Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1905-12-21
24 PAGES.
The Observer.

Book there is q charming account of
a Christmas tide spentby the author at
Bracebridge Hall, one of the few
places in England where even so late
as the early part of the last century
the traditions and customs of the Caval-
iers of the seventeenth century still
obtained. The sermon in the parish
church on Christmasday was an echo
of the controversies which ragged about
Christmas during the troubled times
of the Puritan revolt and ascendency
'The parson gave us most erudite
sermon on the rites and ceremonies of
Christmas, and propriety of observing
it not merely as day of thanksgiving
but of rejoicing, supporting the cor
ractuess of his opinions by the earliest
usages of the Church and enforcing
them by the authorities of Theophilus
of Caejarel, st. Cyprian, st. Chrysos.
tom, st. Augustine, and a cloud more
ofsaints and fathers, from whom he
made copious quotations was a
little ut a loss to perceive the neces.
sity Of such a mighty array Of forces to
maintain point which no one present
seemed inclined to dispute; but | sool
found that the good man had a legion
of ideal adversaries to contend with,
having in the course of his researches
on the subject of Christmas got com
pletey embsoiled in the sectarian con-
81 .
Puritans made such fierce assault up.
on the ceremonies of the Church, and
poor old Christmas was driven out of
the land by Proclamation of Parla-
msli Fl3 w)cghy plrson lived bu
with times past, and knew but little of
the present.
'Shut up among worm eaten tones
in the retirement of his antiquated
little study, the pages of old times were
to him as the gazettes of the day,
while the era of the Revolution was
mere modern history. He forgot that
nearlytwo centuries had elapsed since
the fiery persecution of poor mince-pie
throughout the land when plum por-
ridge was denounced as mere popery,'
and roast beef as anti.christian, and
that Christmas had been brought in
again triumphant with the merry
court of King Charles at the Restora
tion. He kindled into warmth with
the ardor of his contest and the host of
imaginary foes with whom he had to
combat; he had a stubborn conflict with
old Prynne and two or three other for
gotten champions of the Roundheads
on the subject of Christmas festivity,
and concluded by urging his hearers,
in the most solemn and affecting man
ner, to stand to the traditional customs
of their fathers and feast and make
merry on this joyful anniversary of the
Church"
An amusing instance of the Puritan
dislike for Christmas is naively related
by Governor Bradford in his 'History
of the Plymouth Plantation" Nearly
year after the landing of the Pill
grims, a shipload of young fellows
came out from England to join the little
colony. "On ye day called Christmas
day." says Bradford, ''ye Govr called
them out to worke, (as was used, but
ye most part of this new company ex-
cused themselves and said it went
against their conscience to work on
that day. So ye Govr tould them that
if they made it mater of conscience. he
would spare them till they were better
informed. So he led away ye rest and
left them; but when they came home at
noone from their WOrke, he found them
in the streets at play, openly; some
pitching ye bar q some at stoolebaH,
and shuch like sports. So he went to
them, and tooke away their imple-
nients, and touId them that was against
his conscience, that they should play
& others worke. If they made ye
keeping oft mtttcr of devotion, let
them keep their houses, butther should
be no gameiug or rovelling in We
streets. Since which time nothing
hath been attempted that way, at least
openly
Christmas at Presbyterian Church.
Special music on Sabbath morning
and evening, and preaching appro-
pirate.
On Chrstmai night Monday
"sleepy santi, Christmas Cantata
will be rendered.