morning it seemed as if all ts of t tity of t cy.
tle feet pattering outside of tation.
Presently a ced fortmas carol, the burden of which was--
I rose softly, slipt on my clot beautiful little fairy groups t a painter could imagine. It consisted of a boy and t not more t every c my sudden appearance frigo mute bas playing on tealing a sil, as if by one impulse, turned an angle of triump their escape.
Everyto produce kind and rongality. t upon ream t of it, and a tract of park beyond, rees and a distance , tage c, and a cs dark spire in strong relief against the clear cold sky.
to tom, tremely frosty; t vapor of tated by trees and every blade of grass s ?ne crystalizations. t morning sun among ttering foliage. A robin, percop of a mountain-as s clusters of red berries just before my rain and strutting y of a Spaniserrace walk below.
I appeared to invite me to family prayers. o a small c of ts ed on bencleman read prayers from a desk in front of ter Simon acted as clerk and made t do ice to say t ted gravity and decorum.
tmas carol, which Mr.
Bracebridge ructed from a poem of e aut ed to an old cer Simon. As t remely pleasing, but I icularly grati?ed by tation of and sudden sally of grateful feeling anza, ening and of all time and tune:
<span style="color:grey">quot;tis t cro my glittering h
I afterood t early morning service s day t ther by Mr.
Bracebridge or by some member of t universally t ts of ty and gentry of England, and it is muco be regretted t tom is falling into neglect; for t observer must be sensible of ty prevalent in tiful form of e to every temper for ttunes every spirit to harmony.
Our breakfast consisted of ed true old Englister lamentations over modern breakfasts of tea and toast, ted to able to suit tes of s, yet ts, he sideboard.
After breakfast I ter Simon, or Mr. Simon, as ted by a number of gentlemanlike dogs, t seemed loungers about tablis, from to teady old stag- of of mind; t to a dog-er Simons button of tch he carried in his hand.
till more venerable look in t; and I could not but feel t terraces, rades, and clipped yerees carried ocracy. to be an unusual number of peacocks about t I termed a ?ock of t ed in my per Simon, according to t ancient and approved treatise on ing I must say a muster of peacocks. quot;In t; added air of pedantry, quot;o inform me t, according to Sir Antz, o t;botanding and glory; for, being praised, ly set up ail, c to tent you may tter bey t at tail falletill ail come again as it ;
I could not tion on so
I found t t t t favorites remely careful to keep up tly because to c request at tately banquets of time, and partly because t them highly becoming an old family mansion.
Notomed to say, er state and dignity tique stone balustrade.
Master Simon o ment at ters, remely agreeable in ts of ttle man; and I confess I surprised at quotations from autainly in tioned t circumstance to Frank Bracebridge, Master Simons ion o some into udious ?t, as imes er evening. Sir Antzs Book of ry Contentments, tretyse of ing, by Sir t, Isaac altons Angler, and t andard auties; and, like all men ry and quoted to of old books in ted to tunes t s of t century. ical application of scraps of literature, o be looked upon as a prodigy of book-knosmen, and small sportsmen of the neighborhood.
alking toll of told t ttle particular in cmas morning, considering it a day of pouring out of tusser observed,--
quot;At Cmas be merry, and t t ;
quot;If you are disposed to go to c; said Frank Bracebridge, quot;I can promise you a specimen of my cousin Simons musical acs. As titute of an organ, eurs, and establis; ed a ced my fato tions of Jervaise Markry Contentments: for t out all tenor try bumpkins, and for `s-moutaste among ttiest lasses in t, dif?cult to keep in tune, your pretty female singer being exceedingly o accident.quot;
As ty, of to tone, and stood near a village about e. Adjoining it ly matted ree t rained against its ures o admit ligo tique lattices. As ered nest th and preceded us.
I ed to see a sleek ioned pastor, sucen found in a snug living in ty of a ricrons table, but I ed. ttle, meagre, black-looking man, oo ood off from eac o , like a dried ?lbert in its sy coat, skirts and pockets t ed in large sed h enormous buckles.
I t Oxford, and ly after tter o ate. e black-letter er, and ed in ter. tions of Caxton and ynkyn de orde o tions of Mr. Bracebridge investigations into tive rites and oms of former times, and it plodding spirit temperament follorack of study, merely because it is denominated learning; indifferent to its intrinsic nature, ration of ty of antiquity. ensely t to ed into enance; o a title-page of black-letter.
On reacon for letoe among ted. It migly employed in tive ornamenting of c it otally un?t for sacred purposes. So tenacious ton o strip do part of tropaste before t to enter upon the day.
terior of t simple; on ts of t beside tar omb of ancient ure he hall.
During service Master Simon stood up in ted t kind of ceremonious devotion punctually observed by a gentleman of tions. I observed too t urned over to s ly most solicitous about t of tently on ting time iculation and emphasis.
tra ed a most iced t of tailor, a pale felloreating fore, and seemed to o a point; and t pursy man, stooping and laboring at a bass-viol, so as to s top of a round bald ricty faces among to int; but tlemen cers ly been cone to sing from terings of odd p unlike times see on country tombstones.
tolerably s generally lagging a little berumental, and some loitering ?ddler no time by travelling over a passage y and clearing more bars t fox-er to be in at t t trial er Simon, and on ation. Unluckily, t tset:
ter Simon on lamely and irregularly until to a c;No us sing ; ing company: all became discord and confusion: eaced for to ting one old cer in a pair of acles bestriding and pinco stand a little apart, and, being tion.
t erudite sermon on tes and ceremonies of Cmas, and ty of observing it not merely as a day of t of rejoicing, supporting tness of usages of ties of t. Cyprian, St. Com, St. Augustine, and a cloud more of saints and fatations. I tle at a loss to perceive ty of sucy array of forces to maintain a point o dispute; but I soon found t to contend of Cmas got completely embroiled in tarian controversies of tion, mas of tion of Parliament.* t imes past, and kne little of t.
S up among en tomes in tirement of iquated little study, times o tes of tion nearly turies ion of poor mince-pie t t;mere popery,quot; and roast beef as anti-cian, and t Cmas in again triumply of King C toration. o est and t of imaginary foes o combat; ubborn con?ict ten c of Cmas festivity; and concluded by urging solemn and affecting manner, to stand to traditional customs of t and make merry on the Church.
* From t;Flying Eagle,quot; a small gazette, publis;t mucime t ttling t sea, and before ted errible remonstrance against Cmas day, grounded upon divine Scriptures, 2 Cor. v. 16; I Cor. xv. 14, 17; and in ures, John xx. I; Rev. i. 10; Psalms cxviii. 24; Lev.
xxiii. 7, 11; Mark xv. 8; Psalms lxxxiv. 10, in i-cs masse, and ts c. In consequence of some time in consultation about tion of Cmas day, passed orders to t effect, and resolved to sit on tmas day.quot;
I tended apparently e effects, for on leaving tion seemed one and all possessed y of spirit so earnestly enjoined by tor. ts in ting and s crying Ule! Ule! and repeating some uncouts to tfelt sincerity, and ed by o to take someto keep out ttered by several of t, in t of s, t forgotten true Cmas virtue of cy.
* quot;Ule! Ule!
On our , tic merriment nos and looked around y. ty of tself suf?cient to inspire phropy.
Notanding tiness of t poo melt ay, and to bring out ter. Large tracts of smiling verdure contrasted eness of tered bank on s silver rill of cold and limpid er, glittering t up sligions to contribute to t above truly criumpy ter; it mas ality breaking t into a ?oo tions of good cable farm-ctages. quot;I love,quot; said ;to see t by ric is a great to least, o you; and I am almost disposed to join ion on every co t festival:
t on to lament ts tenanced by tles and manor- dayligables o enter and make merry.* quot;Our old games and local customs,quot; said ; effect in making t fond of ion of try made imes merrier and kinder and better, and I can truly say, s,
<span style="color:grey">quot;`I like the curious preciseness
<span style="color:grey"> t seek to baniss,
<span style="color:grey"> a;
quot;tion,quot; continued ;is altered; our simple true-ed peasantry. to terests are separate.
too knoo read neen to ale-icians, and talk of reform. I to keep times y and gentry to pass more time on tates, mingle more among try-people, and set t;
* quot;An Englisleman, at t day--i.e. on Cmas Day in tenants and neiger rong beer ifully about, oast, sugar and nutmeg, and good C sausage) must be boiled by daybreak, or else t take t-place till s;--Round about our Sea-Coal Fire.
Suc for mitigating public discontent: and, indeed, tempted to put rine in practice, and a fery-people, understand o play ts in tality; many uncoutances occurred; ts of try, and more beggars drao t rid of in a year. Since tented ing t part of try to call at tmas Day, and ributing beef, and bread, and ale among t t make merry in their own dwellings.
e been long ance. A band of country lads, coats, t-sleeves fancifully tied s decorated ry.
topped before truck up a peculiar air, and tricate dance, advancing, retreating, and striking toget time to tail of s of ttling a Cmas box ic gesticulations.
tion interest and delig of its origin, o times of ts. quot;It ; ;nearly extinct, but ally met races of it in ts revival; to tell trut oo apt to be follo;
After ty ertained out ics, and rations of deference and regard. It is true I perceived ts, as tankards to turned making somet t t my eye ter Simon, tions and amusements tor at every farmtage, gossiped ers, and, like t type of a vagrant bacolled ts from all try round.
ts soon gave ionate in ty of t is excited by ty and familiarity of titude enters into try frankly uttered by a patron gladdens t of t more tired t increased, and ter, particularly beter Simon and a e-o be t of to orts, and burst into a gratuitous laugand them.
to merriment: as I passed to my room to dress for dinner, I , and, looking t commanded it, I perceived a band of ambourine; a pretty coquettis country lad, of t a glimpse of my face at ted confusion.