Part 39 (1/2)
THE CHRISTMAS BELLS.
”Ring out, wild bells, to the wild sky, The flying cloud, the frosty light: The year is dying in the night; Ring out, wild bells, and let him die.
Ring out the old, ring in the new, Ring, happy bells, across the snow: The year is going, let him go; Ring out the false, ring in the true.
Ring out old shapes of foul disease; Ring out the narrowing l.u.s.t of gold; Ring out the thousand wars of old, Ring in the thousand years of peace.
Ring in the valiant man and free, The larger heart, the kindlier hand; Ring out the darkness of the land, Ring in the Christ that is to be.”
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[Ill.u.s.tration: THE CHRISTMAS BELLS.]
As the poet Longfellow stood on the lofty tower of Bruges Cathedral the belfry chimes set him musing, and of those chimes he says:
”Then most musical and solemn, bringing back the olden times, With their strange, unearthly changes, rang the melancholy chimes, Like the psalms from some old cloister, when the nuns sing in the choir; And the great bell tolled among them, like the chanting of a friar.
Visions of the days departed, shadowy phantoms filled my brain: They who live in history only seemed to walk the earth again.”
CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR CARDS
were first circulated in England in 1846. That year not more than a thousand copies were printed, and that was considered a large sale.
The numbers distributed annually soon increased to tens and hundreds of thousands, and now there are millions of them. Mr. J. C. Horsley, a member of the Royal Academy, designed this first card which was sent out in 1846. It represents a family party of three generations--grandfather and grandmother, father and mother, and little children--and all are supposed to be joining in the sentiment, ”A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you.” The card was issued from the office of one of the periodicals of the time, _Felix Summerley's Home Treasury_. It was first lithographed, and then it was coloured by hand.
Christmas and New Year Cards became very popular in the decade 1870-1880. But then, however, simple cards alone did not suffice. Like many other things, they felt the influence of the latter-day _renaissance_ of art, and by a sort of evolutionary process developed cards monochrome and coloured, ”Christmas Bell” cards, palettes, scrolls, circular and oval panels, stars, fans, crescents, and other shaped novelties; embossed cards, the iridescent series, the rustic and frosted cards, the folding series, the jewel cards, the crayons, and private cards on which the sender's name and sentiments are printed in gold, silver, or colours; hand-painted cards with landscapes, seascapes, and floral decorations; paintings on porcelain; satin cards, fringed silk, plush, Broche, and other artistically made-up novelties; ”art-gem” panels; elaborate booklets, and other elegant souvenirs of the festive season. Many of the Christmas booklets are beautifully ill.u.s.trated editions of popular poems and carols.
”Quartette” cards, ”Snap” cards, and other cards of games for the diversion of social gatherings are also extensively used at Christmastide.
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RUSTIC CHRISTMAS MASQUE.
In compliance with a wish expressed by the Lady Londesborough, a Masque, ent.i.tled, ”Recollections of Old Christmas,” was performed at Grimston at Christmas, 1850, the following prologue being contributed by Barry Cornwall:--
”When winter nights grow long, And winds without blow cold, We sit in a ring round the warm wood-fire, And listen to stories old!
And we try to look grave (as maids should be), When the men bring in boughs of the laurel tree.
O the laurel, the evergreen tree!
The poets have laurels--and why not we?
How pleasant when night falls down, And hides the wintry sun, To see them come in to the blazing fire, And know that their work is done; Whilst many bring in, with a laugh or rhyme, Green branches of holly for Christmas time!
O the holly, the bright green holly!
It tells (like a tongue) that the times are jolly!
Sometimes--(in _our_ grave house Observe this happeneth not;) But at times, the evergreen laurel boughs, And the holly are all forgot!
And then! what then? Why the men laugh low, And hang up a branch of--the misletoe!
Oh, brave is the laurel! and brave is the holly!