Dresden enterprise and Sharon tribune. (Dresden, Tenn.) 1907-1997, 1920-01-02
EW YEARS
English Monarchs Practit
torted e0fferings" From
Their Subjects.

Queen, who apparently never lost al
opportunity for extracting money from
her subjects, practically ordered al
astonishing collection of gorgeous
presents Of all kinds. The donors
ranged from the highest officers Of
state down to the very street cleaners
Sums of money, costly ornaments
caskets studded with jewels, neck
faces. bracelets, gowns, looking-glass
es, fans and curiosities from the new
ly discovered continents Of North ant
South America were among the pres
ents.
TESTERS Greed Costly.
Another story Of New Years gifts
concerns Archy Armstrong, a court
Jester Of Charles I, which appears in
1.-THE Banquet Of Jests," printed In
1884. 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 l
would be loath to part with" Archy,
expecting larger gift, returned them
to the nobleman, who pocketed them,
saying calmly: II once gave money
into the hands of fool who had not
the wit to keep it.
New Years Eve Mosques.
Mosques in which the youngsters
took part were often given on New
Years eve. An old writer says of the
performance For this purpose they
don old shirts belonging to their IA
theirs and mount mitre-shaped casques
of brown paper. Attached to this is
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 af-
ford sight to the eyes and breath to
the mouth. Each is, like knight Of
old, attended by sort of humble
squire, who assumes the habiliments Of
II girl with an old wOman's cap and
broom stick and is styled Bessie
Bessie. goes before her principal,
opens all the doors at which he
pleases to exert singing powers and
busies herself during the time of the
song with sweeping the floor with 4tier
broomstick or in playlr any other
anti. aptie that she THINKS may amuse the
tndwellers. The common reward for
this entertainment is a halfpenny, but
many churllsh persons fall upon the
unfortunate guisers (masqueraders)
and beat them out of the house. Let
such persons, however, keep good
watch upon their cabbage gardens
upon the coming Halloween's evel"
There were also curious dramas
which groups of masQuers performed.
They were generally given in the
kitchens Of the great house." but
pften the, family as we'll as the serv-
ants Were present. Sir Walter Scott
Insisted on having 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
non and muskets. The ringing of bells |
Is result of the religious side of New
Years. After the midnight services
were started the ringing of the church
bells followed as a natural sequence |
and was intended to remind absent |
members Of the congregation that the
year was passing
Many superstitl0ns 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 sup
posed to be unlucky to meet lame or
blind man, a monkey, weasel or a
cat.
Odd Christening Custom.
In the north of England, if a child
WAS christened on New Years day
little boy was engaged to meet the
baby as it was taken from it's home, so
as to avoid the possibility of meeting
a woman first. The boy received
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, pew in some church,
an easy chair by smoldering fire or
a chair at a restaurant table, don't
think that what you are doing is any
thing new. You are watching year
die and hoping or praying for the year
which is just born.
And back through the ages, through
a thousand generations men and wom-
en- have done the same and left some
trace of themselves in some half-for-
gotten custom as you may do, quite
when 1920 makes its
how to the world.
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plies Cured In & tOf4 DAVIS