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THE ROME TRIBUNE, THURSDAY, JANUARY 3,1585. D ,
h-pt,
fur off.
well being.
K raco
B|B H shadow flee
to face.
News.
Kr.
out him in a dazed
and sat down.
as ended, the new
k Human life is
I weeks and months
(tombstones of the
that they who sleep
■any years, months
B that each and ev-
Bown at the begin-
Bd write the record
Ban old man. You
■e time allotted to
■es as your fingers
B have been mak-
Hke the pencil and
Bip!” protested the
■e no right here!
■ come! Leave me,
Bon dollars and
B “There is a long
Bl will look them
;B> you to find the
|Birst recorded the
ißnoney you loan
|Behanic and took
|Bie. Misfortune
|BII pursues him.
IB trouble would
|Bs. You figured
SBwould get pos-
SBhalf its value,
|B came to you
pßdoaded misfi>r
||B stone. Today
Bprofit. ’ ’
■Borrow and was
|l|Bst!” protested
n|Bt widow $:!(>()
■■Mclosed it and
BB You figure
B t deal. She
SIB prayed., but
&||B ands in sat-
B.t when ho
■MB .a- Jones as
||||||M h satisfae-
■ *
■a
B
B
S’ fS
B
11a ' ' B
■ Sk
■
B
gr< . S
Mi'*
g<'.r <■■■/•■
* ' ft.
B
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ord in heaven. Write down your credit,
Miser Jones.**
The old man had nothing to write,
no word of reply.
“All around you hearts have ached.
Tears of sorrow have been shed. Mon
have cursed their God because of the
coldness of the world. Have you
brought a ray of sunlight to a single one
one of these?”
Miser Jones had no answer.
“What has your life been made up of?
Avarice, selfishness, greed. You have
sinned against God and man and your
self. In your greed of gain you have throt
tled every noble sentiment God placed in
your heart as a child. You have sacri
ficed every principle that makes a man
respected and beloved. You have made
money, but you have been pointed out
as a thing instead of a man. As a hu
man being you have lived to be hated
and reviled. After death-—what?”
“After death—what?” whispered Mi
ser Jones.
“The recording angel of heaven sets
apart a page in her golden book for each
human being born into the world. See!
I have brought the book that you might
gaze upon it. Hero is your page—the
page on which your name was inscribed
as a child. What do you see?”
The old man looked and peered and
rubbed his eyes. Blindness seemed to
have come to him, and in his terror he
groaned aloud. .
“Here is the debit—avarice, selfish
ness, greed, riches. Here should be
your credits, but there are none. Look
for them. Bend your head to bring your
eyes nearer. Today brings a new year.
Today you pass from earth to eternity
to stand before your God and be judg
ed. This is the record from which he
will judge you! I close the book!’.’
The gale howled about the old house
and rattled doors and windows, but Mi
ser Jones paid no heed. Men passed and
repassed, some laughing, some cursing,
but he did not look out upon them.
Noon came, and he sat there with pencil
in his fingers and paper before him.
The winter day drew to a close, and
night came down, but no light shone
from his window. At midnight he sat
where noon found him, at daylight
where the winds of midnight had blown
the snow under the door and over his
feet. When noon came again, some one
opened his door and cried out that Miser
Jones was dead!
New Year’* In Canada.
The young Canadian on New Year’s
morning, after he has taken • breakfast
with his father, mother, sisters and
brothers, wends his way to the best
looking girl in the range, and as he
very well knows she can’t refuse to kiss
him on “le jour de I’an” presents him
self at her door, there to be warmly
greeted and invited to enter.
Taking off his snowshoes—it’s easier
and more “a la mode du Canadien” to
climb over the crusty snowbanks than
use a “traineau”—he accepts the invi
tation, and as he crosses the threshold
he gives the girl, for whom he has long
cherished a deep regard, a couple of
smacks that cause the old folks in the
kitchen to question each other as to the
origin of the noise. Light drinks are
served. That’s what the young man
does.' The young girl waits.
But the old folks do not forget that
the day is the first one of the year. So
after the work of the household is over
they put on their best bib and tucker
and hitch up “Monplaisir, ” and they
start out and begin the rounds of mak
ing calls, stopping at each house, the
old man kissing the neighbor’s old wom
an, and vice versa, rinsing it down with
“a la votre” from the sideboard.
Conviviality reigns, good health is
drunk, and alcoholism is unknown.
From the time the sun first casts its
rays on a Canadian New rear's morn
ing until a week and sometimes two
weeks later a round of jollification ex
ists among the French-Canadians of
good standing. Every night a dinner is
held at one of the “clique,” and so on
till each has had his “blow out,” and
finally all relapse into the old rut of
common, everyday life, arising at the
sound of the angelus in the morning and
burning very few candles and still less
kerosene in the evening.
Wliat the New Year Brings.
Vacant chairs.
Good wishes without number.
Change, but not always silver.'
January—and all the others.
Mistakes—we date our letters wrong.
Friends grown older and a few joy
less.
Bills of every description, but every
one too large.
Improvements that cause wonder and
questionings.
Dividends without variety, all shrunk
like old flannels.
* ‘The new faces at the door, the new
boot on the floor. ’ ’
New friends? Yes, and worthy ones
too. How have we existed without them?
Old Scotch Practices.
At New Year’s in Scotland children
make calls upon their older friends and
sing in front of the house, after the style
of Christmas carols:
Get up, pucle wife, and shako your feathers.
Dinna think that we are beggars.
We are children out for play.
Gio’s oor cakes an let’s away.
Os a different class are the men who,
wearing disguises, call begging upon
I their richer neighbors and shout:
t Get up, gude man; be na sweer,
I And deal out bread as long as you’re here.
I The day will come when you will be dead.
1 You’ll neither care for meat nor bread.
■ To Get the Best Husband.
B A very pretty custom was that of
Busting the “cream of the well,” the
■list drink from spring or well on New
Bear’s morn. The first pail of water
Brawn, ‘‘the flower of the well,” in-
Bired positively the best husband in the
Bnish to the water drawer.
!B Twall struck—two neebour tizzies raise
■ An liltin gaed a sad gate.
■ The flower o’ the well U< our house gaes,
Ab J’U hae the bonniest lad yet.
IN THE LAND OF CAKES.
Curious Customs nnd Myths of New Year's
I>ay Still Prevalent.
“Hogmanr.y, ” as the Scotch folk call
their New Year’s eve, is the greatest
festival of tjjie year in the “land o’
cakes” and has many ancient and cu
rious customs and superstitions con
nected with it. The origin of the name j
is uncertain, but it is pretty generally
conceded to have been derived from the
French words “au gui meuer” (lead
to the mistletoe), in allusion to the an
cient Druidical custom of cutting the
mistletoe from the oak on the night of
the last day of the year. The sacred
plant was brought by the priests into
the towns and market places and given
to the people as an amulet to preserve
them from war and other calamities.
While they had such a good old tongue
as the Gaelic near at hand, it is not to
be supposed that the pious Druids spoke
to their votaries in the language of
Johnny Crapaud. The intimate connec
tion of Scotland and France during the
middle ages will easily account for the
introduction of the term “hogmanay.”
The days about New Year’s, which
from the revelry and mummery that
characterized them were called by the
Scotch the “daft days,” bear close re
semblance to the “fetes des sous,”
which interfered so scandalously with
the vigils in the French churches dur
ing the sixteenth century that they were
finally put down by the bishop of An
gres in 1598. During these “fetes des
sous” bands of beggars clad in fantastic
garbs broke into the churches on the eve
of the New Year, and after singing
their weird carols demanded alms of
the worshipers.
The modern Scotch representatives of
these obtrusive beggars were known as
the “guisards” or “gyzars. ” These
were harmless and entertaining mask
ers, who were generally admitted into
the houses of the best families in the
country, where, after singing their
carols, they were permitted to dance
with the members of the household.
Many assert that the hoghmen, or hill
men, were the good genii versus the
trolls, or evil ones, who were the beings
referred to; hence tho ditty:
Hogmanay, Trollolay,
Gie me white bread.
I’ll hae naue o’ your gray.
The white bread, signifying the good
things of life, versus the gray, or evil
ones. A very popular rhyme, with a
moral, is one freely sung in the north
eastern counties of Scotland:
Get up, gude wife, and binna sweir [lazy]
And deal your bread to them that’s here,
For the time will come when ye’ll lie dead,
And then ye’ll neither need ale nor bread.
My feet’s cauld, my shoon’s thin.
Gie’s my cakes and let me rin.
Having chalked the doors with the
New Year’s numbers, they depart to
gather coppers, cakes and fruit else
where.
At the stroke of midnight each mem
ber of tho family party would quaff a
full bumper of “hot pint” and wish the
others a happy New Year and many of
them. Then it was customary for the
elders to sally forth with a hot kettle,
bread and cheese, etc., and pay visits of
greeting to the neighbors. The first
party to enter a house were called the
“firstfoot” and were warmly welcom
ed, as their arrival in that capacity in
dicated good luck. Much kindly rivalry
ensued, and from midnight to 1 o’clock
the streets were fairly swarming with
would be “first footers.” This custom
was still prevalent in Scott’s day.
Welcome the Coming, Speed the Parting
Guest.
io w
hi
I V
wwW'
Irish New Year’s Cakes.
In County Antrim in Ireland among
the Scotch-Irish oaten bannocks, with a
hole in the middle, like our doughnuts,
are specially baked for gift cakes. In
other. Irish counties a cake is thrown,
outside the door on New Year’s eve
“to keep out hunger” thfe ensuing year.
In the isle of Man a curious belief
and custom existed till the middle of
this century. In each home the house
wife smoothed the ashes over the kitch
en floor just before stepping into bed.
If there were found in the morning on
the surface of the ashes anything re
sembling the print that pointed toward
the door, it indicated a death in the
family within tho year. But if the heel
of the footprint were toward the door
it was a sure proof that the family
would be increased.
New Year’s JDon’ts.
Don’t fail to receive New Year’s day
with a smiling face.
Don’t usher in that day by declaring
you are growing old.
Don’t sent word you are out because
New Year’s calls are out of fashion.
Don’t neglect to send a bonbon box to
your best girl..
Don’t receive an old friend gloomily
on that day.
Pure blood is absolutely necessary in
order to enjoy perfect health. Hood’s
Sarsaparilla purifies the blood and
strengthens the system.
NEW YEAR THOUGHTS
WHAT THE DAY HAS C2EN AND IS
NOW.
<
rMKF l
/il XT/ E W YEAR’S
vjjl i though not
lan. 1 always, has
been celebrated re
'l igiously or socially
, from time imine-
z morial. The ancient
Romans consecrati d it to Janus, who.
it was thought, controlled all begin
nings and made sacrifices to him. They
exchanged gracious greetings and
wishes and gave presents to friends and
kindred. The Church condemned its so
cial observations and turned it into a
religious festival. The Hebrews, the
Chinese and other peoples, pagans and
nonpagans, regard it superstitiously, at
taching the utmost importance to its
celebration.
We Americans in tho last quarter of
the nineteenth century are supposed o
be wholly free from superstition. But
are we? Not a few of us still imagine
that there is something auspicious in
New Year’s day; that as we begin the
year we may so close it. We are solicit
ous, therefore, to resolve to relinquish bad
habits then, under the impression that
we shall relinquish them altogether. In
other words, we determine on that day
to turn over a new leaf, as we have
probably determined for many previous
years, and there our determination and
reformation end. This is exactly the
way the old Romans acted more than
20 centuries since, which proves that
we have not advanced much in reason
ableness, despite our assumptions to the
contrary. It is a problem whether men
who continue in mature life to yield to
their weaknesses or fail to rectify their
faults are capable of correcting them
selves. Whether capable or incapable,
they rarely do so. Their good resolutions
seldom bear fruit. They terminate, for
the most part, in words, in promises to
themselves, in mockeries of perform
ance. What a man is at 40 he is apt to
remain. No amount of New Year’s re
solves will help him who is not full of
virtuous endeavor. Jan. 1 dawns bright
ly to the mind, but the succeeding days
conclude dismally as to achievement.
Nevertheless its recurrence must ever
be pleasant. If it does not bring accom
plishment, it at least brings hope, and
hope nerves us to bear our burdens, to
discharge our duties. Then welcome
New Year’s. We dearly love to think
that the cares and troubles of the old
year, which so largely spring from our
temperament, will not invade the new
one.
Originally New Year’s was intended
not for a universal, miscellaneous
calling day, without motive or pro
priety, into which it ultimately degen
erated. It was intended for a day when
men who had been prevented during
the year by business or any condition of
circumstances from keeping up their
friendship or acquaintance with women
they liked or esteemed should make so
cial atonement for apparent neglect and
renew their pleasant relations. The idea
was excellent and commendable, as
was the custom, and before this city
grew to be such a Babylon the calls
were agreeable, often delightful, to
makers and receivers. But the city be
came too big, and the community that
assumed to represent society in some
manner, more or less remote, became
too heterogeneous. The custom was
grossly abused. Many men and women
thought only of the number of calls,
ignoring quality for quantity, and some
times the scenes indoors and -outdoors
waxed disreputable from overindul
gence.
The better sort of people, repelled by
the license prevalent, refused to “re
ceive” any longer. The smart set who
had long believed calling too “common”
—they declared, with their pretense of
superiority, that it had grown vulgar—
set themselves and their influence firm
ly against it. They refused to see visit
ors on that day and soon after shut up
their houses and fled to the country,
thus setting the seal of fashion on their
last decision, which speedily met with
social approval. The fact was that re
spectable folk had got tired of the ex
treme to which calling had been car
ried, and the coarse, objectionable class
could not sustain it alone. So the whole
thing fell to pieces here, and there is uc
probability of its reconstruction in the
immediate future.
Avtodos.
Don’t turn over too many now leave*
for 1895.
Don’t be unhappy about anything. Bt
a philosopher.
Don’t deride the new year.
. Don’t make the day unhappy.
Don’t lose your temper.
Don’t fall in love.
Don't declare you hate men.
“He was wonderfully careful i” fix
ing himself up before he called on >iss«
Lordly New Year’s day.”
“Why didn’t he do as the storekeepers
do—display the sign, ‘Holiday pres
ence?’ ”
“Fahy’s keep-warm underw ar” is
the thing to buy for this cold weather.
A large and varied stock.
Thirty Day
Bargains
AT
THUS. FAHY’S
For the next thirty days we will
offer unprecedent d bargains in all
departments. Bern- this lact in
mind and take advantage of the
great inducements offered by us. At
any rate you will be greatly bene
fited by examining our stock, for by
s » doing you will get an idea of what
is most stylish and popular and
what a good bargain, is. Our bat
gains are not mere baits, but this
means something: in other words
we come up to what we advertise.
Cloaks—Cloaks
Os the latest and most stylish makes
and materia], at actual cost.
Blankets
An article that r<-ver goes out of
style at cost; something extra fine
too in the way cf a bargain. Winter
is far from being over. You will do
well to invest.
Comforts
Come under our cost list also and
are going at low figures.
Our $1 Quilts
Should be seen by every housekeeper
for they are a bargain in every sense
of the word.
Dress Goods
This department also embraces
big drives for the trade and should
receive the inspection of all pur
chasers in reach. All grades, all
shades, all qualities; all can be
suited, so come.
Remnant Counter
This contains untold profits for
our customers. You would be sur
prised if we should have told you
how low our remnants have been
marked.
Table Linens
Now here comes an article dear
to the heart and fancy of every
housekeeper. N>< e snow white lin
>ns in plain or fai cy bordeis.
Carpets
Now don’t forget this department,
for it contains many wonderful bar
gains. Have you ever been through
this department? If not you should
Chenille Curtains
Are ever popular this season of the
year. Inv.est now and you will
save money, for we have made a
special price on them.
Underwear
Ah! we need not tell you that
these goods are needed, for this cold
weather proclaims that fact. Barj
indeed for the next thirty
days.
In Conclusion
Let us say don’t fail to call tb s
week if you appreciate a good thing
in the way of an offer. We can
stand to all we say.
THOS. FAHY