmas tree for their popu-
lous households, and under such an ex-
ample, the fir steadily gains in it's
Yule-tide prestigeA
i The MarlboHpughs delight to see. the
common people enjoying their magnifi-
cent grounds, so they are thrown open
twice a week, and entrance given sight
! seers to the state rooms of the palace.
Often the duke and duchess stroll about
talking to the visiting villagers, in a
cordial and neghborly way. Being
president of the National Brigades I'm
: ion, the duke had nearly thousand
| firemen encamped for several days on
the estate, and when I was at Blen-
, helm, posters in the village announced
l. fete of Foresters and temperance So
cieties, with a large array of old-fash-
ioned country sports. A yearly party
is given in August to the public school
! children from seven denesne towns
q over which the Marlboroughs are the
hereditary lords. The duchess arranges
many pleasing entertainments for
them, and personally distributes the
prizes she has secured for those show
ing efficiency in their studies and play.