HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Seaforth News, 1937-12-23, Page 2PAGE TWO.
Old Yule -Tide at Staffa
(B)' '.lobo Mac'1'avi,h in the Lon -
,don 'Free 'Press.)
More than c:;) years ago Stalin was
live miles away from the nearest rail-
way. The closest telegraph office was
the mute distance.
It is that way still.
'T'e'lephones and electric lights ,were
seldom, if ever, given any 'th'ough't
and certainly did not conte up for
discussion.
But coal oil lamps had replaced
tallow candles and wood was •con-
sumed in ail stoves.
The most .generous spirit prevailed
at every successive ,Yuletide.
The storekeeper would then, if te
.hill of any sizea'b'le amount were paid
in fun, throw off the odd cents.
T.he tavernkeeper, at intervals,
would dispense to frequenters, a con-
coction known as Tom and Jerry, as
a freewill offering of goodwill and
good cheer,
On 'Christmas Day the doctor
would make his necessary rounds as
usual, and usually land home faith an
extra •choice goose and with, perhaps,
a. bag of oats and three or four swede
turnips.
He seldom returned with a heftier
purse. because at all times money was
scarce.
'One year in the eighties tite ,pangs
of a .hitterly cold winter were felt
much earlier than usual. Tor :days 'be-
fore Christmas the thermometer was
low and cold intense.
The wind blew treacherously across
1
Drake heaver meadow. hurtling
quantities of snow sufficient to make
huge drifts in the street extending
from the ,parsonage at the top .of the
hill to the tavern at the foot.
Very little holiday activity was ob-
served outdoors. iRn•bbing frost from
the window pane ne watched men.
vvit`t sc,,nu shovels, making piles of
sn.>0, til' they were lost to view.
:Om drift extended from the ground
teentin- shingles of 'Campbell', Mouse,
coin!dr.! .:y blocking 'front sight 't!'r
entire south side._
The snow was packed` olitllt
that, when crusted on thesurface.
boys and a fret girls used it as a sLl"-
itig',place for unforgettable sledditic.
t.trt. ng o't ..,s s'ee'd: thy roof ha_
side the chimney, turning to reach the
road. zted coining stoic, at ti:r.
town hal' bay .ud the tavern.
I-1. 0 :,n Christmas Day n:, persons
net., ttnre i'.rr,nite'nienced than the
midi carrier who cr„ti.! not Blake his
tray from •I n t altar t D tlthn and
the doctor who had to 'mon; •tea
and t;tk:. to the iit•!rl, t.• .ezh the
..f sickness.
\hitt-bar lltristnia- vire:wilted
entirely different due
Su, .c nicked by .?t, b,leiz'is awl
carte, and horse,, feet to theft- ike
hartltless covered the roars;,.
All vier :lion: tile street w•0. 311:t'
with excitement. Rip. played -.shinny
and 4b all in the street with
htiiitetnarie hall. •tt".tile others keen
speeding oft 11an1o0.e_i,"h: with expres,-
1il:e swiftne,s past where the road,
intersected near the ha.c of the two
hills.
Greatest interest. .hone ..r, centred
on Christmas LEI, V. T: -ie Christmas
tree entertainment wasin the church.
',tali way up the hill.
The children were in an over-
wrought, exalted state.
Scorers of country talk Cash:
oeig.ita. or in cutters, to the village.
Some even walked. 1. bleu, stint arrived
swirl., their families earlier than was
necessary, had the women and child-
ren make their way'clurcltwarci while
they congregated either at the tavern
or the general store to w'hi'le away-
route time.
Later stunectne said, "Well, T guess
it's !bout time we 'were moving up."
which meant it was time to go to the
church.
They arrived in time to fill the last
tanning space, theft the c! nre'h w•as
crows led.
The doctor was sen the platform
saying, "Ladies, Gentlemen. Children,
T
will not detain procee:ll•trs .by at-
tempting a :lengthy ,chairman's ad-
dress, for 'three reasons, "it's not
necessary, it is not expected, and,. 1
feel like a tvhiteltish out of water,"
1\'e never asked him how he knew.
'Hy ,chairman's remarks were fol-
lowed •hy'the address of welcome
giten by a :little boy,- who 115r0'0013'
01 t,lnro'd over the word,.
'Welcome, dear friend,, ,qtr doors
ion: opened ,,,vide." ..
\Ve forget the ...ace -ceding time:.
A selection 'by the music teacher,
'1Don't Blame Me for I Didn't Do
It" brought- forth applause that stili
d�I
d
THE SEAFORTH NEWS
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 23, 1937
tkm,.4.0.-w..(i-,074mAt.omolonogA142,4xn
t1
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rings in tine ears.
Ida was rtotcn int• a rear atietn.
which she gave with notch ie.ticu:a-
tif,n 115141 its awesome tunes.
`'1 stood on the:bridge at ntidttit„]tt,
while the clock to as ,trikitt the
hour."' and so on.
Theta carr neer ,melt !leading the
children in the'siu,giti r carol..
Bott the climax wan r, ached with
the distrih,,fiaut of ,gift,.
'!'hese wi•i' suspended front the
hranche, of the cedar tree. which
reaclretl'from 'the floor- to the ceiling.
(hest to 011, left of tics pulpit.
.\s each parcel or gift was removed
ir•am the tree it Was 'handed to fire
minister nit , passed it t' the doctor
to read aloud the naive of the .c•i
fent who ttnuld come Forward 1' .,
eeive it.
Till• first preset -it was a
which went to 'Jessie, who, overcome
kith joy. .tarter; to reel",.
A little •,.;v ,.01 hcht:; .h
nailed a
lack kui'. ..r ,coated at ones to try it
flat on the hack of a seat.
Maria turtle./ s rtrldg hoc ntl open..
1113 a 'daintt ris., containing a pair of
gold acorn earrings from her beau.
Old ,Geitr,11sc .was jubilant oter u
handmade t radsl 'boot jack, with
which he well,' w, alit.. to pull 'off a
free -for -;i1 ere rice•
• ill. ,hn for ..e :4,i,'('11 a home-made
pair of black a•o„l mitt- trig, red
cuffs; the minister a many '!rued,
flora! .ilk ltamlioireldef. -
Nt this 1 meta: -s the. doctor receive_.
rel a me -sago 0, :> as quickly as pos..'
:ibis- to a Home. ","0.I' able, 'di.it:uta
over which .,t: t' ark .had been hot sirs'
ing for days.
\'ir,hen he re tln'n •,l next day ahs
=frost as ti2ve tti'h boy. and girls)
ti via the road for t igh-riding as 1;
(1 Ind b,e'n toad' foe• their Special
31011,1111e11 t. v I
bider persons neve calling "Merry
Christmas" to etre another and re-
ceiving its :return "the saute to yon."
But the doctor had :scarcely un-
hitched and stabled the horse and
preparations for a .hearty Christmas
dinner, before a than arrived on horse-
back to urge him to go immediately
to attend his wife who was in the
throe= of agony hack beyond the
boundary.
We ask: Did everybody - have 'a
Merry Christmas?
Wife: Dear, 'wily el , you occasion -
any wrap alp what's t -it or your toast
and carry It off?"
Artist: "Why. 1 do :some orf he.ot
Laic',ai skrh ire•s
with it.-
'Arab 'Guide: '11)o 3,00 know the
.hese of burning sands?"
Tourist ,(absently): "Too much fire
under- the spinach,"
Send us the names of your visitors.
THE CHRISTMAS FESTIVAL
Who will earn a niche as the "in-
ventor" of Christmas? It is a vexed
problem, ..aye Horace \Vyttdhant til
the. Illustrated Weekly • of India, and
one that has gtvcn rise to much dis-
pute.:England claims the rlisNoce; ',
for :Charles ;Dickens. and the 1'nited
States for Washington Irving.
Well. if Irving wrote " 1rarebridgc
'11011," :Dickens was responsible for
\ Christmas Carol," Honor• l
easy, The \Vas hingtoo Irving claim,
which W. D. Howells, the American
novelist, championed with ronsidcr-
able warmth, was bitterly resettled hi'
a Dickens enthusiast.
"That ,bad man, Mr. ,TIuitel'ls," was
his furious protest in a letter on the
•object, "'0 auto to rob tis iscusr 'shunt-
er:, of the credit of the revival of
Christmas. Such an attempt is intol-
entitle!" Scarcely the 'Christmas
Sttirit..
Caro'ls are as notch a ,hart of the.
Christmas tradition as are pantomime
and plum -pudding and Santa Claus.
Prince Albert, who, tike all his coun-
trymen, was musical, - composed a
number of carobs which (to his •own
larinonitun 'accompaniment) were
dutifully :sung ,Uy the .nails-.o•f-luonor
and lords -in -waiting at Buckingham
Palace and Windsor Castle. (,queen
Victoria, who was not musical, went
intoraptures over these efforts. ,Her
subjects, however, in chturaoteristica'1-
1y John Bull :fashion, preferred the
long familiar specimens that were of
British origin: Some of these are of
grea't ag'e, tend go 'bac'k to the very
dawn of 'Christianity.
The .earliest 'carol in existence is the
well 'known "Gloria in Exce'1sis,"'Ac-
cording to legend Out unsupported
by any shadow of .proof), this was
originally sung by tite angels to the
,s'h'epherds at Bethlehem. Ilelore mod-
ern carols have been written Iby poets
of such calibre as :Vinton, Ben 'John-
son, and Herrick: 'and the ;famous
"Hark, the Herald Angels Sing,"
which is ,heard in every :church on
•Christinas morning, 1s a variant of
Charles Wesley's 'iHkirk, how all the
Welkin Rings1"
The giving •of "Christmas -hazes" is
an ancient and 'widespread custom.
Only a "Scrooge" would 'but'ton up
his .pockets and ,decline to '`rentam-
hcr" applicants for bounty at this
season, 'Perhaps, this explains -the
tidal -nave of civility that marks the
approach of December h,5, ow'hen et,
rand -boys and cabmen and crossing -
sweepers, policemen and porters and
postmen, with domestics tics and waiter:
;end shop -a. istautts, etc.. all suddenly
ttinpear to bine been studying hooks
011 etirltU$te,
:1.14hon:,;h chlbhuld is traditionally
immune front "tip..." ;December i,
ushered r ed in ht i "Servants' ants' Chriottnas
'Fran l List. to tihiith 11 110 ers suet
'scribe as a matter of coons. :\t sever.,
111 of the ,hie; .Lndo:t aarat,utserais
the total te, he di9trihitto,l on Citi,
cnt:ut teaches four tietures, :toil mite'.
a nlistantiti atlditit:1 1 oho ts;t.;e- •:01
ti,staff.
Queen lilhintieth wastr'tn t .-5
t tt 1, 11 tli I "a it m relxes-
•1r JAr i,l r, len lit 1',.1..it,ll ..i
h:r
11,111,v1:0111. 5• ane , �thrir orterut;
i -rich as a fait nl„unt!'fl with eine olds
ent tII • t arc
a,t'h,•r rntrI?�t -1„0 1 l lr.,+noettl, ,trent
fill '!-1',ltri. •Itr,k,.l. t.,;e coa.ider.
able value. (tut 'the thriitr ,lattrht ;
'Henry \ HI. ,lid not decline
!,unrl,ier present, of those who dwell
-below stair, flans, sheaccepted AIL
411 r yards of aro: material front
Smythe, the (1n,tn1an,” fare W01111ars
were he mit tem i• "a pair o mile
stockings front ..\gites, the house-
maid -one pye of fresh quince• front
lnhn Petts, the const, 1111;1 "a box of
cough ,lozenges from the Court ao,t-
thecarv,”
In return for these tokens _.nf re-
gard, Her Majesty unfastened her
own muse -strings. Bot not very wide-
ly, as she seldom went ireyond a set
of 4.111 cellars, inr some such iuea.pe:u-
.,ivl' trifle. She ones, however, gave
leer brother a translation of an 'Italian
sermon, made in Latin by herself. The
Court ,flunkeys declared tltis to show
"superlative scholarship."
\loch oto the :annoyance of their
donors. the Christmas gifts offered
the Sovereign were sometimes passed
011 to other )(and, as they consideree.
Less deserving) individual.,. In his
Diary 'for 'P(1111 Samuel Pepys has a
caustic comment: 'This day T was
told that My' Castleutainc hath
all the tKing'ts :Christma, presents
made hits by the peers given to her,
which i, a most abominable thing."
',Christmas -boxes" do not always
take the fortis of cash. Some of theta
;arc "in kind;" and coal and blankets,
and boot; and shoes,cigars and cases
of whiskey, and turkeys and theatre -
ticket, often replace money gifts.
That typical old sgaire, Sir Rogers de
l'nverlcy, would seem each of his ten-
ants a ,pmol podding, in the virtues of
tvltirh he wits a ,great believer.
Such gifts as Santa Clat,e does not
put in the children'; stockings are, by
tradition, hung front the 'branchea of
Christmas ,tree. "This practice, width
his hccame so popular among the
younger generation. was introdnce,l
into England by 'Queen Charlotte
lithe spouse of 'George In.). who set
111 talc 111 the 'Royal nursery at'Ken-
sing•ton Palace. But it was not made
,,fas'hionable" until Prince 'Albert
'('tie coal -singer) arrived in 'England,
to marry Queen Victoria. With char-
acteristic ',thoroughness," the had
lotrke t tved't 'ahead. and had packed up
a Christmas :tree anions his luggage.
(Continued en 'Page 7)