The L'Anse sentinel., 1910-01-01
Zy.sURE u GOOD
crop By M1SSAlLLWq
TIE ORCH4RD

Egyptians but they require clever man to hunt them
out man capable of getting great results from small
data"
the period when these two authors wrote, all learn
ing confined a very circle of
initiates The common folks kept in strict igno
of the true meaning of their festivals the
teries hidden book to their true significance
only visible sign Of the celebrations
within their KEN How far the secrets kept
by these inates-a combination compared with which
steel and trusts sink into mere nsgnfcance-
is too well known to student Thus in
1t is impossible to trace definitely the actual basis of
these ancient myths and customs and attempts
force must necessarily remain much in the nature of
patchwork quilt gathered here and there from
the ancient writings helps to work the quilt but the
ultimate stage has a somewhat crazy appearance.
1t is all the exasperating. because of these
early writer's such Herodotus, Plutarch and others
stopped short in their screeds just when few
words would have the knots that prevent
from unraveling the skein They initiates and
thus to silence Their oaths however. did not
vent them whetting curiosity and leaving in po
sition where Putarch cynicaly remarks It would In
deed be clever task to get great results from small
data" &N#
speaking the policy of the Romans in adopting the
toms of peoples whom they had conquered says For It
is the conduct of prudent to abide by those ancient
institutions under which they and their ancestors have
lived and upon and subdued the rest of the
world; yet the time. II there any
honorable institutions among the peoples whom
they subdued those they take for their imitation
time they take their prisoners. And this
the conduct OF the Romans in oden me for they. main
tanning their national customs, at the same time intro
duced from the nations whom they had subdued every
relic Of desirable practices which they found" This in
measure the policy of the early fathers In adapt
ing heather feasts and sacrifices to the festivals of the
church. With them, however, It rather case Of
adaptation than Of adoption believing that the
OF things would easier to the converts to the
Christian religion II the changes not made too
sweeping too harsh Thus II is that many Of the
connected with festivals have down to
us time long prior to the birth Of the Saviour
Unlike the many customs connected with the celebra-
ton of Christmas. those OF the beginning of the New
Year seems OF the stamp of paganism. At
the time such customs show rather close resen
blance due in large measure to the fact that both can
the celebrations round the ancient festival Of
the Saurnaa and winter solstce, when the old year
went out and the came In; period Of general
1oicing be admitted of great degree of
dysm, noise and license which all the fulminations Of
church councils in the Middle Ages and city ordinances
OF chiefs Of police in these later days have
been unable suppress The youngster of to-day with
his Is Just prominent in creating racket
his prototype Of a couple Of thousand years ago.
OF late years this period Of has largely
striced the OF Christmas and New Year. but for
mery the period closely following Christmas
OF continuous ollihcaton Mummers perambulated the
Of the towns and villages and the Lord of Msrue
the Abbot OF Unreason or the Abbas Stultorum held
sway The Fete Of Fools was celebrated on the three
days following Christmas eliminating Holy Innocens
day in general jamboree, In which not even the
churches spared Young people dressed themselves
up the great disnitariss Of the church. and even the
very oces to have been padied and dances held
in the churches The second Of the Council OF Cog
mac held In 1890 under pain of accommodation all
such a. masQueraded bishops etc. At the councils
held a. Nantes n 4sl and t Bourges IN l4ss fumina
tions we're hurled against he ete OF Tools while
early a. 1914 the celebrations vas oboshsd BY
hsld At Paris Xst the custom g masauerading on the
days following Chrstms6 e not 1T extinct IN many dis
fcs d France and elsewhere ut the celebration has
bsen Sen q much of IT. picturebQueness and At The
49, n~r<r