Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-11-26
Especial Correspondence. J

" ONDON, Nov. 17.-American
church, ocrs would be Profound
ly nstonishcd if they could at
tend the queer ceremonies held in
some of the English churches Some
of these customs are so ancient that no
one knows their origin.
For instance, every Good Friday in
the churchyard of ST. Bartholomew the
Great one may see 90 old ladies' scram-
blA,S wildly among tho tombstoncs.
What are they doing? Well. once upon
u time which Is unrccorded. Il man
whose name Is forgotten. made the pro-
vision that once II year bits of silver
and hot-cross buns were to be scattered
over the tombstoncs In order that u old
women might help themselves there
from. 1t is hard for a spectator OF this
strange ceremony to make out whether
the bequest was given from Il sense of
charity or from 81 sense of humor. BY
tho timc the money has been pucked
the hot-cross buns are cold. and with n
leisure that contrasts grotesquely with
the avid haste OF their previous circuit.
tho old women gather in the bread,
Theoretically one Of the most betuti-
full of the old English customs is that
known as tho blessing OF the nets"
when. in places devoted to fishing, the
nets of tho fishermen are taken TO
church to be blessed by the priest.
Practically the custom is not a bcauti-
full one, at least In an olfactory sense;
Ike false teeth. fish are all right in
their place.
DECORATED WITH FISH.
Recently those who attended the har-
vest of the sea festival ut the church of
ST. Magnus the Martyr Billingsgnte.
London. had an opportunity of judging
how effectively fish can Unemployed as
decoration. On low stands, ranged
nlong tho center aisle were choice col
lections of fruit and lowers inter-
spersed with dishes on which lay many
kinds of fish in season; halibut. cod,
whitehall. shrimps, oysters, dried fish,
smeltS and so on.
These were the gift Of the Billlngsgatc
fish market tradcspcoplc. who for the
most part compose tho congregation OF
this ancient chnrch--n church when
apart from It's secular association with
the fishing industry has u remarkable
history. and contains n museum OF
valuable relies The archwny AT the
foot OF the splrc--Sr Christopher
Wrens masterpiece in spircs--was the
entrance to the old London bridge. In
tho vestibulc arc two primitive fire.
engines, recalling the days when IRE
extinguishinS was quite n dgniicd and
ceremonial operation. The organ Is
perhaps the most historical In the city,
inasmuch as 1t Is the first that had the
swcll-boX applied Miles Covcrdalc.
translator of the Bible, was once rector
here.
Counted amongst the precious relies
are the old imminent chest of Bridge
Ward Within, dated 1914, some price
less pre- Reformation plate and beauti-
full woodwork of the Tudor period. ana
last but not least the tobacco box and
the cup Of Falstaff In which tho Bears
Head roysterer is said to have pledged
his troth to Dame Quicklcy.
MODEL BAR TENDER.
In tho inside OF the church Is also
tho tomb of Robert Preston, who de-
parted this life In 1870, after being n
bartender in the Bears Head tavern.
This Is his cpitaph:
'Bacchus to give tho TOPPING World
Produced one Sober Son. and here he
lies .5
Tho nu,s,a among fun iiossheansrno
dcticd
Tho Charms OF Wine and cv'ry vice be-
side.
o Reader II to Justice 'rhou'rt inclined
Keep honest Preston daily In thy mind
lie drew good Wine, took care to I'LL MS
Pots