The Lee County journal. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1904-19??, 1910-12-29
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NI)EL lsarr1l FIN

Fear not" said he (for mighty dread
Had seized their troubled mini:
Glad tidings of great Joy / bring
To you and all mankind"
And who would forget the swing OF
melody, and the charity taught in
Good King WenesIaus looked forth
On the least Of Stephen.
He saw the beggar gathering fuel
in the snow that lay round about,
and calls to his servants to bring him
robes and wine and to fetch the poor
man in from the cold
In the rural districts the nature fes-
tival lived long after the church had
taken the feast. There were remains
Of tree worship and sacrifice to Po-
mona in Cornwall as last as $50 years
ago. The peasants used to go into
the orchards on Christmas day with
pailfuls of cider and roasted apples.
The health of the trees was drunk to
song, and libations poured upon the
roots. In various sections Of north
ern Europe it is the custom to deco
rate trees out Of doors. The fir trees
as. evergreens, and fruit trees for their
promises, were trimmed with long
streamers Of ribbon or paper.
The Christmas tree finds its ances-,
tor in the German ash Ygdrasil, q
great tree whose top reached to Wal
halla, the home Of the gods, and
whose roots we're fast in the earth.
The Germans have wealth of car
OILS, but nearly all are Of religious
nature.
"Oh, Tannenbaum! Oh, Tannen-
baum" or the song of the fir tree at
Christmas time, has become world
wide Who could count the house
holds that gather around the tapers
lighted and the tree loaded with gifts
to sing this in unison.
In the English household the song
is:
Gather around the Christmas tree,
Ever green has its branches been
1t is king of all the woodland scene"
Or 1t may be:
Carol, brothers, carol,
Carol joyfully,
Carol for the coming Of Christ's ma
tivity."
The good old custom Of singing
from house to house on Christmas eve
has crept across the water from Eng
land to America. 1t was a part of the
program Of the season to learn these
carols and to gather in bands, going
from house to house across the snow
and singing before the doors. The
neighbors knew they were coming,
preparing cakes and warm drinks, and
sometimes gifts Of money. Whoever
has heard God rest We, merry gentle
men, let nothing We dismay," sung
heartily In the frosty air has a thrill
and an experience that returns TO him
every Christmas after.
And every Christmas morn Is awak-
ened with the stirring strains OF
Shout the glad tidings exultingly
sing"
But we must not think that England
or Germany sing all the carol music,
France had a quaint literature Of its
own. Here is one Of NOVEL;, or Noel.
and from north to south there are
delightful variations Of It:
" NOVEL;, novel;, novel;, novel;,
This is the salutacyon OF the angell
Gabryell,
Tydings true Their be cum neu senH
frome the trynyte,
Be gabryell to nazareth cety Of galiIo
A clene maydyn and pure virgym
thorow her humylyte,
Hath conceybyb the person secund IN
deite."
Pere Noel comes down the chimney
and gives gifts just as Father Christ
mas does across the channel, and the
little French children sing:
''Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel singeth clear.
Holpen are all folk on earth
Born is Gods son so dear"
L. M. McCAULEY.