The Delta independent., 1907-01-04

"wassail, wnssail, over tho town.
Our toast II is white. our ale II Is brown.
Our bowl 1t Is made of the mapln tree:
We be good fellows all: drink to thee!
In Scotland. on New Years eve
for some unknown reason called hog.
many day-the doors OF the houses
were thrown open at midnight to let
the old year out. and the new year In.
while in some of the towns. early in
the evening poor children-"swad'
died" in sheets SO folded up in front
as to form an inviting pocket-went
from door to door after bread and
small coin. announcing their arrival
by some naive song. shrilly given In
childish treble and enthusiasm.
Rise up. gude-wife. and shake your
feathers:
Dinna think that We are beggarp:
We are BARNS come to play.
And to seek our hogmany."
Much excitement was manifested
over another Scottish custom. The
first person who entered house after
the clock struck midnight New Years
eve was called a first footer. and
often parties of first footers went
about calling on friends and making
merry generally.
In striking contrast to this frivolity
va. the habit the next morning OF
opening the Scotch Bible at random.
= verse in the chapter read containing
a prophecy to be made good by fate
during that New Year.
At all the courts OF presentda Eu.
rope the New Year Is celebrated with
great impressiveness. II being the Of
ficiaI feast. just as Christmas Is .
family one.
In Belgium. on New Years eve. the
children have a special frolic ungling
with the thrill OF suspense. Early in
the day. all the door keys In the house
arc spirited away from their locks
into small boys pockets. pet rela.
tive. called a sugar aunt" or sugar
uncle" Is then beguiied into . room.
and while her or his attention is d.
vertcd. a key Is whisked out from Its
hiding place and click-a-ty-cl the
door is locked OF course the pris-
oncr. confronted by hard.hearted.
giggling jailer. Is glad to negotiate
freedom Mt any price--a ransom's pos
sibilitics no doubt ranging from a
candy cane to n rocking horse. accord
Ing to auntie's indulgent humor or
the size OF uncle's pocketbook.
The Germans have n very impress
sive old custom. At Frankfort on the
Main In almost every house is n fam.
lily party. and at the first strike Of
midnight from the cathedral all open
wide the windows. and-filled glasses
lifted In their hands-cry: "Prosit
Neujahr! New Year"
France practically makes a Christ.
mas OF New Years day. All Paris is
en- fe,c. and the Latin Quarter tubilant
while the poor. starved art student
splurHcs In all sorts Of culinary ex-
travaganccs. In fact. even the beg.
gars are merry. singing instead OF
whining their appeals for charity. and
dancing n Jig for a sou"
The French children fnd their
stockings filled by good st. Nicholas,
who In his Christmas rush must have
thanked his lucky star that these
young clients would not expect n pro-
fcssional call until seven days after
American youngsters over the sea,
After a midday dejeuner a Ia four.
Ghetto. the younger members Of the
family call on the older. and In the
evening there Is grand reunion for
dinner.
Amid all this French gayety there is
that ono pathetic little touch that SO
often efeeps into this rainbow world
OF ours. where tears minEle with the
sunshine OF our smiles. II member
of the family has died during the past
l2 months. carly on New Years morn.
Ing the near relatives meet at the
grave and lay upon 1t their offerings
Of love and remembrance.
The Russians. following the Julian
calendar. do not celebrate their New
Years day until January Is.
The grown.up. not to be outdone by
the small fry, now form a gorgeous
procession to pass under tho critical
nose Of the nobleman's upper window.
Oxen. COWS. goats and hogs, adorned
with cvcrgreens and red berries, are
driven past. while old women bring
up tho rear bearing gayly decorated
barnyard fowls as presents.
In our own country we Americans.
half.Puritan." take our
New Year characteristicaily. With
flashing eyes and smiling lips we
greet Its dawn: dancing, feasting, up.
blowing our little tin horns.
And ut the same time In our secret
curtains Of pride and con.
closely drawn-we sadly
sit beside the dying embers Of the
past years hopes and shiver at the
knocks Of the unknown future At the
door.