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* It is, and I may safely promiSe JY"" | « cordial welcome on the part of its | fair mistress.‘" t " Hospitality is a paramount virtno'l among you here," said the organist, | " 1 bave seen Miss Earle at ehurch." | " And a very pretty girl she is." said John Sierling, " and as good AS§: she is preitty. She is devotedly fond of music, too, so you have it in your power to make her very happy this eÂ¥~ ening." No more was said. They reached the house,. divested themselves of their bats and greatâ€"coats, an from their topâ€"boots ered by a fair damsel ber drawingâ€"room. Mrs. Sterling sat 0C°C knitting, Miss Earle on a I ing over a book. Even se els, when one has had a su will pall upon the youth Both storted up eagerly Pr. Joun. Ur. JOun. " How do, molher / How do, Amy ? Horrid weather, isn‘t it / Allow me to present Mr. Victor Latour, the new organist ol 3t. Jude‘s. i found him like one of the babes in the wood, nearly buried alive, and rescued him frowm an aniimely emd, like the gooi Saiariâ€" ‘an that 1 am." . T _ LSEL Mr. Latour bowed to the ladies "***** easy grace, took a seal, and was At home at once. Miss Earle stole a seoâ€" ond glance at him unier her eyelasbes. How v>ry handsoime he was! Dark and pale, and interestingâ€"just Miss Larle‘s iiyle, with raven bhair and mustache, and slow, sleepy, won lerful black eyesâ€" "If he had a treek cap and a crignâ€" on sash, and a scimiter by bhis side he would look like a Corsair," Amy thought. " 1 never saw a more perfect nose; and 1 always did admire Lhose creaimy complexions. Victor Latour ! Such a dear, romanlic name, two! J really think he is the hi.ndsomest man 1 ever saw." Supper came inâ€"a supper for Sybarâ€" ites or the gods. Mr. Latour was deâ€" | lightful ; he talked with an easy grace, and a general knowledge of everything : under the sun. Miss Earle listened enâ€" . iranced. The slow, sleepy black eyes wandered very often io the pretty roseâ€" hued face, thrilling her through with mesmeric power. It was the bero of her dreams at lastâ€"Count Lara in the flesh. Mr. Latour played. The superb piano, under those slendjler fingers, gave forth grand, grateful tonesâ€"the room, was floodei with beavenly melody. Mr. Latour bad the soul of a Beethoven or Mozart, and the magnificent strains held his hearers entranced for kours. It was a charming evening, one to be J vefraveut enc after : ancd before it It was a charming evening, remembered long after; an was over Miss Amy Earle 1 and romantiically, @and ho w i and love FoRr THE THIRD TIME | She sat up late that nig the small hours, nestTing lisiening to the wild b winiry storm, and drea dreams. came, golden, glowingâ€"the most ; ious summer in Amy‘s life. She in loveâ€"pass onately, ridiculous}y romantic â€" girl‘s first love â€"and world was Eden, and she the lra: Eve that ever donced in the suns 1. dfi 44 AMf cceb dsb »‘ Ai‘s i romantic â€" girt‘s first love â€"and the, ~ world was Eden, and she the Faspiest .. Eve that ever donced in the sunshine. g And Victor Latourâ€"was he in love, | too, with the bright little heiress? Mr. ll Latour was a puszle and a mystery.‘ There were times when no lover could be more loverâ€"like, more devoled, w hen ® smiles lit up the dark creamy face anid | every look was love. Then Amy‘s bliss was complete. 1 "He loves me, I know," her fool‘sh & heart would flutter. " He will propose I the very next time we meet. Oh, my“ darling, if you only knew how much ; L love you !" ’ The next time would come, and lo ! | Mr. Latour came with it, dark, cold,| moody, wrapped in gloom and myslery â€"grim and unsmiling as doom. Amy ; trembled before those sombre 'lark': eyes. He was more like the Corsair, perhaps, than ever But poor Amy beâ€"| gan to thin‘ that mo «dy and mysterious beings we&re nleasanver in Lord Ityron'u'; poem than ir actual life. I "I wonder if he ever commiited a murder, like Fusgene Aram ; or lost an idolize| Medora, as Conrad did :‘ Miss| Earle thought. "Oh! Why doesn‘t ho speak out, when hbe knowsâ€"he â€" must: knowâ€"I adore him ?" | This suliry August evening she stoo l wistfully gazing at the sun t. and thinking dessonjently of her isol. "MUe was positively rude to me last »vening," Miss Farle reflected. " Mr. ~ochester was never more grumpy to fane Eyre. I wonder if 1 shall see bhim coâ€"night ? He is alvays playing the orâ€" gan in the ckurch at this bour. 1 think IT‘ll {ake a walk up to the village." gna took her hat and trinped away. She took her hat ans T walking swilily, considerir Blackwood lay behbin‘ ber: n the dusty high roa‘ alon wa‘â€"tinted sky, No., not Re O Cun CC 0 e »alâ€"tinted sky, No. not alone! Her neart giowe a great lunge. There. comâ€" ‘ng toward her. was the solemn ficnre she knew so well That slow, graceful! walkâ€"ah! furtber off. she would have knovn her bandsone lover! Mr. Latoar was in bi~ brightest mond this sultry twilight. He drow Amy‘s arm tPrough bis own. as ore who lad the right. bending his stately head s uwar and mesmerizing her with Mr. Latour | this sultry t arm tProvug> the right be wwer ner, ans g sat before lhe LT® Earile on a lounge y&A" nâ€" k. Even sensaiion nOoYâ€" as had a surfeil of Lhem, , the youthful intellect. an anpariy Lo welcome a paramount virtue " said the organist, s Earle at church." pretty girl she is." and stamped e that night, quite into . nestting over the fire, e wild beating of the and dreaming delicious x seat, and was at ss Earle stole a seoâ€" un ier her eyelasbes. ie he was ! Dark and agâ€"just Miss Larle‘s bair and mustache, , and were into a prelty ly promisc you | the witchery the part of its eyes. Very slc \ Amy was in I to the ladies with onuer P ? SHAOEE EC ANIICT 3 s alvays playing the orâ€"! L ha ch at this bour. 1 think | man & up to the village." his hat and trinped away. 1 bis y, considering the best,. be c tekin! ber: she was out whe a* ran‘ atone. unider the|tics > was deeply, hopelessly in the snow ubrne in o ulc o zuo Te . ied i ol 0 it e tmin s o d (as w o toos pniecad, : S y::’;,":.v mR ce % es uy c hok wole e o ‘ ~__ jer was Tghtâ€"‘ 40â€" | And I love her fire the witchery of those glorious DIAC® eyes. Very siqwly they sauntered along. Amy was in no burry nowâ€"she bad got all she wanted. > Jobhn Sterling bad chosen this evenâ€" ing to pay a visit to his motber and her ward. Half an hour after, be sirode over the dusty highway, whistâ€" ling chbeerily, and looking up at the round, white, August moon. He bad enâ€" tered Blackwoo1!, and was appro&'bmg the house at a sSwinging FA®® when he suddenly stopped. There, before him, walking 38 lovers walk, bending, whispering, loilering, were two forms he knew well. All flashed upon bim at the sight. _ Lost!" be said, turning very pale: * Los:, for the second time ! My mothâ€" \er was rightâ€"I have lingered 100 long ! I nA T love her as that man never can! Mr. Latour did not enter the house with Amy. He parted with ber under the waving trees, with a long, ling®"" ing, lover‘s kiss. Ur. Sterling and he met face to face in the silvery moon: light. He touched hbhis bhat and passed ravidly on, but _ not before Jobhn bad seen his face. How deathly pale be was| What a wild gleam there was in his weird black eyes! The light of T iL sbwa E aviee s mumie Sthk younk RECCRE RERR CCC IFD was | What a wild gleam there his weird black eyes! The 1 those spectral eyes made the doctor recoil. N *tal 54 ‘ docior recoil. Good hbeaven!" he thought, * he looks now like the Miltonian Lucifer with that livid face, flaming eyeS, and that dark, demoniac beauty. Who is he ! What is hbef Pe is not a good _ man i we know no more of bim than if he had dropped from the moon, although he has been among us over balf a yeat. And that romantic child is ready to die, or &0 mad for his sake. My friend, LatouT, L think I‘l turn amateur detective, and bunt up your antecedents."‘ Ir John met with rather a vpol re; 33417 14 90M â€"2 IB ht Aifieionts Pe t Py‘ C Dr. John mei with rather a cool reâ€" ception on this particular evening at the hospitable mansion, Mrs. Sterling was decidedly cross and out of sorts ; perhaps she susgpected or had seen the parling embrace under the hemlocks. She had no patience with her son‘s tatrâ€" diness and delicate scruples of consciâ€" en~e about marrying heiresses. And Miss Farle wrapped in a bliss too inâ€" tense for smiles or words sat by the window ani gazed on the bright silâ€" very moonlight. m 2 o migan ols utth & " You are hoin evening that it is self away ; but I case uyp in the vill fore pleasure, you _ * We are rather said. f ‘"* A penny mere." M A" b CHAPTER VlL for your thoughts, sileat toâ€";x-igvht,” she 1 whistâ€" at the bad enâ€" oaching black "Mrs. Sterling calls me & a murderer, does she?t Real your elderly dragon is of a ‘suspicious turn, isn‘t she ? | your sake or for her son‘s, \ dert" \‘ *R f aeiÂ¥ DP 0T "Mrs. Sterling has always been very good to me, Victor Latour," Amy said, deprecatingly; "and I am sure she has my welfare at heart. And you 8e°¢, dear, we don‘t know anything of you, C esart "«AUT H4INC. AnGâ€"and L love yO haik Sabctmc l Pb sth L4 my welfare at heart. And you »"" dear, we don‘t know anything of YO“,‘ except your name, andâ€"and 1 love you with all my heart." The frown deepened under the broad rim of his summer hat. "And you are a little suspicious, too, my Amy. You must have my tioâ€" graphy from the hour of my birth, I 6 T 5. nafare vory commit yourself ‘"And you are a HULIC PHPP!""" C C‘v. 0_ my Amy. You must have my tioâ€" graphy from the hour of my hbirth, I presume, before you commit yourself further. And if the history proves unâ€" satisfactory, it is not too late to draw back yet, is it?t" "Victor, how uniust you are! _ No, tell me nothing, since you can doubt me; tell me nothing, and yOUu will see how perfect love casteth out fear." "And you will marry me blindfolded? Take me as I am?‘ ’ P uol cce haw fane 1 He l‘;;k:d _léughing down with a bright look, all gone gone. "My darling!"‘ She clasped his arm‘ rapturously with both hands, and look-i ed un into his handsome face "I know | that I_ love you dearly, dearlyâ€"that I could die for your sake. What morel do I need to know?" 1 | "What, indeed, my little enthusiast? Nevertheless, I had better make & clean breast of it, for Mrs. Sterling‘s peace of mind. TUnfortunately, there is very little to tell, and that little not in the least out of the ordinary humdrum way. I never was & pickâ€" pocket, never a blackleg. I can safely say that. I am of French extraction, ud Td ut o un BGWes "What, indeed, my Nevertheless, I _ had clean breast of it, f« peace of mind. Un esE CC gay that. 1 anp ol EnV sns 8 AYPAYâ€" born in Canada, taught music as a proâ€"| fession. Came over to this country,| and, through friends, was recommendâ€" ed here as organist. There you have it: let Mrs. Sterling and her son make the most of it." Amy was satisliedâ€"it was a little vague, but it sufficed for, her. 'I‘heir‘ ramble through the grounds was a' very long one, and before it came_ to an end the wedding day was fixed. "The middle of September is very soon," Amy murmured, deprecatingâ€" ly; "but anything to please . YOU, Victor: and Mrs. Sterling is disagreeâ€" able of late. Won‘t you come in to| luncheon?" t | "Not toâ€"day. Tell your duenna hy\ yourself, and I will ride over this evening and see if the shock has provâ€" ed fatal. _ Goodâ€"by, my own. Soon goodâ€"by _ will be unknown between us." \Urs Sterling heard the news of the approaching marriage with cold scorn. "As well this moment ‘as the next," she said, frigidly; ‘"since it is to be at alt ( ‘wash my hands of the whole all. L w business." > 50 t ud u4 0 dfi sb at ts 0 d0B s dn nsÂ¥ d i .. 1PR s Pccasr o cecindetiantii W ‘in\vllfv.u:‘v}‘ffitll:"f‘l in London for that, the fort, the underm other wedding, lay packed upâ€"stairs in | were seen by the s'?; great boxes still Amy revolted, a litâ€" | Eor.t Cavagnart. tle from using it. ‘The odor of death | their brothers in a: and the grave seemed to hang nruund*l awaiting them, but °C but the f as so short, there| busily employed in it but the time was so sNOTL, tad usily 1 y f was no alternative. Glistening rOD6,| slaughts of the l(;:e misty veil, orange wreath, jew eled fan,| the telescopic {, er dainty â€" Parisian â€" gloves and slippers, | comrades. A‘!l( so saw the light once more; and the sum-‘ h\'venty-or_le Sikhs g! mer days {lew by and. brought a.round| died at his post. R Amy Farle‘s second bridal eve. | _ _AlM this tooki)[! “i‘: _ The September afternoon had been | of September 12. t lowering and overcast. Sullenclouds} crafty in dayligh * darkened the summer sky; an ominous| night became 8uj e"-l hush lay over the earth _ the trees'senuy' has fa”er:.'_gl\ sbivered in the stillness \\1t.h't‘he preâ€"| ously in th'e lmt‘;‘-n| science of the coming storm . Uhrough‘ form, moving $ ,u] .('m‘ ominous â€" twilight Vy-tor Laâ€" | as the sent!-'y p:ul‘eS tour rode over from t:‘e }:"l”;li:f‘e to | wal;'ds, g(ffilwx"sg :ilgl;g i f s bride. { $ spend ‘bis bridat eve 190 ns BC C en s ues a ~ dagy per : uly a ESA O i e P ce © 1OCTT _R * 0 1 | Iueunibe‘s P e n s nercoiorringt had _ been | or Reptember 42. Af the Afridh / were _ * ° C Hep a. f owering and overcast. Sullen clouds | craf:ly eix: )fi;y]ight, hilse (‘»unrrllilllg “e;‘:l larkened the summer sky:; an ominous| night became superhuman. . Many s mish lay, over the earth | the trees" sentry bhas fallen silently and mysteriâ€". :j-il‘::f:'lolf"t}“;ev;tl;“i‘:;sitO\;:'t"‘l,H:'; Oll‘g}-\'! ously in the Indian night: _A naked the _ ominous t\\'i'igh-t Victor Iia-‘form' Te ns n e on aards at CPoY l;;wr role over from the village ‘to" o o ce cce Ailt hackw:}rds c ie ns sp;."’l hi~" iial ave c TPh. his ‘!'gi;le | wards, getting a_lmost motionless as the How white he wasâ€"white _ to the | sentry draws nigh @ se old 16 lips! and what a_ strange fire trat It’(])llowe((il h{ j daggeyrlthil:ust; ufm- : was burning duskily in his great, somâ€" ; ax]::l et%e :ec;:fngg ;I,:;nyn'(;flntrnsg]d:,?:: bre eyes. _ \Vhat an unnatural °Xâ€" | tory.â€"‘" An Officer," in London Teleâ€" pression his face wore when he lookâ€" | graph. f t ed .{ "is fair brideâ€"elect. Surely never | bridegroom looked like that in the Armergy »eponnel o4 opd befure. i * g oR;GIN OF CHRISTMAS GIFTS. t l mcap i te on h ces 1 Coubdid Te 0 0B 40 00 ) c atln contnunatie WOPICE UORMEZ! i \\'4.- are goi.m: to have a storm," h.e _ At the time of the said, in a vorce as unnatural as his . face."Lightning and thunder, and, friends, masters and rain, will usher in our wedding | day,‘ gether, and gifts we manner similar to t worid neiIore. I ‘*We are :goltle to have a storm," h€| _ At the time of the Roman saturnalia | said, in a vorce aS unnatural as his friend te [ 81 feasted Loâ€"| face "Lightning and thunder, ind | riends, masters and slaves feasted toâ€"| rain, will usher in our wedding | day,‘ gether, astd gifts were exchanged in a. Amy." manner similar to the present time. In | they were alome together in â€"_the fact, from the earliest times the giving: pretty amber drawingâ€"room MrsS.| and receiving of gifts and the offerings Sterling always swept away 'l.aup;ht.-‘ to the poor have been the way in which ily when the man sha disliked enâ€"| people. have expressed thanks and tered. Amy looked up at her lover,| shown their joylulness. .\ it is _ the trembling with vague terror. ‘ thought and not the expense of the "How strangely you look, Victor!‘ Christmas gift that pleases the recipiâ€" she faitered. "What is it?" ent. In giving presents ay t is seaâ€" \Ur. Latour tried to laugh, but the son they should be chosen with love laugh was a miserable failure. in the heart and the thought of suitâ€" "The weather, 1 suppose. Thunder Ableness. storms always give me the horrors ; â€"= ani superstitious people would cal:2 i:. BURNED AS ENCHANTERS. an evil omen on our bridal eve. u & we are not superstitious, my, Amy:; so In 1609 an Englishman named Banks draw the curtains, and light the lamp, had a horse which he bhad trained and let: (‘ne' avenzing elements have to follow him wherever hg went, over their fling.!‘ C y .,_._ ! fences and to the roofs of buildings. wlou en css Pn en o l aonak hn Cthe t "ant \Mr. Latour lingered until past ten, listâ€"ning to the music of his ohediâ€" ent little slave. He stood behind hber chair; she could not seea( him; and it was well for her she could not. The riszid. white,. faceâ€"white to ghastliness â€"those burning black eyes. Lucifer hurled from hbeaven might have lookâ€" ed like that Amy accompanied her lover to the portico. The storm had not yet burst, but the night was inky dark. The darkness, or the thought of that other tragic wedding eve, made her tremble from head to foot, as she bade her beâ€" trothed goodâ€"by. . uy es n Py i EL CPOLMENR ECCC OCZ! "Oh, my love, be careful!" she whisâ€" pered. "If anything happens to you [ shall die." "Nothing will happen!" He set his toeth fiercely in the darkness. "I defy Fate itself to sevarate us two. Goodâ€" nizht. my Amy ; look your pretâ€" tiest toâ€"morrow, my sweet fairy bride." & c :0E ALEECE M . the glittering array storm broke at But she shall not _ Really, Amy, is of a horribly ane? Is it f0f t music as a proâ€" to this country, was recommendâ€" There you have nd her son make in her face the clouds thief or I wonâ€" DF . ~ gMIUEC S KW CSE sweet _ fairy‘ _ In Russia it is the custom for duelâ€" lists to breakfast together before goâ€" midnight. The‘ ing out to fight. of bridal lightning flashed, tha thunder rolled, the rain fell in torrents Amy, cOWâ€" ering and frightened, huddled under the bedclothes in an sgonfv of terror, and longed unutterably for morning and sunshine. * Morning came, but no sunshine. The sky was still of lead, the rain still fell sullenly, ceaselessly. The hours wore on; ten, the time for the ceremony, arâ€" rived; the guests were assembled, shivâ€" ering in the parlor. Thd bride, lovely in her bridal robes, stoo® ready and waiting in the midst of her bridesâ€" maids; but the bhour had struck before the bridegroom came. An Officer Describes the Cunning Ways of These Hardy Tribesmen:. Th‘ any account of the ways the Afridis fight, it is necessary to inâ€" clude in the description the military characteristics of the frontier natives without regard to differences of ! tribe. \ Their style of fighting is specially adapted to the geographical conditions of the country. Both at Fort Saraâ€" ghari and at Fort CavagnariI had an opportunity, with other officers, of learning the peculiar fighting way$ of the Afridis. Every race, of course, has its own method of combat, and the Afridis conduct _ their operations against an enemy in a manner altoâ€" gether their own; 1t is as shifty as it is effective. Few civilians can realize hbow â€" deadly it may . beâ€" creeping slowly up a hillside, lodges | ! itself in sections behind huge boulders i and, under cover of these, pours volâ€" | ley after volley at the human targets â€"as those engaged in the task of guardâ€" ing the summit become. Watching | the advancement of a foe is not at! any time an inspiriting occupation{ it\ is worse to see the halfâ€"naked ‘Afridis | creeping slowly and slowly from boulâ€" | der to boulder. This is what takes" place in broad daylight, but even\ then the cunning Afridi can circumâ€" | vent nature. Take, as AN ILLUSTRATION of this, the way in‘ which Fort Saraâ€" ghari fell. It occurred in‘ broad dayâ€" light and within sight of the neighâ€" boring fort of Cavagnari, where the stealthy operations of the tribesmen were observed by the imperial troops, | Attempts were made by means of | signals to warn tue defenders of the 'l British flag of their danger, but to no avail. ,\ Although considerfed impregnable, Bart Sarachari. built of square stone It Although considered impresnd"""" Fort Saraghari, buiit of square stone with two bastions at opposite angles, was fatally defective in design. It had a "dead" point underneath each bastionâ€"ie., a point from which an e fo ho us he t n enemy could be neither seen by the defenders. The result while the contending forces TORONTO RASGen eA EEme T Odhe c M s i dR P OS ce o0 ie enemy could be neither seem nor bit |. by the defenders. The result was that || while the contending forces were firâ€" |â€" ing against each otherâ€"the defenders in the forts and the assailants Lehind | stone breastâ€"works and within _ ten | yards of each otherâ€"a few nativeâ€"Lorn | "engineers‘‘ among the Afridis who had 1 crept up to the "dead" point were | mining a@& breach in one of the basâ€" tions. Before this was made sufficientâ€" ly large to admit the savage . tribesâ€" | men to make their deadly, rush into | the fort, the undermining operations | were seen by the small force holding | Fort Cavagnari. . These signalled to| it,heir brothers in arms the danger! awaiting them, but the latter were tooi | busily employed in repelling the onâ€" B t m tis nrwindih ~Bur ly large to admit men to make their the fort, the under were seen by the 8 Fort Cavagnari RAUne ES NAE C e cce ind ce en un cce slaughts of the enemy to benefit by the telescopic observations of â€" their comrades. And so every one of the twentyvâ€"one Sikhs guarding Saraghari is bad enough when an cnemy, HOW AFRIDIS FIGRHT. BURNED AS ENCHANTERS. ‘ In 1609 an Englishman named Banks had a horse which he bad trained to follow him wherever hg went, over fences and to the roofs of buildings. He and his horse went to the top of that immensely hbigh structure, St. Paul‘s Church. After many wonderful exploits at home, the horse and his master went to Rome, where they perâ€" formed feats equally _ astonishing. The result was that both Banks and his horse were burned as enâ€" chanters. Mrs. De Laceâ€"This paper says that every pound of ivory in imarket reâ€" presents a _ human life. SS i 5 vew Li dn uce e P c y l id _ Mrs. De L â€"That‘s almost as bad as the whalebone industry. _ _ Mrs De L.â€"Is whale fishing so very Axnigeropwt »® _ â€"â€" 00. . .â€"_ a _ Mr. De Lâ€"No that is safe enough, but think of the women the whalebone kil *o Be Continued. â€"| | COsTLY MERCHANDISE. it is necessary to inâ€" scription the military of the frontier natives rd to differences of the afternoon rolled, Sash and DoOF Gaving Completed our New Factory we are now pNP"" to FILL ALL ORDERS PROMPTLY. We keep in Stock a large quantity of Sash, NDoors, Mouldings, Flooring and the differâ€" ent Kinds of Dressed Lumber for outside sheeting. * 2 un m Lumber, Shingles uoors, Ailk V UiUWAAARN J C 0 0 CC ent Kinds of Dressed Lumber for outside sheeting. Our Stock of DRY LUMRE is very Large so that all order? It is said that our customs of cele | _ brating the greatest of all festival | ;] days, Christmas, are descended from or l Y are survivals of the old world customs 0 which existed in England a couple of |d centuries ago, Yet when these latter § are examined into it requires a wide | 6 stretch of an unusually elastic imagâ€" ,iJ ination, to link the ways of the preâ€" ‘: sent day with those of the seventeenth or even the eighteenth century. li It seems probable that the folks of |®© half a dozen generations ago crowded L: more merriment into the Christmas ||¢‘ season than we of this age do, and |1 ;I they went about it with the same preâ€" : ‘uranged systematic care that acomâ€" ~l mercial prince now devotes to some ; ‘ great financial coup. But the fun was ;/ | of a boisterous kind, quite inconsistâ€" P ent with the crowded way of living | these days. If one of the old merryâ€" » makers could come to life on Christmas | day and celebrate the festival in the | way fashion and custom demanded in ; his time, he would probably find himâ€" | self in the lockâ€"up charged with rudeâ€" | |\ly disturbing the peace. | ; Noise, bluster, feasting, drinking, | | and horse play were the chief features ; of the oldtime English Christmas. Gift | making exisied as it had for many preâ€" . ?'vious c nturies, but that was mere‘y '1 ; an incidental feature and not nearly | i | so important 2s the work of the pomâ€" . i | pous butler, upon whom devolved the t' responsibility of carrying into the dinâ€" = | ing ball the great boar‘s head. What s a bleak Christmas it would be now@&â€" gi‘days if gift making were secondary to n | bringing in a boar‘s head. 4| _ The oldtime Christmas began a week e | before the arrival of the day, just as ?‘ the sboppers of toâ€"day rush out with sâ€" | fat purses to lure the holiday bargain. to | But purchasing gifts did not bother m~1'| the heads or weary the bodies of the £ | old world folks CHKRISTMAS CUSTOMS. The gathering of the holly and misâ€" ! tletoe for the decoration of house and : church was their initial task, and it was performed by the villags en masse, .. headed by brave pipers and fiddlers, who filled the forests with the joyful melodies of Christmas tide, It was the Pagans who first used holly and misâ€" tletoe for observances. and the pracâ€" tice was adopted by the early Christian churches. The Greeks and Romans also used them in their religious ceremonâ€" jes, as did the Druids and the Celtic | and Gothic mations. So the young maid | of toâ€"day who stands alluringly under \a sprig of mistletose may find satisfasâ€" tion in knowing that she is foilowing the precedent of centuries, in Druidical times the simple peasâ€" ants flocked in crow ds to join the proâ€" cessions in which the Druidical pries!s were the foremost actors. The train was headed by the bards singing canâ€" ticles and bymns, A herald preceded \ three Druids, {furnished with impleâ€" |ments for the purpose of cutting the .| mystic plantâ€"upright hatchets of brass fixed to etaves. Then â€" followed the |prince or chief of the Druids, accomâ€" | panied by all hjs flock and followors. ) The chief mounted the oak, with a goldâ€" of the year, the branches, after restâ€" ing on the Druidical altars in the interâ€" \val, were distributed among the peoâ€" |ple as a sacred and boly plant, the \Druids crying, " The mistletoe for the | new year." _ _ § en sickle detaching the mistleioe, and presenting it to the priests, who reâ€" ceived and bore the branches away, with deep reverence. On the first day Many were the superstitions attachâ€" ing to the plant. Among the latter day charms associated with it, when suspended in a bunch in the servants‘ hall, was the traditionary and favorâ€" ite observance of kissing the maids unâ€" der its branches, the superstition preâ€" vailing that the maiden who missed being beartily kissed under her misâ€" tletoe at Christmas, would forfeit her chance of early matrimony, and cerâ€" ta‘nly not be married in the ensuing twelve months. A medieval observance which always , followed the gathering of holly and | mistletoe was the cutting and haulâ€"| ing home of the Yule log. The favorite | Yule log was a crossâ€"grained block of elm, or the rugged root of a tree of : fantastic and grotesque form, and this was drawn home to the kitchen or great hall, with the same merryâ€"making that attended the gathering of the holly. Before the crowning event of kindâ€" ling the Christmas log from the charâ€" red remains of its predecessor of the year before, there were sports in plenâ€" ty to be. performed. ty to be performed. | _ Motherâ€"Do you think M«. Harvey !8 Ofttimes these logs were directed to | a nice youag man t 4 be provided by the lords of the manor. _ Bseatriceâ€"Why, yes, mamma Ho‘s The furnishing of Christmas logs was been engaged to six of the swellest girls a form of tenure; thus the cellarist | in the city. of 5t. Edmundsbury hbeld under th.‘ _ can be filled. In Stock. x_ G. &J. MoKECHNIE abbey the manor of Hardwick, and was bound by the conditions of his title to provide annually _four Christma® stocks, each of eight feet in lengthâ€" Formerly the members of the famâ€" ily and guests sat dow n in turn on the Â¥ule log, the thronme of the mutes of the revels; sang & Yule song, 4B drank to a merry Christmas and hapâ€" py New Year. As part of their feast, Yule dough or Yule cakes were CORBâ€" sumed. These bore impressed figures in the shape of an image ; «ometimes they were made in the form of an inâ€" fant ; nor was the manger overlooked, Another employment for the lo&. ere its conflagration was provided by the old Christmas gambol of drawing "Dun out of the mire," an ancient instituâ€" tion often ment lioned. The Yule stock, |druwn into the middle of the floor, | became, * Dun the cart horse" for the | nonce; the ery was raised that be had \stuck in the mire. Two of the comâ€" | pany, with or without ropes, advanced . to extricate PDun. After various, real _ and feigned exertions they called for | more help, until all present were mixed up in the rough and tumble exertion, | The fun arose from the horseplay of the revelers, falling about, and conâ€" | triving to roll or drop the log on each other‘s toes. This was kept up with hearty enjoyment, until, the fun beâ€" | ing exbhansted, * Dun was drawn out." | The caro‘! singers and ‘‘waits" were / a regular feature of the day. The forâ€" ; mer visited the homes of the rich, and \filled the wintry air with their music, | while the * waite" performed on musâ€" ; jeal instruments, and were largely emâ€" LOCRCs idstcthe Fipidngio h/ o 073 to,extricate Dun. AL and feigned exertions more help, until all pr up in the rough‘ and and Lath alway» pavind i t 1 1004 4 225 400 0d 000 dios c aainilantsitat Eo ployed for the Christmas plays and kinâ€" dred amusements. Those who were not employed went from house to house dresses in grotesque costum®s, and reâ€" ceived gifts of money for their performâ€" ances. The regular watchman also went about shouting out Christmas verses, and every one was expected to show appreciation |:{ dropping a coin into the box carried by the rhymer for that particular purpose. RFpPORE }o uic uy on oo 65. 5 | Shar o vallunicnabit. n i)( Of course the Christmas dinner was the leading feature of the day, and the big landowner was expected to enâ€" tertain all of his %enants and neighâ€" hors from daybreak to midnight. The first dish to be placed on the table was the boar‘s head, and great state and ceremony marked this service. Musiâ€" cians and trumpeters led the procesâ€" sion, in which there were hunismen with long spears and pages with drawn swords. Carols were intoned as the proâ€" cession moved into the diningâ€"room and psalms were chanted, for in some ingenious way the olden time people connected the boar‘s head religiously with the celebration of the Holy Naâ€" tivity. Israelsâ€"My daughter Rachel vas goin‘ to get married on Cl ristmas. Jacobsâ€"Vot you goin‘ to give hert Israe!isâ€"If business imbroves \eâ€" tween now an‘ den, I vill brabably give her away. THE BEST LOVED. We can bhardly talk together five minâ€" utes on any subject touching life withâ€" out finding it full in our way to say something that may help or please; and those whom all like best largely win theirlove by this one secret ; uniformâ€" ly, they avoid the hurt and achieve the kindness, either being possible. Miss Antique, taking politely profâ€" fered seat in a crowded s{:'eet carâ€" Thank you my little man, You have been taught to be polite I am glad to see. Did your mother tell you to alâ€" ways give up your seat to ladies k "â€"[;()'li\"zvlioyâ€"â€"vN‘o:l‘l-l-. not all ladies, only old ladies. _ Factory. A GOOD RECOMMENXDATION CAREFULIY TRAINED HIS GIFT. 1 ¢ Horse & In the old In the Towr Grey, includin Brick Dwel puilding lots, . _ Aleo lot g'mhlp of F ALLAN The ED Ing Town plot Loan and ] veyancoe Loane uunfl-d promptly 1 menkKy to 4 Nevary a MONEY BUSIN TK F~ unsm Has open Â¥ pamF publisher ma ment]s aad whother |t b There can 3 paymentis First~< UNDERTA Of the B Uhe post ofé baws or an of seribs d or no 8. If a enb stoppoad at a ¢ eontf::n to » pay for it i oficp. This hat a man m IS gpll to opposil L. IS nay p tinued, he m Â¥~ amnl) measte‘* ond nopaeis s( the JA BSUER of troneer for OFFIOE, ove County of at remsons ICENXSE JA