The Eureka sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1902-current, 1920-01-03
NEW YEARS GIFTS
English Monarchs Practically Ex-
torted Offerings" From Their
Subjects

FuicE W mdho SoPA-
tai out Of New Years gifts. During
the reign of Elizabeth the custom
rose to Its greatest extravaganza. The
Virgin Queen. who apparently
lost an opportunity for extracting
money from her subjects, practically
ordered an astonishing collection Of
gorgeous presents of all kinds. The
donors ranged from the highest off,
GERS of state down to the very street
cleaners.
Sums Of money, costly ornaments.
caskets studded with jewels, neck
laces, bracelets, gowns. looking-glas-
es, fans and curiosities from the new-
ly discovered continents of North and
South America were among the pres
ents.
TESTERS Greed Costly
Another story of New Years gifts
Archy Armstrong, a court
Jester of Charles I, which appears in
1.-THE Banquet of Jests," printed In
1894. Archy was given a few gold
pieces by a certain nobleman from
whom he expected a larger gift. He
turned them over discontentedly In
his hand. muttering that they were
too light.
The nobleman, who would undoubt-
eddy have made a success in modern
business, remarked: "Prithee, then,
Archy, let me see them again; and,
by the way, there is one of them
which I would be loath to part WITH"
Archy, expecting a larger gift, re-
turned them to the nobleman, who
pocketed them, saying calmly: II
once gave money into the hands of a
fool who had not the wit to keep it."
New Years Eve Mosques
Mosques in which the youngsters
took part were often given IN New
Years eve. An old writer says of
the performance: For this purpose
they don old shirts belonging to their
fathers and mount mitre-shaped cas-
ques of brown paper. Attached to
this is a sheet of the same paper
which, falling down in front, covers
the whole face except where holes are
made to let through the point of the
nose and afford sight to the eyes and
breath to the mouth. Each is, like a
knight of old, attended by a sort Of
humble squire, who assumes the hab-
iliments Of a girl with an old woman's
cap and a broom stick and is styled
Bessie
Bessie goes before her principal,
opens all the doors at which he pleas
es to exert singing powers and bus
les herself during the time ofthe song
with sweeping the floor with her
broomstick or in playing any other
antic that she thinks may amuse the
indwellers. The common reward for
this entertainment is a ~halfpenny, but
many churlish persons fall upon the
unfortunate guisers (masqueraders)
and beat them out of the house. Let
such persons. however, keep a good
watch upon their cabbage gardens
upon the coming Halloween's eve!"
There were also curious dramas
which groups of masQuers performed.
They were generally given in the kit
chens of the great house." but often
the family as well as the servants
were present. Sir Walter Scott in
sisted on having a New Years play in
his home every year.
Seeing the Old Year Out
In some cities Of this country 1t
used to be the custom to fire off can
mons and muskets. The ringing of
bells is a result of the religious side
of New Years. After the midnight
services were started the ringing of
the church bells followed IS a natural
sequence and was intended to remind
absent members Of the congregation
that the year was passing.
Many superstitions are connected
with New Years day in all lands. In
Hartfordshire. England, the peasants
believed that If a woman was the first
person to enter the house on the first
day of the year the whole twelve
months would be unlucky. 1t was
supposed to be unlucky to meet a
lame or blind man. a monkey. a wea-
sci or a cat.
Odd Christening Gust m
In the north Of England. II a child
christened on New Years day a
little boy was engaged to meet the
baby as it was taken from its home.
as to avoid the possibility of meet
ing a woman first. The boy received
a cake and cheese wrapped in paper,
for his services.
And SO when you hear the bells
ring out this year, whether you hear
them from your bed. a pew in some
church, an easy chair by a smolder-