Evening Star Newspaper, December 25, 1897, Page 21

CHRISTMAS CUSTOMS Many of Them Are Derived From the Remote Past. ANCIENT FORMS OF CELEBRATION An Interesting Description of Old- Time Usages. TAROLS, FOOD AND > GAMES Written for The Evening Star. It is becoming more and more the fash- fon to climb back down into the past and delve among the archaic and the antique in search of the genesis and customs that prevail today, and consequently it will be interesting to consider the customs of the Christmas season followed by our ances- tors, from which many of our customs are derived. From a very early period Chris- tian nations have celebrated Christmas about the time of the shortest day in the Year, but the origin of the custom must be looked for even earlier than this, for it mvst be remembered that the church did not as a general rule invent new festivals, but altered pagan ones to suit her own gcod purposes. Especially was this the case with Christmas. The Romans wor- shiped Saturn at this time, hence their Saturnalia, during which their slaves were allowed freedom ef speech, and when, in fact, they traded places with their masters for a short time. The Puritan author of the Historia Mastix was, perhaps, uot far from wrong when he sai If we compare our Bacchanalian Christ- Masses and New Year's tides with the Sat- urnalia and Feasts of Janus, we shall find Such near affinitye between them, both in Tegard of time (they being both in the end of December and on the Ist of January.) and in their manner of solemnising (both of them being spent in revelling epl- curisme, wantonesse, idlenesse, dancing, drinking, stage plaies, masques, and carnall pomp and jolity,) that we must needs con- clude the one to be but the very issue of the other.” The Date of the Festival. As every one knows, the festival of Christmas is the most important of the ecclesiastical year, but in olden times it was celebrated on different days, and the gen- erally accepted view now is that the date upon which it is celebrated does net cor- respond with the actual date of the birth of the Savior. S communities used to celebrate the f al on the Ist or 6th of January and others on the 29th of March. A difference also existed in the Eastern and Wes former observing it on the 6th of January and latter on Decemt I, who reigned from first pope, so St. Ch fixed the date on De without reference to ‘y commemorated. view now is that spond with the ac- 2 vity. The shepherds Watched by night on » December, which is a clemency. the Christmas fes- commences on the 16th of December. Sapientia day; and of others, that it on before Christmas cay. . ends on the Puriti- rol : imas, whea rations in church must be taken Sir Walter — beautiful lines jas eve from Marmion are weil On Christmas Eve th On Christiuas Eve That only ived tual date of could not he bells were rungs the inass was sung? ight. in all the ye: re oled priest the eh © rear. damsel donned her kirtle sheen; hall was di “ th to the wood did ther in the mistletoe. pened wide the baron’s hall vassal, tenant, serf and all: Power Iai And Cere: vulgar game of “pest and a All hailed, ith uncontralien & ht, And general voice, the happy night,” That to the co ttage, the crown, Brought udings of sal ation down, Opposition in Scotiand. During the middle ages Christmas was Gelebrated with great rejoicing, and at the Period of the Reformation, when the Cal- Vinists rejected the festival absolutely, the Anglican and Lutheran churches retained it, as well as the other festivals. In Scot- fand the clergy trie] to throw contempt on the day. They caused their wives and ser- Vants tc spin and their tenants to yoke their oxen to plow. But John Hamilton tells us that “our Lord has not left it un- Punisit; for their oxen ran wod (mad), and brak their nekis, and leamit (lamed)’ sum Pleughmen, as is notoriously knawin in sundrie partes of Scotland.” The Scots make merry on New Year day instead of at Christmas. The Decoration of Churches. From a very early period churches have Deen decorated at Christmas, a custom de- Tiveé from the pagans. Stowe tells that “against the feast of Christmas every man’s house, as also their parish churches, Were decked with holme (the evergreen cak). ivy, bayes, &e. The conduits and Standards in the streets were likewise gar- nished. among the which I read that in the year 1444, by tempest of thunder and light- toward the morning of Candiemas at the Leadenhall, ‘in Cor ard 0: . being set up in the in the ground, nailed for disport of Christ- and cast (as was e stones of the pavement into the street, and into people were sore je Log Custom. The burning of the yule log was a Scandi- navian custom. Bringing it in was the al ceremony of Christmas eve. Its wes welcomed by minstrelsy. We give a few stanzas of a ditty, supposed to be of the time of Henry VI, in the Sloane Menuscripts: Welew Weles be heavenly King, born on this morning, for whom we shall sing, Welcome Yule. Welcome hen end Jobn; every one; Weleome Thomas Martyr one; Welcome Yule, We be ye that are here; @ make good cheer; ther year, Welcome Yule. Part of the log was carefully preserved to light the Yui ing year. @ that its preservation curity against fire. It ‘red a bad omen if a squinting person entered the hall while it was burn- ing. A Yule candle of enormous size was so lighted. Brand, in his Popular An- tiqu: states that, the buttery of St. John’s College, Oxford, an ancient candle- socket of stone stil remains, ornamented With the Agnus Del. ‘This was for holding the Christmas candle, which burned on the Welcome all, an effectual Was consi high table at In Devonshire the Yule-log is an n fagot. In Cornwall the log is called “the mock.” A custom still practiced in the former county is for the farmer and friends to sally out on Christmas eve, and offer cider and hot cake as a dibation to the principal apple tree. Guns are fired while the Mquor is being poured on the tree; and songs are sung, the burden of which seems to be to request the tree to bear well next season. A beau- tiful superstition was current in Devon and ornwail, and still lingers in remote dis- cts, that the cattle in their stalls fall lown and worship the infant Savior. Bees said to sing in their hives. Celebrations of English Kings. William the Conqueror usually kept his ristmas at Gloucester, but William LU ored Winchester at that festival. Hen- &X I took a fancy to Westminster for the first four years of his reign, and then cel- ebrated it at Windsor. Henry II kept -his first Christmas at Bermondsey, and in 1171 in Ireland. In 1201 John kept Christmas at Guildford, but was very angry because the Archbishop of Canterbury attempted to outco him tn extravagance. In 1241 the nobles who appeared at Westminster were outraged because the papal legate had the place of honor at the banquet; but Henry III's Christmas in 1252 was a great success, one thousane knights attending, besides the beers of the realm, to witness the mayriage of the Princess Margaret with Alexander, King of the Scots. The archbishop of York gave six hundred fat oxen and £2,700 to- ward the expenses. In 1248 Henry ordered Westminster Hall to be filled with poor people and feasted for a week. Edward 1 kept Christmas at Bury, Collingham, Ips- wich, Bristol, and Carlisle. In 1324 and 1325 Edward II kept the festival royally at Not- tingham, but 1326 found him a prisoner at Kenilworth. Edward Ill kept Christmas at Guildford in 1331 and 1348, masques and mummings on a large scale being exhib- ited. When Richard II kept Christmas at Litchfield, he enlarged the episcopal palace, and 2,000 oxen and 200 tuns of wine were consumed on the occasion. Ten thousand people dined daily at the expense of the King. Richard kept 2,000 cooks, who gave to the world the famous cookery book, ‘The Form of Cury, 1380. Henry VI, in 1433, kept Christmas at Bury, and was met on Newmarket. Heath by the aldermen and five hundred townsmen; and the Lord Ab- bot of the famous monastery entertained him in a manner werthy such a princely foundation. Henry VII generally kept Christmas in Westminster Hall, feasting his subjects right royally. The kings al- ways wore their crowns on these occasions. Lavish Entertainments. Henry VIII took a conspicuous part in the festivities, and kept Christmas generally at Greenwich and Richmond. Artificial gar- dens, tents, etc., were devised in the hall, out of which came dancers, or knights who fought. The cloth of gold for one of these cost £600. After a few years Henry con- tented himself with a duller Christmas, and generally gambled a good deal on the occa- sion. In the time of Edward VI a gentle- man named Ferrers was made Lord of Mis- rule, and was very clever in inventing plays and interludes. The money lavished on these entertainments was enormous; one of his lordship’s dresses cost £52, and he had a train of counsellors, gentlemen ushers, footmen, pages, etc. Mary and Elizabeth kept Christmas at Hampton court, but the entertainments of the latter were much sayer than those of her sister. Ben Jon- son was masque writer at the court of James. Three thousand pounds were ex- pended upon that writer’s Masque of Bla ness, performed at Whitehall in 160 Charles I_ kept Christmas like his father: but the Puritans abolished it altogether and Charles II did not restore it to any- thing approaching its former magnificence. Favorite Forms of Fun. Mumming was a favorite Christmas amusement in the olden time. In Scotland the mummers were styled guisers or guiz- ards. Mummer is the same as masker (Danish mumme, or Dutch momme). This custom was derived from the masquerades which formed a part of the Roman Satur- nalia. The mystery or miracle plays are an mple of the policy of the church chang- ing the revels of the heathen into church amusements. Stowe tells us of a splendid masquerade which, in 1 by the for the amusement of Richard, Black Prin afterward Richard IL. Twelve aldermen and their sons visited Henry 1V at Eltham as mummers. Henry VIII actu- act declaring mummers li- committed to jail as vagavon of drama like the legend of Su was generally acted by the mum- in which St. George fought a Turk, doctor worked a wonderful cure on the wounded man. Christmas Carols. n the morning of Christmas day, sung, Many old specimens of which a y interest- ing. The word is probably derived from ntare, to sing, and rola! a joyous ex- clamation. Wynkyn de Worde, pub- lished a collection of carols, and many ly ones are preserved in the British Mu- seum. Other early collections are: ‘“Cer- tayne goodly Cuarowles to be songe to the Glory of God;” and — again, “Chrestenmas Carowles auctorisshed by my Lord of London.” The Puritans, of course, denounced the singing of carols in the same spirit as they fasted on Christ- mas day. Bishop Hall and Robert Herrick (seventeenth century) both wrote carols It is a curious fact that carol-singing ha: never been very prevalent in Scotland. We will now give one or two specimens of old carols. The following is of the time of Henry VI: PUER NOBIS NATUS EST DE VIRGINE MARIA. Lystensl, lordyngs, more and less, T bryng you tydyns of gladues, ‘As Gabriel beryt witness: a4 ? dicam yobis quia. On Chri 1 bryng you tydynges that fwul gowde; Now es borne a biyesful fowde ‘That bowt us alle upon the rode suc morte pla. For the trespas of Adam, Fro ye fader Jhesu ho cam Here in berthe howre kende be nam sua mente pla. Mayde Moder, swete virgine, Was goduys nay no man divine, Sche bare a sehild wyt wot pnye, ‘teste profecia, Mari moder, that ys so fre, Wyt herte my ide y pray to the, Fro the fende thou kepe me tua prece pla. Milton, in “Paradise Lost,” thus alludes to the first Christmas carol: His place of birth a solemn angel tells To simple shepherds, keeping watch by night; ‘They gladly thither haste, and by a quire Of squadroned angels bear bis carol sung. The Waits and Their Duties. Connected with carols are our old friends the waits. As early as 1400 there was a regular company of these minstrels at Exe- ter, and Rymer gives the following ac- count of the duties of such people: “A wayte that nightelye from Mychelmas to Shreve Thursdaye pipeth the watche withen this courte fower tymes, in the somere nyghtes fi times, and makeithe bon gayte at every chambere-dore and oftyce, as well for feare of pyckeres and pillers. He eateth in the hall with mynstrielles, ind takeithe lyverye at night o loffe, a gallone of alle, and for somere nyghtes two candles pich, a bushel of coles; dayle whilste he is presente in courte for his in cheque roale allowed iiiid ob, or else jiid by the diseretion of the steuarde and tressorere, and that afore his cominge diservinge; also cloathinge with the hold yeomen or mynstrielles luke to that he takethe; and if he -be he takethe two loves, two messe of t meate, one gallone of alle. Also this yeoman waight, at the makynge of the Knyghtes of the Bath, for his attendance upon them by nyghte tyme in watchinga in the chappelle, hath he to his fee all the watchinge clothinge that the knyghte shall wear upon him.” From parts of this description is would appear that the wait was a sort of watchman. In many old books the term is applied to a musical in- strument. Butler, in his Principles of Musick (1636), implies that it was the same as the hautbois. Mr. Coleridge considers that the waits were wind-instrument play- ers, as the word occurs with that meaning in the “Romance of Kyng Alysaunder.” Scotland the word waith signifies to wan- der, and perhaps there is a connection be- tween the words. The waits became paid town musicians, and were often employed as watchmen. In Westminster the appoint- ment was under the control of the high constable and the court of burgesses, and was much sought after. Favorite Dishes. The peacock was a favorite dish. Some- times it was served in a pie, with the tail spreading out at one end, and the head at the other. But generally the bird was skinned, roasted, stuffed with herbs and sweet spices; then the skin, with the plum- age, was put on again, and it was borne in by a lady, and placed at the chief part of the table. Oaths were taken with drawn sword over it; hence the saying: “By cock and pie.” Furmety, served with milk of Imonds, yolks of eggs, ete., was also a favorite dish. We must not forget the mince pie (not unknown in our own time). In 1506 they were known by the name of “mutton pies.” According to Selden, they were baked in a coffin-shaped crust, intend- ed to represent the manger in which the child Jesus was laid. Mince pies, of course, were abhorred by the Puritans ‘The high-shoe lords of Cromwell’ making Were not for dainties—roasting—baking; ‘The chiefest food they found most in Was rusty bacon and bag 8 Plum-broth was ‘Die— and Oh, that waa flat try! As for the plum pudding, a recipe for that indispensable part of the Christmas dinner THE EVENING STAR, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 25, 1897-24 PAGES. is found in the Whole Body of Cookery Dissected for 1675. In the well-known game of snapdragon @ trace of the Druidical fire worship and the fiery ordeal of the middle ages may be readily found. Hearne’s “History and Antiquities of Glastonbury,” 1722, tells of the famous thorn tree which blows on Christmas day. According to the legend, St. Joseph of Arimathea landed not far from the town, and stuck his staff into the ground while he rested himself. The stick struck root, and budded every Christmas day after. The tree was hewn down by a Puritan, but we are told he cut his leg during the opera- tion, and a chip fiew up and put out his eye. The trunk, though separated from the root, grew and flourished; and other slips had been planted elsewhere, so that blos- soms were taken abroad and sold as relics by the Bristol merchants. In the Gentle- man’s Magazine for 1753 the public, we are told, watched the tree; but it did not blow till the 6th of January, Christmas day, old style. Persons during the last century reared plants from it, which were sold at high prices. The Symbol of the Holly. Among customs now disused a ceremony existed at the court of England as late as the reign of Charles II of bringing a branch of the Glastonbury thorn, which usually blossoms on Christmas eve, in procession and presenting it, with great pomp, to the King and queen on Christmas morning. In connection with the holly, which fig- ures so conspicuously in all Christmas dec- orations, a quaint old conceit is chronicled, that every holly bough and lump of berries with which you- adorn your house is an act of natural piety as well as beauty, and will, in summer, endble you to relish that green world of which you show yourself rot unworthy. In Germany and Scandi- navia the holly, or holly tree, is called christ’s thorn,” from its use in church decorations, and because it bears its berries at Christmastide. |The loving sentiment imprisoned in the holly bough and trans- lated into every language will, perhaps, never be more happily expressed than ih Charles Mackay’s verses, “Under the Holly Beugh.’ Ye who have scorned each other, Or injured friend or brother, In this fast-fading year; Xe who by word or deed Have made a kind heart bleed, Come gather here! Let sinned against, and sinning Forget thelr strife's beginning, And Join in friendsbip now; Be links no longer broken, Be sweet forgiveness spoken, Under the holly bough. ——_+ e+ —___ Written for The Evening Star. On Christmas Morn. Just such a breeze as now wafts perfume in Swept o'er the hills of fair Judea when The Bethlehem babe, so long foretold, had come, That cradled lay among the cattle dumb. Just such a look as mothers give today, Just such a prayer as lips are wont to pray, Was giv'n that night by her whom heaven blessed, Was prayed by lips that hushed and oft caressed. ‘The same low cry that now makes mothers glad Was heard and stilled, down in that manger bed. The same fond hopes, born now in woman's breost, Gaye birth to song—and left the same unrest. ‘Twas then, as now, the same fear had control; A fear unfelt, till then it plereed the soul— A life begun! how should it live and end! Beneath what star—what fate did it portend! ‘The same moon shone from ont the heaven's blue As beams on us, and soft rays shimmered through, And falling thre, lay soft, and added grace To that fair child, in that strange, lowly place. ‘The morning came, as mornings come and go; The same sun woke all nature with its glow The same earth stirred; and feet began to run, Then, just as now, the race toward setting sun. . . * . * . One day the look the child glyes back to her Who gives it birth came in those eyes to stir ‘That mother’s soul, and there she saw and knew ‘The awful woe that pierced her own heart through. But though she ‘elt she did not understand— She read the words, but saw not where the hand That wrote them out, wrote songs of triumph, too— She saw the gloom, but could not pierce it through. We know that night was born the King of Kings; That yet the earth and heave with anthem rings! We sing the song that angels fain weuld know On Christmas morn, when skies are all aglow. —P. H. BRISTOW. Washington, D. C., December, 1897. ee Seow New Use for Electricity. From the Chicago Chronicle. It is proposed to employ the electrical de- position of metallic substances in the for- mation of the frames used to mount sec- tions of prismatic glass, so as to unite them to form large sheets for windows. The sections are mounted loosely in frames of thin ribbon or wire, forming the “cathode,” and near them, acting as the “anode,” is a similar framework of the metal, of which the electro-deposited frame is to be formed. The metal Is deposited along the wires, be- tween them and the glass, until a complete grid or frame is formed, which holds the portions of glass firmly together in one piece. —_____-+e-______ The Surprised Fisherman. (A boys’ trick—in three pictures.) From Fiegende Blatter. : 21 THE SIGNAL CAME A Christmas Day'Incident in South > ——_—>—_— THE READY HELP OF THE BLUEJACKETS How Uncle Sam's Bays Saved Life and Prevented Bloodshed. A LONG, ANXIOUS NIGHT — By Commander F. W. Dickins, U.S.N. Pacing up and down the quarter deck of the man-of-war which I had the honor and Pleasure to command in 1888, beneath the widespread awnings, the holiday air aboard the ship alene gave evidence of its being Christmas day. Jack, in his mustering clothes, no dri!ls, no work; almost as quiet as the scene which met my eyes as I gazed about upon the broad stretches of the Rio de la Plata, showing more gold than silver beneath the hot rays of the summer sun; the low-lying, green and fertile banks of the Uruguay country, their monotony only broken here and ‘there by clumps of trees or a low white house, until cne came to the quaint gray town crowning a point that stood out boldly into the waters. Very old and picturesque is the quaint little town of Colonia dei Sacramento, and built with such narrow streets that one wonders if the original European settlers were afraid to transgress the bounds of the Indian camp which formerly occupied the site. Hoping to celebrate the day in some way, before noon I went ashore, seeing and hearing nothing to disturb the serenity of the day, until I had walked up the short stone pier and came to the entrance of the little stone-paved plaza. A Scene of Strife, There I found blood everywhere upon the pavement, and especially near a small cor- ner shop, where it had splashed upgn the walls as well. The iron-work gates of the police barracks were closed and barred, with two fully armed men as sentinels stowing within. Usually these gates stood hospitably wide open, with only a few men off duty to be seen lounging near them, resting, or, if busy at all, it would be only in making and drinking mate. An excited crowd was in a nearby street, and 1 was soon informed that men had been killed and were in the barracks. Going to the house of our consul, I learned that the two sons of the jefe politico, or governor of tne province, had, in the absence of their fa- ther, taken the law into their own hands, or rather, made law, as there was none to cover the injury done their family by the man who kad left his refuge in Argentina and ventured home. They had attacked and killed him on the plaza, for which no one blamed them, but they had also killed his brother-in-law, who happened to be with him, and as this latter was a good man, father of a large fam and popular, the populace wished to get the two young men and deal out speedy punishment. When the original fray was ovér, four men lay in the plaza, and the police had gathered them in, as well aS numerous weapons. The attacking parties were only wounded, the other two were déad.” Fear of na Revaluation. The first official who represented the gov- errmert was in great fear that he could rot protect the sons,of his chief, and all whom I saw feared an outbreak and revo- lution, as crowds were about, and they were painting red crosses'on the doors of the houses of the young’ men’s friends. The first official sent, for me and wanted me to protect lives and property. He asked for twenty-five men. I debated the matter with him, and urged him to help himself, if possible; but he showed me how few men he had—only enough to patrol peaceful streets. ' Finally, after talking the matter over with our consul, I went on board, got twenty-ftve marines in a_boat and brought them to the wharf. Then, keeping them still in the boat, I again talked with the gentleman, and finally he said he would be satisfied if I would prom- ise to send them in case he made signal during the night. I promised, and spent the rest of the day walking about the streets and at our consul’s. Things still looked squally when 1 went off at dusk, but dinner was eaten in quiet, and as a group of us were smoking our cigars on deck afterward, all seemed so stil] we hoped for the best. The men were swing- ing in their hammocks, dreaming, I fancy, of home or plum duff, and we were about to follow their example, when the signal fer help came sounding over the waters. A Quick Response. In fifteen minutes twenty-five marines, armed and equipped, were in the boats, and the officer in command had his written instructions to keep well within cover, be- gin nothing, but, if attacked, ic defend the American consulate and the wounded. They pulled away in the darkness; then a Gatling guh and ball and cartridges for @ ccmpany of bluejackets was prepared, and we spent the rest of the Christmas night with open ears, watching and wait- ing. In the morning news came that a crowd had filled the plaza during the night and alarmed the town. They held sway until our men were seen landing on the wharf. Then silence reigned, and as the little body who looked so like business marched along nothing was heard but their tramp and the few necessary orders to direct their course. They disappeared within the building, and the crowd grad- ually dispersed, meeting at a house out- side the town and staying there until the next day, when a steamer came from Montevideo, bearing Uruguayan troops. My men came back, with the thanks of the officials, martial law was proclaimed, and the wounded men sent to Montevideo for treatment. Thus were lives “saved, peace kept and a sister republic helped over a time of tiouble by one of Uncle Sam’s war- ships being at hard. No one could have foreseen the difficulty, and the Uruguay- ans, like ourselves, kept a small regular force which cannot always be everywhere. 'To save life, to keep the peace, to be a strong arm to aid the civil law, has always seemed to me the greatest privilege of a trained military force, and this is why I gave my aid that Christmas day long ago. THE YORKTOWN OF TODAY An Isolated Community in the Shadow of Departed Glory. —___t Written for The Evening fitar. With thoughts of Yorktown are associ- ated memories of the,struggle and triumph of the patriot army cylmigating here. But the Yorktown of today with its halo of romantic history is not deyoid of interest; indeed, as a type of igolated rural commu- nity sitting in the shadow ef departed glory it is at once interesting and pathetic. This quiet little village, the ceurt house town of York county, Va., ds loeated on a bluff overlooking the York river, famous alike for its historic associations and its delicious oysters. The town bas keen almost un- changed for more than a century. Two monuments have recently been erected, one by the nation and the other by the state of Virginia; but with this exception all that is substantial or interesting in the York- town of today reaches far back into the preceding century. . Evidences of decay in- cident to age and absence of care are every- where visible; but rugged brick walls, ivy- grown, have well withstood the tavages of time. An oblong two-story brick building, now tightly closed and ntly used as a storehouse for farm products, has a his- tory as a custom house antedating that of New York. ‘here can be little doubt in- deed that at one time vessels saili from the port of New York were co1 to clear at this custom house. o The old Nelson house still stands; strong, rugged and commanding. It was here that Thomas Nelson lived and died. He was a member of the Continental Congress, a signer of the Declaration of and, later, governor of the state. of Virgin- ja, The mension is: commodious compare favorably with colonial mansions in any part of our country. It has fallen into fll-repair, but the walls and partitions, floors and windows, remain as in early days and speak volumes for the architects and builders who wrought before the days of modern oe —— The ee grand comparatively small expense, be put in a condition equaling that of the days when within its walls the state of Virginia gave to Lafayette a splendid reception and ban- qvet upon the occasion of his second visit to our shores. The present owner, a Pennsylvanian, ex- hibits with pride the room in which the re- ception was held, and just across the spa- cious hall the room in which the banquet was served. This house of splendid history and solid colonial architecture should be an object of care by some of our many his- torical societies. Although Yorktown is so rich in historical associations, there is no attempt upon the Part of its citizens to make merchandise of its past. Souvenirs and photographs are not for sale. Indeed, the photographer seems to have given the place a wide berth. The Village of Today. The village of Yorktown has, by accident or design, assumed the form of the letter L, the short part of the letter running back straight from the river for a distance of three hundred yards, while the street representing the stem runs south and par- allel with the river until it degenerates into a cattle path in the distance. About twenty houses, old and new, big and little, comprise the village of today. One hotel and one residence, where we learn from a small sign “private enter- tainment” may be had, accommodate the traveling public, and the capacity of these hostelries is at no time overtaxed. One little church of the Episcopal faith, with a history running back to the days of Church of England establishment, answers the requirements of such of the white pop- ulation as are religiously inclined. De- nominational clashing cannot exist in Yorktown. The colored people had a mod- ern frame church building, but it was re- cently destroyed by fire, and they are, even in these chill autumn days, worship- ing in a brush arbor. However, they. are Tow collecting funds for the new building, and visitors to Yorktown are importuned to assist in erecting a place of worship for the descendants of the servants of Wash- ington and Cornwallis. One of the most interesting objects in cennection with this locality is the smail red sandstone shaft erected by the state of Virginia on the site of the surrender of the British army. As one’ stands on this spot, the marshaled forces seem almost to be present, and this culminating scene in the drama of war to be re-enacted. We are just a little disappointed that Lord Cornwallis should have shouldered off upon a subordinate the somewhat unpal- atable function of that October day. Out of respect for posterity, he might have consented to surrender in person. But this may be but the exacting and ungra- clous requirement cf a too insistent Amer- icanism. Nevertheless, we have never been fully convinced that Cornwallis’ sick- ness on this occasion was entirely genuine. Where the British Surrendered. The scene of the surrender is about a mile southwest of the town and imme- diately adjacent to the National cemetery, in which lie buried over two thousand sol Giers and sailors who lost their lives in ihe peninsula campaign of our iate war. The government bestows praiseworthy care upon this resting place of its dead, and the cemetery is kept in perfect condition. At Yorktown one naturally looks for the lines of the British breastworks, and these heavy defenses are still plainly discern- ible in certain directions. The heaped-up soil las become overrun with wild grape and Virginia creeper, which have nobly aided in preserving these most interesting landmarks. Very heavy breastworks were erected just back of the village during our late war, but these are more clearly de- fined and manifestly more recent of con- struction, and will not be confounded with the original and more interesting lin Yorktown and vicinity is the home of typ- ical Virginia country . Fat, lazy, ged, but uniformly p . they are ¢ where in evidence. Saturdays throng the stores, dispose of some small farm product in ex- change for tobacco, coffee, sugar, calico or similar commodity. If they kept fewer dogs they might be more prosperous, but scarcely more happy. The sleepy atmos- phere of Yorktown seems to enthrall its negro population, and they are as repre- sentative of a hundred years ago as of to- day. Circumstances seem to favor the re- tention of Yorktown as the repository of the spirit of a past age. There is no rail- road within seven miles, and the telegraph and telephone are equally remote. The tri- weekly visits of a steamboat and the ubiquitous mail carrier alone serve to keep the community in touch with the outer and, apparently, remote world of activity and progress. The true historic atmos- phere seems to bathe this quaint little town, and one almost expects the ghosts of the past to appear on its cliffs and haunt its ravines. Around the base of Bunker Hill the busy tide of modern travel has surged, and near at hand are the sights and sounds of a great city, and we seem held in the embrace of the present. But what a difference at Yorktown! One can scarcely help living in the past while here, and the very air, hanging lazy and soft over the river and shore, seems to breathe to our senses the story of the early days and their deeds of daring and renown. ery: they On whither they come to —__+—— ART AND ARTISTS. The latest specimen of burnt wood decora- tion from Mr. William Fuller Curtis’ hand is a real gem of artistic workmanship. It is a small casket, about a foot long and four inches high, the top and sides being adorned with quite the daintiest designs that Mr. Curtis has ever executed—decora- tions that rank, perhaps, with the best work yet produced in this medium by any one. Placed against a pleasing arabesque pattern are cherub figures, which, left in the natural color of the wood, stand out light against the soft brown of the back- ground, the effect being similar to old ivory. While preserving the solid decorative as- pect of the design by the introduction of conventional forms, Mr. Curtis has allow- ed himself the greatest artistic freedom in his figures, and the work as a whole is graceful, original, satisfying. He has placed this box on view at Fischer's, where other examples of his work in py- rography may also be seen. * Miss Aline Solomons has been spending a week or two in New York, enjoying the many small exhibits that form such an in- teresting feature of life in the metropolis. She has been visiting Mrs. Josepha Whit- ney, who, as a former member of the local artistic fraternity, is well known here. x xs Miss Grace Lincoln Temple held her an- nual exhibition last week at her studio in the Cairo, and the tastefully arranged dis- play was admired by a large number of visitors. The walls were draped with hand- some hangings and artistic wall papcrs, and the two rooms showed forth in a small way some of the esthetic color combinations that may be used in interior decoration. The harmonious arrangement of the many different colors calied for no little skill, but the problem was successfully solved, and the general effect was very pleasing to the eye. Among the most interesting of the artistic wall papers were a beautiful tap- estry pattern in dull colors, and a half pic- torial design in deep red, in which there is @ woman’s figure among the cvrving lotus stems. ‘ kk In Mr. E. H. Miller’s studio there _ * small up of water colors, the result oi his ‘vacation spent in the Catskills, which show him at his best. The most thorough- ly satisfying of all these pictures is one that brings before the eye a view of cool ‘woods, where the ground is checquered with dancing patches of sunshine. Winding in and out among the trees fs a swift-running brook, and the sparkling water tumbling over the stones is rendered in a very skill- ful manner. Mr. Miller says that i, makes him feel like a boy again to wander in the heart of the woods, and this love of nature is evident in his intimate grasp of such a subject and in the manner in which he handles it. ther int wood intericr from his brush shows a seen from the windows of his summer home, and in both of these water colors he has well indicated the peculiar formation of the hill in the middle distance, suggest- ing its actual structure very forcibiy. One sketch was painted at a time when daisies whitened the broad acres, but the flowers have vanished from the fields in the second study, and the landscape has the effect seen just after a rain. In the line of portraiture Mr. Miller is busying himself with a water color head of a sweet-faced old lady. * x * The much improved health that Mr. Robert Hinckley has been enjoying has evabled him to apply himself more indus- triously to his painting, and his studio con- tains many canvases in various stages of completion. Mr. C. C. Glover, who has been the subject of several portraits by Mr. Hinckley, is again sitting, and the pertrait promises to be a characteristic likeness when it has received the finishing touchés, It is a three-quarter-length fig- ure, and the pose is easy and unconven- tional, Mr. Glover being seated close to a table, upon which he has just laid the paper that he has been reading. The artist is also engaged upon a figure of Mr. Geo. Hellen in hunting costume. A strong color note is sounded In the scarlet coat, which, with the white riding breeches, gives an interesting effect of color. With a thought to restoring it. Mr. Hinckley has recently taken hold of a portrait that he inted of Chief Justice Fuller a good many years ago. It has changed considerably, even in the comparatively short time since it Was painted, but there may be two opinions as to whether the hand of time has not improved rather than marred it. While the picture as a whole has suffered in gen- eral harmony, the head itself has taken on a mellow richness of color that is wonder- fully fine. * Tuesday, the 28th, is'the date set for the masquerade ball that the pupils of the Art Students’ League are getting up a_holl- day merrymaking. There will be dancing in the main class rooms, and the water color room will be fitted up for fortune- telling of various kinds. These gatherings are always jolly and informal, and there is every reason to suppose that this affair will prove no exception to the rule. * * * Now that the pictures generously donated to the Corcoran Art Gallery by the lega- tees of the Lemon eetate have nearly all been hung, a more detailed mention than has heretofore been given of them may not be amiss. The pictures are grouped to- gether in the southwest corner room, and the little collection is a notable addition to the art treasures of the gallery. One of the first canvases that strikes the eye is Edouard Detaille’s “General of the First Empire,” a powerfully realistic painting. Every fold and wrinkle in the uniforms cf the officers and men, and every glistening bit of metal in the harness of their horses is set down with the most faithful pre- cision, and yet the artist has not lost sight of the spirit and action of the scene as a Van Marcke’s “Cows in the Mea- nd Rosa Bonhcur’s study of a bull, @ huge animal outwardly placid, but with a rather belligerent gleam in his eye, will find favor with lovers of cattle subjects. Chialiva has painied better things than the picture showing a shepherd with his children and flock, but it is full of sun- light, and is quite pleasing withal. a delicate transcript from né t out upon the ds with their gathered grain, and '$ one with its elusive but genuine arm. The collection contains two typical marines by W: . Richards and a richly colored Cairo street scene by Ziem. ure Sep- * * Since the magnificent tapestri by Mr. Ffoulke of this city on the walls of the gallery has been printed that their history and meaning. this catalogue five of them issued from the studios that Cardinal Francois Barberini established in Rome after his return from France, and one was woven in the Gobelin looms, in the reign of Louis XIII. Kt was with great difficulty that Mr. Ffoulke ob- tained permission from the Italian govern- ment to bring the tapestries out of the country. All of the designs represent scenes in the life of Constantine the Great, and beginning with the south wall of the main Stairway, where the tapestrics are placed, the first design represents the battle in the Bosphorus between the fleets of the em- peror and Linicius. In the second design Constantine is burning the creed of the Arians at Nicea, and in the third he is shown in the act of slaying a lion in gladi- atorial combat. Reubens made the cartoon for the fourth design, representing Con- stantine superintending the construction of Constantinople. The fifth of these valu- able seventeenth century tapestries shows the emperor contemplating the Flaming Cross in the sky and in the sixth he is de- stroying idols and replacing them with Christian statues. loaned were placed A little booklet eds light upon According to * * x Mr. G. S. Truesdell will leave France shortly, and expects to come to this coun- try to live permanently. He will probably reach New York about the first of the new year, and after a short stay there he will pay Washington a visit. Mr. Truesdell plans to make Colorado his home for a few years, hoping that the climate will do much to recruit his health. He will be represent- ed in the exhibition of the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts by a ploughing scene in Normandy. ‘- xO At Fischer’s there is a fine painting by Tiepolo, one of those masterly pieces of ar- rangement in which every turn of the hand and every fold in the drapery has a defi- uite place in the composition and carry the eye from one figure to another. The pic- ture is handled with great simplicity of style, and is marked by a fine quality of color. Another picture of interest is the landscape by Hobbema, with its won- Gerful atention to the most minute details. In the basement gallery are several at- tractive pictures, among which one may mention the well-painted genre subject by dEntraygues, the landscape by Frank Boggs and the typical canvas from Percy Moran's easel. * * ok Mr. Rudolph Evans left last week for Paris, where he will continue his art study, probably in the atelier Julien. The young sculptor’sework here has shown such prom- ise that it is safe to predict for him a great measure of success in his study abroad. Before leaving he made a bas-relief of his friend and studio partner, Mr. W. H. Coffin, @ portrait that is, with the exception of one or two minor points, a very satisfactory likeness. In another strong profile that he made recently the face is well modeled and is full of life and expression. * * A portrait of Mr. Evans which Mr. Coffin has just finished is one of the best things that he has painted for some time. It is a strong likeness, and the face is noticeably lifelike in its expression. The placing of the hands squarely upon the lower edge of the canvas is unfortunate, as the figure is 80 well posed in other respects. Simple, vigorous handling characterizes all of Mr. Coffin’s work, but one notices these quali- ties especially in some of his smaller heads, such as the profile view of an old man and in the interesting head of a young poet. The artist has been spending several weeks up in Virginia. eee * Regret, From Leslie's Weekly. LONDON'S DEFENSES Possibility of a Hostile Fleet Taking the Capital. FOUR FORTS COMMAND THE THANES Every Year the System is Given a Thorough Test. ——_o—____ AN EFFECTIVE TORPEDO ee ee a Written for The Evening Star by Lt.R.Scallan,R.AL In view of the excitement caused by the recent resolutions adopted by the New York chamber of commerce re eard- ing the improvements which that body deems advisable in the defenses and for tifications of New York harbor, it is in- teresting to-consider the means by which the war department cf the ernment Briush gov- proposes to repel any attempt on the part of a hostile fleet to take Lon- don by surprise. It is not ge nerally known, In fact, very few people outside the official pale are aware that a mo. bilization and manning of the Thames ports and batteries takes place annually,and in a mimic war the efficieacy of the de- fenses is tested. These maneuvers for 18“7 are but lately concluded, and the impression created on the mind of a cas- ual spectator is that, though more or less satisfactory as far as ge, yet the means taken to defend th at capi- tal leave much to be desired Irom one point of view, nant: land side, if ever an enemy ceed in making an effective 1 troops by eluding the vigilance land’s pride and glory, her nav Ever since Napoleon cast terror through- out the length and breadth of Great Brit- ain by his threat of invasion, the an attack from the 1c: hould iding bility of such @ misfortune has been nightmare of commercial England, and, accordingly, fo'lowing the maxim of Well- ingtoa and Nelson, taat England's navy must be her first line of defense, this arm has been improved and added to with an expenditure of money that the imagination recoils from, until now the admiralty de- clares it capable of meeting any possible combination of the world’s nav Yet from time to time a still small voice has been heard putting the anxious query: “Supposing that, notwithstanding every precaution, an enemy should elude our and a landing in force be is going to prevent the di of the intry, or even the sack don itself? astation of uon- Four Strong Forts. There are four v rong forts w command the Thames river cle t don. They a called, tivel, house fort, Coalhouse y and the forts of Cliffe and Shornemead. Like the harbor defenses of New York, these forts are provided with a numbe aphances which are essential tection of the river a wich and London. The are held mainly with th the working of these a: each fort occupied ment of trained gunner duty 1s the aning of machinery, yet the elaborate and instruments, such as t nd range hones: finders, can only be practically inspected by their employment under service condi- tions, that mistakes can be rectified and inaccuries adjusted. This year two companies of garzison artillery were told off to man the bat- teries, that is, a force of about 400 men The accommodation for troops is none of and some difficulty is attached to obtaining the necessary supplies. But soldiers make light of these things, and everybody soon makes himself at P. for the time being. The first couple of ys are spent in gun drill, and also in instruction as to the repelling of torpedo boat attacks. The interesting part from an cutsider’s point of view begins with the supposed declaration of war. The pro- gram of operations this year included at- tempts on the part of the fleet of torpedo destroyers and auxiliary vessels to sur- prise the forts and run past them, A Mimic W Hostilities began on the third night, and accordingly officers and men were all on the alert. Reliefs were told off to man the guns, and a “lookout” squad, consisting of an officer and a few men, was posted on the top of each fort, to warn the garri- sons of the approach of any suspicious- icoking craft. About 7 in the evening the royal engineer detachment began to put in their fine work, and swept the whole river with the powerful electric search- Nght belonging to Cliffe fort. The hours were passing slowly, and toward 9 o'clock one of the “lookout” officers thought he could discern a torpedo destroyer coming ‘up the river at a great pace. He gave the alarm, and everybody was preparing for “action,” when suddenly one of those heavy, dense, impenetrable mists for which the Thames is famous fell over the river and promptly obscured everything. The “gunners” were intensely disappointed, as of course nothing could prevent the success of the enemy's attempt, unless the fog should fortunately prove too dense to al- low the torpedo boat to proceed and risk the encountering of submarine mines and the danger of running ashore. So the event proved, and in the morning, when the fog lifted, it’ was seen that no attempt to run past the forts had been made. However, at daybreak the fleet sighted coming up the riv and diately a heavy fire was opened on the boats from all the guns available. The unanimous verdict was that no fleet of un- armored vessels such as those making the attack could have survived the hail of shot amd shell which was poured in upon them. After the failure of the first attempt no further attack was made until nightfall was imme- again, though in consequence of the diffi- culty of distinguishing friends from foes several false alarms were made in the course of the day. Operations we tinued during that night, and the s ing two days and nights, with result that the guns were mas: situation. The Brennan Torpedo. Toward the end of the week, during which the operations lasted, a trial was made of the Brennan torpedo, which is the exclusive property of the British gov- ernment and a most valuable addition to coast defense. The continued success of its trials has convinced every one who has seen it in operation of the value of the weapon in harbors and narrow waterways in time of war. The secret of its mechanism is most jealously guarded. Even the officers who manipulate it know very little of the principle on which the torpedo’s action de- pends and are bound not to reveal anythin, they do discover. The popular theory is that the torpedo works on the principle of a reel of thread, which rolls away from a person who pulls the loose end of the thread. Be that as it may, it is certain that the torpedo can be directed from the shore, and with an expert at the helm the striking and blowing up of a ship on every run is a practical certainty, the lit- tle engine of war doubling in and out and dashing hither and thither at a speed of nearly ten knots an hour and acting within a large radius. The result of the lefense of London” maneuvers shows that no hostile fleet could ever hope to force or even obtain by stratagem a passage beyond the de- fending batteries; but, in comparing the defenses of that city with those of New York, it is advisable to consider that the waterway of this harbor is much more dif- ficult to defend, as the enormous area and open situation is greatly to the advantage of a powerful fleet of battleships which would make their attack at a great dis- tance. The liliputian maneuvers of Lon- don would have to be conducted here on @ brobdignagian scale. - ———_+e+—____ Another Endless Chain. From the Chicago Journal. “Why do the politicians give that fellow money?” “He has influence in certain labor cir- cles.” “But how does such a chap get influ- ence?”