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VOL. XXII
CHRISTMAS IN MANY LANDS.
ONE thinks of Christmas in a variety
of ways, and all of them give us
pleasure or instruction. Christmas
marks the turning point in the his
tory of the world. The Christian
dwells upon this great historic
fact. It comes, too. just after the shortest
day of the year, when the gloomiest pe
riod of winter is past and the future is
bright with expectation. Then, in all the
leading countries of the world, Christmas
is the festival which is most enjoyed by
the “plain” people, as good Abraham
Lincoln was wont to call them. Its name
suggests hospitality, good feeling, kind
ness to the poor, and to the serviceable
.a of Christmas boxes, sweet
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UNDER THE MISTLETOE IN OLDEN DAYS
family gatherings and the interchange of
gifts, the innocent and noisy mirth of
childhood, abundance and the enjoyment
of good eating and drinking, fun and frol
ic, music, dancing, the theater, and all the
pleasantest things imaginable of indoor
enjoyment. The pen lingers lovingly over
the survey.
Ages before the birth of Christ a. mid
winter festival was celebrated in various
countries. A quaint writer speaks of this
festival as carrying the mind back to the
golden age "until we stumble against the
tower of Babel, or are stopped by the
prow or the ark, and then decline going
tiny farther.” The Boman Saturnalia was
a December feast during which masters
waited on their slaves and permitted
themselves to be sport for those articles
of property. Early in the history of the
Christian church existent feasts were
adopted by the young organization. When
temples were transformed into churches,
and the statues of gods renamed after
saints, it was a convenient thing to con
tinue heathen feasts as Christian festi
vals: and this was done. fii** Sai'irnuTi
was c .averted into Christmas. Wreaths
and garlands formerly us* I in heathen
worship became symbols of Christian re
joicing.
In north' rn Europe tbo grim and ghast
ly feast o! the Scandinavians, in which
they drank ah' out of the skulls of their
enemies, developed, under Christian in
fluences, into ceiel>rations, coarse indeed
in their abundance and gross excesses,
but gentle in the comparison. The Brit,
ons wen' converted to Christianity in
earlier times, attd the mistletoe of the
Druids retained ill? honored place in the
new festival of Christmas.
The research of tin* antiquary has pmv
ed unequal to the discovery when the mis
tletoe was first used for ornamental and
f .--.tival purposes. It was thus employed
by the Greeks ar..l Romans in th*' antique
days, and by tin* Druids and Celtic na
tions. who attm ln d religious importance
to the plant. Odd. growing out of an oak
or other tree to which its appearance in
dicates no relationship, and beautiful in
its glossy leaves and tiny shapely globes,
mistletoe has been an object of admiration
from time immemorial. As late as the
seventeenth century stipe* *ti*i-.n found in
a piece of the plant worn ;»rmind the neek
a safeguard against witches. In these de-
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CHRISTMAS WORSHIPPERS I
generate days of matter of fact and dollar
making, mistletoe is bought by the cart
load in the New York market. Luxuri
ating in the kiss which its overhanging
presewo warrants, the young American
has n<> sordid thought of the power of
its getting where he delights to find it;
but we read that the thrifty Norman peas
ant bruises the berries, and by means of
their viscidity causes them to adhere to
the bark of apple and other fruit trees, ‘
where they readily germinate and take
root. So much for the genesis of the mis
tietoe as we hope to find it in our Christ
mas rejoicings—a mighty prosy ;i. as
compared with that of the
Druid, cutting the sacred plaVc- irom
its fostering oak with his golden
knife, and die solemn accompaniment of
sacrifice, of which wfc used to read in our
school days.
“Merrie England” is still pre-eminently
the Christmas-keepiug country. The hol
idays there means Christmas. Trains are
loaded in every direction with go
ing home to enjoy the festival - and freght
aril baggage ears to an incredible niunr
are choked to the doors with good things
to eat and drink in tranitu- Chjirches,
stores, and dwellings are decorated with red
berried hollv and mistletoe, yew and fir and
other decorative sprays and branches, light-
em'd, where procurable, with flowers. The
humblest store has its special illumination
and decorative arrangement of tilings to
sell. Butchers display enormous quanti
ties of slaughtered animals, many of these
bearing an account of their names, who
bred them, and where they were fattened.
Poultry and fish otores. those e.f fruiters,
the omnipresent grocery aud the confection
ers overflow with abundance. Houses of
entertainment of all kinds, the theaters,
the music halls, have special attractions.
A very infection of jollity is in the air.
Everything on all ..ides says: “These tire
the holidays.”
As has been said very often by Americans
who have learned tin' secret —the strength
and joy of England tire in its homes. The
doofs are wide open in Christmas-tide, so
cial restraints are broken down largely,
and every caller is welcome to eat and
drink at the houses to which he lias access.
Children's parties, young people’s parties,
parties of good neighborhood, continued
in prolonged i ilerchtinge. give immeasur
able domestic happiness. Happy the Christ
mas home of England from palace to cot
tage!
The religious obligation of the day is re
garded, of coarse, by the church of England,
ttie Roman Catholics, and by all the lead
ing denominaiions; but piety is so comfort
able and social at Christmas in the oh!
country that the wonder is pious John Bull
does mu try to make it so all the year round.
As a home missionary “elfort” the experi
ment would lx* a groat success.
There are many suggestions of a historic
part in the manner in which an English
Christmas is celebrated. “Waits.” musi
cians whose services are in requisition par
ticularly at th<> festival, wait, for mid re
ceive engagements. The “mummers” of
llio Roman saturnalia, still disport them
selves in female apparel or wear the like
ness of animals for the nonce. Sweet-voiced
children sing carols at the doorways of the
wealthy. Christmas bells clang, tin t clash,
and roar in the village belfries.. Not to be
outdone by the local magnate in the fact,
th*' peasant burns his yule log on the spa
cious hearth, its fumes ascending tbo wide
chimney down which the stars nightly peep
as for centuries past. Poor indeed is the
home that hasn’t the roast beef., plum pud
ding and mim>e pie proper to the f'snvak
and spiced ale of th** old mighty eyiality
cheers the feast, as of yore.
Queen Victoria's Chi istmas _is a tamo
affair compared with the jollifications of
her ancestors in mediaeval. Tudor and
early Stuart days. She makes her royal
gifts of gold, frankincense ami myrrh, or
an equivalent, for them, to the church,
which represents Him to whom the wise
~ ,-i (*;• i'l'i'd ’.I 1 * it presents guided by tl>?
N A SPANISH CHURCH.
strange star in the east; but palatial merri
ment in modern England is proper to the re
finement of ’.lie age, and the widowed con
dition of a pious queen. The long parlia
ment dealt heavy blows at Christmas jolli
ty, from which it has never recovered.
From the days of the Saxon kings until
towards the end of the seventeenth cen
tury tiie court was the center of Christmas
hospitality and revelry. During centuries
of Christmases the lord of misrule wielded
uproarous power for twelve days; and the
ATLANTA. GA., TUESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 1893.
court fool bandied with his letters. Mas
querades and shows succeeded each other
day by day, and music and dancing, cards
anil dice were always in order. Did not
even that stingiest of kings, Henry VII,
pay twelve pounds to a damsel who danced
before him at QhristmaiH? “Mummers,”
players, “waits,” carol singers and' other
mercenary helps to enjoyment, found Ihtir
chief harvest if fortunate enough to be en
gaged by royalty. In the matter of Christ
mas presents pre-eminence must be given
to Pope i.eo lil, who on Christmas day,
in the year 800 A. D., gave Charlemagne
the crown of emperor. That archbishop of
York who in the thirteenth century on the
occasion of the marriage at Christmas of a
Scottish princess gave (JOO fat. oxen and
4,000 marks as his contribution to the
feast , was surelv the jolliest of churchmen.
The reader will remember that it was at a
Christinas feast that Eelward HI. revived
the round table of the Isiing Artnur epoch,
and instituted the Order of the Garter.
Another mighty king. Henry V.. was be
sieging Ro’.h 11 when Christinas came round.
He thereupon ceased hostilities and invited
the famished enemy to come out ami enjoy
such Christmas fare as the EngLsh camp
commanded. Qupcd UizitbtHh s
silk stockings, because the first ever worn
in England, were received by iter as a
Christmas present, in the year 1500.
That is a very shocking story told of a
Christmas celebration in the next reign—
that of James 1. At Christmas IbOb ”the
wisest fool in Christendom.” as Sully called
him, had a royal visitor, Christian IV, king
of Denmark. Among the events of Hie
season's celebration was set down a perform
ance of the masque, “Solomon ami tite
Queen of Sheba." The king of Denmark
essayed the part of .Solomon, but his clothes
came to grief when the personating queen
of Slieba, whose proper mime docs not appear
in history, spilled over him wine, jelly and
ettke,result of previous convivialty. In
liis turn Christian IV fell down when he
attempted to damte, and his attendants in
continently carried him off to bed. Ar
rangements were made also by the court
'ladies for the queen of .Sheba to take a
sobering sleep.
In the matter of cheer proper for Christ
mas, ale takes the supreme place. The
Northman's skull was superseded by the
waisail-lvowl. which is still in use in old
fashioned families. Some specimens are of
brown ware, some of massive silver, in
these were placed in the good obi days the
tile, the ginger, the sugar, the nutmeg ami
th > roasted crab apples, and joyful use was
made of the mixture. V.'here old etisTm:m
still survive in generous measure the ale is
served spiced and sweetened in the wassnil
bowl. but the apples are omitted. The huge
sirloin of beef is of far greater aut’qm'ty
as a Christmas dish than the turkey, which
was introduced into England as we ntly as
the sixteenth century. Mmee p-o is of n
considerable antiquity. Early pr'.>>lm - ti<.ns in
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tins kind wore shaped like a manger, as wore
the yule cakes given by bakers to their cus
tomers _The first mention of plum pudding
is jn 1675. Its predecessor was plum-por
ridge, a horrible decoction, indeed. This
was the celebrated predecessor of the de
licious pudding which yankee ingenuity
turns out by the toil with the aid of ma
chinery. It was served with the first course
of the English dinner. Its “stock” was beef
or mutton broth. This was thickened with
brown bread. When half boiled raisins,
currants, prunes, cloves, mace and ginger
were added. When thoroughly boiled this
o<ld compound was served with the best
meats. Peacocks and cranes were dishes
J’t old English Christmas feasts,
the splendid bird first named was
skinned very carefully before being
roasted, not a feather discomposed.
Alter the cook had done with him his
skin w.ts replaced, and he appeared in his
natural glory at the table, wilii a gilded
beak to assist nature, as it were. Some
times he figured in a pie, the lovely plumes
ol his head emerging from an end of the
dish, and the magnificence of his tail* from
the other. When in 1171. Henry, 11 and
his c urt ate th lr Christinas dinner
in Dublin, the .Pat of those days laughed
to. see the English eat cranes, as well he
might. This is a Christinas dish of Hie
same period: Almond milk, the
brain of capons, sugar and
spices. chickens parboiled and
chopped, sometimes with the addition of
fat. From Henry VlH’s time until to
ward the end of the seventeenth century,
boar's head was a great dish on Christmas
day. served with processional honors and
much mustard- Brawn, prepared from
swine's flesh and with abundant condiiuen
tary mustard, was also indespensible to the
perfect Christmas dinner.
The Puritan hated Christ and
de creed its abolishment. Their
days passed, but Christmas sur
vived, not less vigorous because some of its
excesses had been abated by puritanical op
position. Royalists settling in Virginia
brought Christmas customs with them, as
a matter of course. Equally as a matter
of course, the Massachusetts Puritans re
pudiated an institution which was half
popish and half heathenish in their esti
mation. Now, it. is safe to affirm,
Christmas is observed generally in the
United" States. The Calvinistic denomina
tions ar - ; being gradually converted to the
usage of churchmen, Catholics, and Luth
erans, who have always made Christinas a
time of worship and rejoicing. It is no
reflection upon the possibilities of Ameri
can resources and hospitality that no incon
siderable number of our German and
Scandinavian citizens take a trip home for
the enj iyment of the festival.
In hundreds of Swedish homes today the
ni’wcom.from distant America tells his
kindred of. the great republic of the west,
the activities of which he will rejoin in a
few weeks. Meanwhile he will make the
most of the feast he has gone home to en
joy. I!.; will be present at the distribution
of pr .-eats on Christmas eve. when Ameri
can prosperity will find affectionate and
generous expression. The song and dance
round tite Christmas tree will revive the
recollections and pleasures of his youth.
On Christmas morning he will be seen at
the (> o'clock service at the church, which
everybody attends who possibly can. Spe
cial music—the Lutherans love singing
and he organ—decorations and brilliant
illumination give distinction to the service,
perhaps above al! in the year. The rest of
the day is sacred to family joys. On sub
sequent days ' neighbors exchange hospi
talities. Merry sleigh parties awaken ech
oes in the romantic and picturesque scenery
of the country. Preliminary to tiiese fes
tivities great has been the preparation at
the iarnmonses scat tend here and there.
In Scandinavian cities Christmas is cele
brated v.ith no less enjoyment than in the
country.
Comfortable little Denmark shares no less
in the wise foresight of Marlin Luther,
whose ideas of reform were sufficiently lib
eral to enable him to see that departure
from the faith of his ancestors in what he
regarded as essential points of doctrine,
need not. include the abolition of a festival
■which is tite most effective comment possi
ble on the song of the angels: "Peace and
good will to men.”
1 he Eastern church, that of holy Russia
and modern Greeks, agreed with the west
ern. about 380 A. I>.. that Christmas day
should be on December 25ih. Ils observ
ance is associated childly with services at
church, special and splendid in character.
The str.ing. r in a Russian elinrch on such
an occasion is struck with the absence of
instrument;;! music; the merits of the vocal
music, which is comprehensive and eminent;
the magnilieent appearance of the priests
in their gold embroidered robes; and the de
voutness of the people. The geor
geotts ceremonial of the Greek
church, is as- isted in a great measure by th<>
suecissive :■ iipiyraiice and absence behind
a sere, n, of the officiating clergy. Superb
mush.: .iss.sted by the skillful use of the
ehur<i it, 11 ' at appropriate times. Great
; re'-.iir-ne ; is given in the ritual to the
of ■ ■•’ih>, an<J picture-; and bas
r.-‘t f I ; .. it--. A instruct a generally illiterate
Christmas gift.
• people in the faith. As in the Roman, so
in the Greek church, at. Christmas time the
manger, the holy family, etc., are repre
sented at large in some of the churches,
"for the edification of simple and devout
folks.
In Roman Catholic countries provision is
made in galore for the midwinter festival.
Should Christmas day fall on a Friday, the
I fast day becomes a feast day. On Christ-
I mas eve, however, fresh meat is not eaten.
Three services, one on Christmas eve, one
very early on Christmas morning, and the
third later in the forenoon, give the faith
ful the opportunity of performing religious
duty.
Spain is the country of their “Most Christ
i iau Majesties.” According to the notions
' of the country, unmodified by the prevalence
of travel, which is tending to make all
conn tries pretty much alike, those who
speak Spanish or Christians. Spanish
and Christian mean the same thing to
these simple souls. The people are emi
■ nently devout, and the three masses named
i above are attended with a subdued religious
j fervor which the traveler is glad to note in
I his book of observations. A well-equipped
writer describes the Christmas music in
Spanish cathedrals and churches as far
exceeding that, of Italy. He says no service
in Italy < an compart' with the solemn bursts
of music which follow the thrilling solos
sting in those old Spanish, churches, where
every possible instrument is pressed into
the service of the orchestra. Not less
striking is the effect of the multitude of
veiled figures wl o kneel between .the choir
and the altar The gravity of the Spanish
character is seen best in his conduct of
the ceremonial of the church. He re
sents the footfalls of the stranger as an in
trusion and an impertinence. In Spanish
worship the rich and the poor meet to
gether in republican simplicity kneeling on
the floor of churches. The women sit
en the floor and when tired are not ex
pected to kneel The men stand usually
' when not required to kneel.
Madrid presents a lovely aspect, in antic
ipation of Christmas. Flocks of fat tur
keys gobble about the streets for weeks
before hand. Shows of meat and vegeta
bles remind one of England in their pro
fusion, and grapes, pomegranates and
oranges of sunny skies. Stalls are loaded
with sweetmeats of the season, children’s
toys including represeutat.ons of the holy
manger, angels, shepherds, wise men or
the east and the star. Men and boys im
prove the occasion by making ear-spliti mg
noises with cheap drums and trumpets,
and render night hideous searcel.x
loss than day. If you
the fortune, or misfortune, as the
case may be, to be staying at a Spanish ho
tel on Christmas day, you will certainly he
regailed with torroncs, a cake made, with
others, exclusively at the season. It is de
scribed as a kind of almond hanibal.e.
Christmas week is a season of great festivi
ty in Madrid and other cities. Your sol
emn Spaniard unbends to the occasion. On
the evening of the 24th ol December, the
people meet in parties of friends, to feast
upon fish, fruits and sweetmeats. To attend
the theater is the proper thing for Christ
mas night.
To think of Germany in connection with
Christmas is to remember the Christmas
tree. We Americans are proud to have
sat at the feet of our Teutonic friends, aud
to have learned from them—as our English
cousins have also learned—how to make rhe
children vastly happier when the call comes
WF i j w
" A WEIRD CUSTOM OF THE NORSEMEN.
for everybody to he can. There
is scarcely need to till that in the fatherland
on Christmas eve, bouses everywhere have
the Christmas tree in the principal room.
The little people wait in an adjoining apart
ment till the signal is given for them to
enter where the tree is. Then what a
rush and how sweet a picture. There
on a long table in the middle of the room
stands the Christmas* tree, every branch
glittering h-ith light tapers. Al! sorts of
gilts and ornaments hang suspended in pro
fusion from the branches of the tree, in
deed, there is an overflow on the table on
which the tree stands. Every present is
labelled with the name of the donee to be.
The distribution is a succession of surprises
and a continuous joy. The custom now has
a wider scope than when it originated, in
north Germany, of children making Christ
mas presents to their parents and to each
other, and parents to their children. In the
early days of this beautiful custom the
youngsters spent three or four months in
secret preparation. Ou the evening before
Christmas Day they lighted up the parlor,
into which their parents were not
permitted to go. A great yew
bough had been pa stoned on the table, at a
little distance from the wall. ?*laiiy small
lighted tapers were fixed on the bough,
in such away as not to burn it until nearly
consumed. Colored, paper flutter*-<1 here
and there from the twigs. Ender the
bough the children laid out in great style
the presents in,ended for their parents,
but those foi one anodier they kept, con
cealed in their pockets. When the parents
came in each child presented his gift.
Then pockets were emptied and brothers
and sisters exchanged gifts with kisses
and embraces. On Christmas day came
the turn of the parents, who laid out pres
ents for their children. A grave proceeding
accompanied the distribution; the mother
taking occasion to praise or rebuke her
daughters as their behavior for the year
justified, ami the father sons. There
may be rea'lers old enougn to remember
when in North Germany the celebration
was as exactly as described. In North
Germany, too, the custom was observed
long of sending the Knecht Rupert with
presents for the children, effectually dis
guised in high Loots, white robe, ami mask
and an enormously large flaxen wig. Ou
Christmas night this messenger went from
house to house, with toys for good children
and a rod for naughty ones. He was receiv
ed wtith pomp aml/revereneci by the elders l ,
and held in much fear by, say a few, of
the children. The custom of hanging up
the stocking for Christmas gifts originated
in Germany. It was first observed on this
continent in the state of Pennsylvania,
■where Kirsh-Kinkle descended with gifts
for all good children, and Pelsnichol with
the birch-rod for use on the persons of
naughty ones. Tn our American way, wo
ignore the terrible Pelsnichol altogether.
Rome Christmas eve and Christmas
I'Wi iw JAM
WraiW ■■ W- I Wml
o- S IX AN OLDEN-TIME CHRISTMAS. (Christmas in Many Lands.)
- „ -ire ushered in with solemn relig- I
morin ng a • fejiow-Catholic observes I
U Th ™ wrehes are beautifully deco- '
. Y li-hled, ami the music is superb.
‘I 1 '", , J™ ? ,i«' l«'l* worship kM'Uiug, ;
<n„ i nc or sitting on the floor. I’igures 11- j
lustra ng the nativity are not uncommon.
One of the great churches tn Rome has a
. ns serXsu which, as betore remarks ,
the Italian seems to regard with less ten
wooden image of the Savrour of the worid
brought by an angel from heaven, This is
an object of devout attention at Christmas,
PRICE 5 CENTS
and many wonderful consequences are said
to have been tine to its appearances at the
proper festival. The Italians nave a. good
t.'me at Christmas, but the carnival exceeds
it as a period of merriment and abandon.
France and Italy share the disgrace, for
which France is more largely responsible,
of <et tain scandalous Christmas usages,
one of the Feast, of Fools, aud the other
the Feast of Asses. The latter was cele
brated at Rouen chiefly. It com
memorated the flight into Egypt. A.
young woman carrying a child rode an ass,
followed by the bishop and clergy into
church., where a sermon was preached.
The practice was abolished by a decree
in the fifteenth century. The Feast. of
Fools, which resembled the Saturnalia of
ancient Rome in some of its features,
last'd from Christmas to the last Sunday of
the Epiphany. Originally young boys and
sarcristans on.y had part in it, but later
all inferior servants of the church assisted
in its chief function, which was the elec
tion of a boy bishop from among their num
ber, the bishop and superior clergy form
ing'the audience. The bishop-elect was con
secrated with burlesque ceremonial. Then
a mass was said. Afterwards masks aud
disguises were assumed, and songs and
dances said to have been, some of them, or
an indecent character, were indulged in to
thie prescribed time. Some features of
this feast are preserved in the carnival.
An Abbot of Unreason had placed in the
Christmas festivities of Scotland. In 1000
his duties were ended by act of parliament.
The religious French keep Christmas with
pious loyalty. In the Tudor period of
Englisu, historwhen was the jolliest ob
servance of the festival, France resembled
England m tli<- heaitiness v.'ith which it
was enjoyed. It is noteworthy that the
mistletoe is the sign of a tavern in parts
of Brittany. In Normandy there was a
custom, aud probably still is, of the chil
dren assembling on Christmas eve, lighting
torches and hailing the Christ with danc
ing and singing. The torches were sprinkled
with holy water to be kept the whole
year through. In the event of a thunder
storm they were lighted as a sure protec
tion against the destruction wrought by
lightning. German Catholies along the
Rhine indulged in the same faith, and
there is no record of its having been a
failure.
Christmas is the festival combining most
successfully the indulgence of tin* social
with the religious impulses of human na
ture. Its observance continues to gain on
the ultra-protestnnism which aimed at blot
ting it out of the church calendar. The
unbeliever loves Christmas for its good
cheer and sociability, though he ignores its
religious character; but that Chris', ian is
not to be found who enjoys the festival
the less because it possesses so much of
good cheer ami good fellowship. There is
goo*l reason indeed why everyltody should
love Christmas; and the writer puts down
his pen in sure aud certain expectation of a
general response to his cordial wish that
every reader may enjoy a merry Christ
mas and a happy New Year.
A _HENRY a TAYT.OR.
CHRISTMAS ON A RED RIVER PLANTATION.
The first indication of the annual return of
this season of hilarity is hog-killing time. This
comes early or late, according to frost, but
from that time on—be it late or early—there
is no more work in the darkies, no more study
in white children, no more picking up chips aud
minding the baby in picaninnies. They have
“Christmas in de bones!”
The darkies begin to save up eggs and nuts,
to make persimmon beer and to watch for the
fattest "possum haunts in the bottom, while
the children, black and white, begin to save
up hog bladders, inflated and dried, for a can
nonade before the big house door at daybreak
Christmas morning.
The cotton is nearly all picked, only scrappy
remnantsrtf it whitens here and there over tha
brown field of stalks. Great stacks of it are
heaped about the barn doors, and the old gin
sings and groans, and creaks and fusses, from
sunrise to sunset, like some huge, greedy mon
ster trying to eat up a year’s rations in a day.
I 'Pho negroes sing, too, and laugh and Joks
and play hookey. When .To should be hilling
potatoes he is leaning on his hoe making bets
w’th his neighbor as to who will catch the
; other's “< ’hris'nuis gu '; and when Ben is pre-
I sumably hunting the cows, he is loafing under
I the big bare otks m the bottom singing:
“Chris’mns comes nut onct a year.
Oh. hi. ho my honey I
Every nigger wants his shear (share),
6)1, hi, ho my honey!”
The old apple house on the side of the hih
is full of winter apples, and the cider press is
[Contlnusd First Column Third Page.)