m 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 imagi sisted 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 d 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 m 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 de.

        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:

        "tis t y glittering h

        I afterood t early m service s day t ther by Mr.

        Bracebridge or by some member of t    universally t ts of ty ary of England, and it is muco be regretted t tom is falling into ; 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 sisted 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,    acc to t a and approved treatise on ing I must say a muster of peacocks. "In t; added    air of pedantry, "o inform me t, acc 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 e 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 bas of time, and partly because t them highly being 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 fess I    surprised at    quotations from autainly    in tio circumstao Frank Bracebridge,    Master Simons ion o some    into udious ?t, as imes er evening. Sir Antzs Book of ry tes, tretyse of ing, by Sir t, Isaac altons Angler, and t andard auties; and, like all men ry and quoted to    of old books io tu s of t tury. 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 m, sidering it a day of p out of tusser observed,--

        "At Cmas be merry, and t t ;

        "If you are disposed to go to c; said Frank Bracebridge, "I    promise you a spe of my cousin Simons musical acs. As titute of an an, eurs, aablis; ed a ced my fato tions of Jervaise Markry tes: 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 act."

        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 h and preceded us.

        I ed to see a sleek ioned pastor, su found in a snug living in ty of a ris 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 iions of Caxton and ynkyn de orde o tions of Mr. Bracebridge    iigations 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 intrinsiature, ration of ty of antiquity. e to ed into enance; o a title-page of black-letter.

        On rea for letoe among ted. It    migly employed in tive oring 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 a    ure he hall.

        During service Master Simon stood up i 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 lab at a     bass-viol, so as to s top of a round bald ricty faces among to int; but tlemen cers ly been e to sing from terings of odd p uimes see on try tombstones.

        tolerably s generally lagging a little berumental, and some l ?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 o us sing ; ing pany: all became discord and fusion: 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    it not merely as a day of t of rejoig, supp tness of    usages of ties of t. Cyprian, St. , St. Augustine, and a ore 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 tend    of Cmas got pletely embroiled in tarian troversies of tion, mas    of tion of Parliament.* t imes past, and ktle of t.

        S up amoomes in tirement of iquated little study, times o tes of tion    nearly turies ion of poor mince-pie t t;mere popery," and roast beef as anti-, and t Cmas    in again triumply    of King C toration. o est and t of imaginary foes o bat; ubborn ?ict ten as festivity; and cluded by urging    solemn and affeg mao stand to traditional s of t and make merry on the Church.

        * From t;Flying Eagle," 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    sequence of    some time in sultation about tion of Cmas day, passed orders to t effect, and resolved to sit on tmas day."

        I tended apparently e effects, for on leaving tion seemed one and all possessed y of spirit so early enjoined by tor. ts in ting and s g Ule! Ule! aing some uncouts to tfelt siy, and ed by o to take someto keep out ttered by several of t, in t of s, t fotten true Cmas virtue of cy.

        * "Ule! Ule!

        On our , tic merriment nos and looked around y. ty of tself suf?t to inspire phropy.

        Notanding tiness of t poo melt ay, and t out ter. Large trailing verdure trasted eness of tered bank on s silver rill of cold and limpid er, glittering t up sligions to tribute to t    above truly criumpy ter; it mas ality breaking t into a ?oo tions of good cable farm-ctages. "I love," 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.* "Our old games and local s," said ; effe making t fond of ion of try made imes merrier and kinder aer, and I    truly say, s,

        "`I like the curious preess

         t seek to baniss,

            a;

        "tion," tinued ;is altered;    our simple true-ed peasantry. to terests are separate.

        too knoo read o ale-is, and talk of reform. I to keep times y ary to pass more time on tates, mingle more among try-people, a;

        * "An Englisleman, at t day--i.e. on Cmas Day is 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.

        Suitigating public distent: and, iempted to put rine in practice, and a fery-people,    uand o play ts in tality; many uncoutances occurred; ts of try, and more beggars drao t rid of in a year. Siented 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 try lads,    coats, t-sleeves fancifully tied s decorated ry.

        topped before truck up a peculiar air, and tricate dance, advang, retreating, and striking toget time to tail of s of ttling a Cmas box ic gesticulations.

        tion    i and delig of its in, o times    of ts. "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 deferend 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 a, I perceived a band of ambourine; a pretty coquettis try lad,    of    t a glimpse of my face at ted fusion.
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