The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, December 25, 1896, Page 28

THE SAN FRANCISCO CALL, FRIDAY, DECEMBER 25, 1896. 9 : Tenders Bride SR and ber ZF‘%ROW alpfic. ‘I’JQPFISODTDQDT. 'vnrposes. Who would suspect a Princess of the blood royal of being ike another Samson, lifted the gates bodily from their hinges. He reached the chamber where the packet of jewels had beesn kept, retrieved them and re- joined his companions, who went on their way rejoicing. The greatest of their troubles were now CHRISTMAS SALUTAT[ ON past. For the rest of their journey they . had oniy to meet the ordinary mishaps of iravelers in those days—breakdowns, bad roads, turbulent streams and gbstreperous innkeepers. The worst they encountered was the malign influence of 2 certain great persona e, the Grand Duchess of Baden, who always managed fo keep just ahead of them, engagmg all the fresh posthorses and leaving them only jaded beasts to make the best of. Lncte Bfn’_s' Btansars of Valoe 1Y A Christmas Episode of Virginia Oid Sing, Earth, as never song welled up before! Sing as Eternity should strike the keys, > And Orion should sing to Pleiades, ; “God’s glory” and ““good will forevermore!” James Yelverton, E«quire, of Essex County, Va., was a personaga of uncom- mon dignity, both as regarded his appear- ance and in the matter of demeanor. He was a stately old gentieman, which means For unto all the universe is born A son, whose fatherhood shall claim the race, abroad and on foot on so wild a night? Toward midnight Wogan and Jeanne sallied forth from the inn. The Their destination was reached in due course, and on the 1st of September, 1719, Whose radiance shall light up every face— The King of Kings with coronel of thorn that he was tall and erect, handsome of face, though austere of expression, and he lived in the eariy part of the present cen- tury. What also contributed not a littie to the awe in which he was be'd by all was the fact that he retained the yester fashions of his fathers of knee-breeches, stock and queue. The negroes, who were Sweet Mary! pure as Heaven’s own roses are, | attachea to him for his kinaness, yet trem- Touched with a love as true as God is love, bled iu his presence, nre:! he was revered A thrill that thythms from the throne above of the *‘po’ white trash” and “‘half-train- B ers”’ of the vicinage who occasionul!_\' had Turns every eye to Bethlehem’s eastward star. dealings with him in his capacity of “Magistrate.” It was bis custom to dis- the royal marriage was celebrated. It was not a happy one. The pair did not live long on good terms. Their quarrelsome let'ers to one another are still extant, and though historians mostly side with the wife, there is perhaps something to be said for the hu band. The jewels which caused so much trouble at Innspruck were put in pawn by the young Pretender to defray the expenses of one of his ill- starred schemes. | streets were deserted, the rain fell in torrents. Jeanne lost her shoes in a puddle and began to display an obstructive temper. But Wogan was, as always, equal to the emergency. Beiween persuasion, flatteries and promises he got her to the gate of the house of bondage. Fortune favored them; the sentinel had deserted his post ana taken refuge from the weather in an alehouse, where he was getting comfortably drunk. The girl entered and Wogan took his station at the foot of the staircase to await the Princess. He waited long, for the last interview of the mother and daughter had to take place. At last she appeared, dressed in the rain-soaked clothes of Jeanne. They left the courtyard and in half an hour haa joined the company at the Black Eagle. Mrs. Misset dressed Shall make all sorrow sacred with His tears; Whose scarred, white hands shall hallow every task And tear from Labor every feudal mask, To set the calendar of future years. A collection of historcai documents lately published by the Secretary- of the Royal Record Office of Ireland has attracted great attention from the light it throws upon some rather famous but imperfecily known oc- currences. The events ted, aithough happening in the staid and respectable eighteenth century, are decidedly of the character of a fairy The slumbering Earth is wakened with a song; tale. It was always known that the wife of the “Old Pretender,” the son of James II of England, had undergone a romantic imprisonment and liber- ation. The facts were drawn upon by Scott and other writers, but they were to be found only in a couple of more or less unreliable narratives until last year, when Dr. Joha T. Gilbert of Dublin edited and published the collection in question. The publication, moreover, falis in very op- portunely with the fantastic Jacobite revival now going on in Eng'and. In the year 1718 the faithful adherents of the Stuart cause besought their royal master, whom they styled James III, to choose himseif a wife. Accordingly an ntrepid Irish officer of distinguished family, the Cheva- “Glory to God! and in the highest glory ! Peace and good will,” the ever-after story, From seraphs’ voices, as they skyward throng. Hail, humble manger, with the kingly guest! Hail, holy ground, where cattle rudely tread ! Hail, kindly straw that shapes the Infant’s bed, Hail, Mary ! with the Lord upon thy breast. Hail, Mighty Master in the infant’s robe! Eternal First as the self-chosen Last— pense judicial adwice from the porch of his manor, his petitioners standing below, hat in hand, quaking inwardly under the stern gaze of their oracle. It happened in time that the Squire, as he was cailed, was sent to Congress, where he represented his State with the honor and probity becoming a Virginian of the old school. It was before the days of rail- roads, of course, and legislators that came from a distance were commonly compelled { to remain in Washington tnroughout the Jier Wogan, was sent forth as a matrimonial embassador to choose a Queen for the dethroned monarch. In the course of his researches he found that James Sobieski, the son of the King of Poland, was possessed of three marriageable daughters. The eldest, according to Wogan's account, was “‘all bristling with etiquette”; the second, ‘‘beyond all measure gay, free and familiar”: and the youngest, “of an even temper, and gay only in season.”” On the youngest naturally his choice fell, and he soon re- turned to James with the joyful news t his mission had been successful. James was desirous of sending him back instanter to complete the negotiation, but at this point the unfortunate jealousies of his followers interfered with his plans. The result was that instead of the Irig. to the Polish court the matter was intrusted to a v, who, unlackily, turned out to be too loose-tongued y did he k of his mission that it came to the and, George I. The British Government was in- ntly up in arms. It would never do, as they plainly saw, to permit the | Pretender to form alliances of marriage with European courts. Lord Stankope threatened the Austrian Emperor thatif he did no: interfere with the matrimonial proje of James his Ttalian provinces would be attacked by Enzland. The Emperor yielded to these-menaces and on the arrival of the young Princess Clementina and her mother at Innspruck he | cuused their arrest and detention. The new envoy brought back tbe dole- ful tidings and James resorted again, with many apologies, to the more skillful Wogan. The Chevalier magnanimously undertook to release the captive Princess from dv ce and to escort her to Padua, where the marriage was to be performed. He procured a Papal passport for himself under the name of the Comte de Cernes and set forth for Innspruck. At Bol a he changed his ise and became a ¥French peddler. Traveling with his pack he reached Innspruck and under pretext of displaying his wares to the royal ladies in their place of captivity he showed them his | credentials and made them acquainted with his mission. They gave their assent to his plans and agreea to sccompany him to Padua, provided be obtained the consentof Prince James Sobieski. This, however, proved to be no easy At this point the worthy Cheva- lier's narrative becomes rather prolix, but it is certain that he under- 1t some extraordinary dancers and at last, by the exercise of almost The very God aside his scepter cast To grasp in His enfolding arms the globe. year. Syuire Yelverton’s home, how- ever, being near at hand, he always in- | vited some of his less fortunately snumted* Hail, faithful, watching shepherds, with your flocks! | confreres to spend the Christmas holidays Hail, hills! once thrilling with an organ roll with him at Cedarwood, where he enter- That circled earth from pole to thither pole ! tained them right royally in the spa- il N cious old porticoed manor buiit a hundred Hall woods and fiekis and enturychanging rocks) years before of bricks that had been brought from England. It was on one of these occasions that the Squire outdid himself in hospitality. The Christmas dinner was the best that had ever been seen at Cedarwood. The host had ‘‘carved”’ the turkey with the skill of a past master in the art; there had been a flow of anecsote, poiitical and otherwise; the subject of agriculture had been wisely discussed; the gentlewen, as was then the pleasing custom, had taken wine—fine old Madeira—with the ladies; the great plum pudding which had been prepared by the mistress of the manor was pronounced delicious by the whole company, and conientment was in the heart of the Squire, albeit he did not un- bend his accusiomel dignity more than to smile at the salites of his friends or ven- ture a dry witticism of his own now and then. After the dinner the gentlemen repaired to the stables to look ut the horses and a visit was paid to the kennels to inspect the bounds, and many an anecdote of the chase was told, and perhaps a siory or two of pistols and twenty paces. When at lasg Hail, Earth, made younger by the birth of Christ! Hail, Sky, forever sweetened with a song! Hail, Race, who in His pattern may be strong ! Hail, Heaven’s great gift! forevermore unpriced. catsiat the ‘“;': of Hail, Princf: ! who.c'ame as never prince had come, Clothzd in humility to meet the race, With Love’s evangel in His royal face, With Pride and Heraldry struck sternly dumb. Hail, holy infancy ! whose cradled Lord Doth place the scepter in each infant’s hand, Whose helpless beck is evermore command, Whose every want is an imperial word. Hail, holy impulse ! turning to the skies A dying race prone downward in its flight. Hail, second mandate ! with Ged’s call for * Light,” To lift from earth our heavenly longing eyes. Hail, thousand years of Christmastide to come! When undisputed reign shall crown His toil, And blossoms lift sweet hands from all the soil, When nevermore shall sound war’s throbbing drum. Hail, closing century! whose magic wand incredible astuteness, obtained the conse: f the Polish Prince to his carrying off the Princess if becould. He then proceeded to choose some anions from an Irish reziment which Lappened to be lying bourg 3 oW ncle, & Major Gay a Captein Misset and a a Captain O’Toole, who was somethi f a giant in stature hero in character. Misset brought into the con- i Jeanne, another gigantic person, who finally proved rtant ally. met with a mishap at the beginning. {ake, on s ence for treason. But he w: ded and de spiracy her 1o be a most i The Chevalier n of being the Duke of Mar, s set at liberty, upon which usp! then under s he modestly remarks that he was “more important than fen Dukes.” On April 26, 1719, they got under way, all in disgurse. eir plan was to | introduce Jeanne, the maid, into the house where the Princess was de- tained. The Princess was to change garments with her, leave in iier place and’join the conspirators at the inn. At night on the 27th the party of adventurers reached the inn agreed upon, the Black Eagle of Innspruck. The weather was furious, a storm raging and the streets being turned to streams of water. But the worse Doth harness to its car each hiddzn force, Training the very lightning to its course— Before whose “‘sesame’’ all things respond. the Princess in clothing of her own and the party was soon ~eady to set forth. On entering the inn the Princess had brouzht ber jewels in a handbag, which she trusted to a page. The page flung the . precious parcel behind a door and thought no more of it. The party had gone some distance on its way when the Princess in- quired after her jawels. No one had seen them. Back they turned and drove post- haste to the inn.” It was not only the loss of the jewels that was involved, but the fact that their discovery in the house would mean instant recognition and pursuit. Wogan describes the moment as ‘‘terrible but interesting.” The inn was the weather the better the indomitable Wogan considered it for his lockeq up, but the admirable Chevalier, Crown thou with Christ the islands of the sea! Crown man, the sovereign master of himszlf— Tear thy crown jewels frem a Christless pelf— And bid them brightest shine in charity! Thou ermined Paraclete of ripened age, Place once for all great Love upon the throne! Lift up thy golden scepter ! Let “glory” and “‘good will” round out the page! Claim thins own ! HIRAM HOYT RICHMOND. the guests had assembied in the drawing- room the Sauire’'s daughter sang and ac- | companied herself on the harp, Cousin } Louis played **Believe Meif All Those En- dearing Young Charms” on the flute and a number of negroes came and sang their melodies beneath the windows. It was then that the Squire, thinking to give his guests a bit of homely amusement, sent tor Uncle Ben, who bad a certain talent for the fiddie, ana bade him play. The old fellow asked nothing betier, and aiter som: excruciating tuning was soon under way drawing forth more or less discordant sounds in bis best manner. Oblivious to all, saye that keen love of music charac- teristic of his tribe, Uncle Ben sawed with ardor, swaying his body the while in uni- son with tue air. The divine afflatus might have rested with him, such was the enthusiasm—the 4 fervor he displayed; rocking away as if actuated by machinery and making his bronze fingers dance along the arm of his insirument with astonishing alacrity. The company looked on amused and the Squire approved. As the music waxed livelier, however, he grew restiess. He had been a great dancer in his yourger days, num- bering among his terpsichorean accom- plishments the traditional “pigeon wing’® When the Padres and the Indians First Celebrated Christmas Together Under the Branches of Viscaino's Oak at Monterey. “No Christmas for the little Jesus to- | dsy—no soul to offer him after my weary | labor of months,”” mourned Father Juni pero Serra on December 25, 1770. It was at Monterey, and the rough booth of branches which had been erected under Viscaino’s oak, near the beach and in front of the anchorage, had been im- proved into a sort of rustic church, Wit} the exception of panish soldiers ana priests there was no Christian congregation to a t in the celebration of the first midnight mass. Yet when the | hour arrived the Jittie church was full to | overflowing, and along the beach the In- | dians were squatied abont anxiously ‘ watching the stra proceedings. What | i a picture it all made! Great bonfires were burning along the coast and the queer lit- tle chapel was brightly illuminated with | candles that the padre had treasured for | this occasion. ¥ragrant clouds from the burning incense filled the ctapel and | rolled out into the open air, delicately | scenting tie light breez Near the altar, | lyingona heap of dried'grass, was the col- | ored image of alittle, dimpled, chubby, fair- | haired bab uch a baby as these native Californians had never seen. They looked atit in open-eyed wonder while Father Serra told them of the birth of the little Savior in Bethlehem and of all he had | done for mankind. | On the jollowing day Father Junipero | Serra had a hday present to offer to | the divine child. A little Indian boy, 5| years of age, was bap:ized. He receivea was the first native to reccive baptism in Alta California, and was always very vroud of the fact that he was the holy | Father Junipero’s Christmas present to the *little Jesus.” early California days, “before the Gringos came,” before the Mexicans lost their broad acres and hospitable homes and the Indian disappeared, ending the romance of California and the peaceful dreamlife ot its people, Christmas day, the 25th of December. was not a day of) pres- ent-giving. To the Mexican all fea st days are days of pleasure, days for excitement and laughter, so Christmas day was spent in dancing, in witnessing bull-fights and tournament riding. The celebration of the festival began at midnight in a great arbor, or a sort of pavilion, large enough to hold hundreds oi people. It was builr, by numerous and willing hands, of hewn | trees and great green branches. Even the roof was made of :reen leaves. Garlands of red berries hung from the walls. So closely were the trees and branches put together that the sun, trying his very hardest to see what was going on, could only penetrate through them here and tbere with a very smail beam. The green ceiling was covered with gauzy material that had been brought from Mexico for that purpose, of blue and white to represent the sky. Tinsel, like the stuff now used to brighten Christmas trees, was thrown among these fleecy clouds and the whole pavilion was lighted by thousands of tiny lamps maae The altar was lizhted by wax candles. At one side of the church, near the altar, a large booth was erected, whigh | contained the ‘“‘crih,” the child in the manger. Live cows stood near the manger, eating the hay provided for them and gaz- | inz with mild-eyed wonder at the glorious | sight around them. At 12 o'clock, with a !grsnb ringing of de‘p-voiced betls and | silver singing chimeg the mass began. The choir consisted mostly of Indian girls | and boys, who stood on opposite ~ides of | the chureh, singing not in their own nor in the Spanish language, but in the Latin tongue. The congregzation all sat on tie floor. The altar boys were dressed in long white robes with white wings attached to their shoulders, representing angels, At the close of the misa de gallo (mid- night mass) a procession of young girls and boys dressed in shepherd costnmes came [rom the entrance of the church and proceeded to the crib. Surely such merry, laughing and fantastically attired shep- herds were never seen before or since. The shepherdesses wore colors of every conceiveble hue; some of them were dressed in white, but there were more in red and blue and yellow and bright colors. There were costly ornaments on the rich senoritas, and tinsel trimmings, borrowed from the fathers, on the skirts and breasts ot the poorer Mexican girls. The long | crooks they carried in their hands were of different designs. They were made of Indian bamboo; the tops of some of them were in the shape of baskets trimmed baby rattles, and they were all gayly| decked with bright ribbons. In their arms they carried little bleating lambs or offerings of incense and myrrh for the in- fant in the crib. On a frame near the ceiling was a little Indian clad 2s an angel—the angel who aunounced the birth of Christ to the shep- berds—pointing the way to the manger. He was generally a frightened-lookifg lit- tle angel, but with1l was proud of his ele- vated position. The shepherds and shep- herdesses sang as they advanced : Son pare. Belen Con i fecto tiet Alnino le elevo Un bule a2 miel. It was on the 6 h of January, “Little Christmas,” when the Californians re- ceived their presents. On Littie Christ- mas the Catholic church celebrates the arrival of the three kings at the manger. from the East. The kings were supposed to have broughtrich presents to the infant in the manger. On the eve of Little Christmas the Mexi- can and Indian children placed saucers of cornin frontof the windows so that the good kings who came on horsevack could feed their horses. Through the windows, instead of the chimneys as Santa Claus does, the three kings put their offerings. But there were few preseats for the chil- dren in those days, even the wealthiest among them receiving no toys. No native of California—Mexican or Indian—had ever seen even a doll till early in the one to the little daughter of a prominent Mexican family. The California children had candy though, and the three kings were very liberal with that. It was called flurron, and was made of sugar, honey and al- mond+. It was very much like the French nougat, and was particularly a Christ- mas sweetmeat, not being made at any other time. The kings were kind to the. poor, par- ticularly widows. Flour, sugar and lard was given in abundance, so that all could teast on bunuelos, a sort of cake which no Christmas in those times was complete without. LueLLA GREEN HARTON. A Gonsiderate Dog. W. A. Halsey tells a neat dog story, whieh he says will be verified by Archi- tect G. A. Stuehlin. One breezy morning about ten days ago they were riding down Market street upon the rear of a trolley car when the car passed over a nice, light, soft hat, which had blown between the tracks. The hat was not injure<, but the wind gave it a little flirt after the car had passed and dropped it fairly upon one of the rails. A big New York car was com- ing and ahead of it a big mongrel pointer dog was trotting along. The dog glanced at the hat, looked back at the car, and then picking up the hat in his teeth ran over to the curb and depos- ited it upon the sidewalk near a group of | and his wife had years ago given up hope safe place the dog loped after the big ea, and took his place in front of it. Mr. Halsey did not see the owner of the hat, nordid Mr. Staehlin, but they passed sev- eral remarks about the sagacity of the dog, and it is believed that they agreed that 1t would be betier not to speak of the incident except to people who knew them well.—Newark Sundav Call. The Old Man Had Doubts. Mr. Goldfogle bas a daughter who is past 30, homely and unattractive, and he that sh: would ever have a chance to change her name. A day or two ago when he came home to supper his wife said, joyiully: “Our Jennie has an admirer at last. Mr. Simpson, the stockbroker, sent her a big box of candy and asked ber to go to the theater with him to-night. It will be an excellent match for her; his family are well connected, and I've inquired into his habits, and altogether I'm per- fectly delighted with jennie’s catch.” “H'm,” said Mr. Go!dfogle. *Better not be too confident yet. 1'll look about to-morrow and see whether Simpson voted for Bryan or not.”’ “Whatin the world has that to do with it, I'd like to know."" “Alot,” said Mr. Goldfogle. *‘Simpson may be only paying an election bet.”’— Detroit Free Pre —————— in all its classic perfection. Uncle Ben's music, though lacking in purity, pose sessed that verve and life which the negro is so capable of educing and after a bril- liant passage achieved with the most ex- aggerated contortions on the part of the performer he dropp:d inio a sprightly jig ihat would have made the foot of a Pil- grim Father twitcu with theenvy to dance. It was too much for the Squire, whose pristine valor on *‘the light tantastic toe’” came back to him with 1neluctable foree. In a moment he was footing it featly in the center of the room. His coat-tails flew out behind him, his queue bobbe s up and down and his shoe-buckies lashed un- til like Dickens’ Mr. Fizziwig, “he ap- peared to wink with his legs.”” Uncle Ben’s ardor grew to frenzy and the erst- while austere Squire Yelverton accom- plished marvels of agility while his as- tonished guests stared in amaze. Above the chimneypiece a portrait of the Squire by Jarvis looked down severely upon the scene, which finally ended by its apostate original falling exbausted in a chair amid a tumult of laughter and applause. When the merriment had subsided, Uncle Ben, finding his tongue with some difficulty after his exertions, faltered with a satis- fied chuckle and a shake of his old gray head—*Bress Gawd! -em’men, I tell yo, me play de fiadle an’ Mars Jimmy darnce de jeeg, we can whop any two NIGGERS in de who' United States.” 5 : : . = pavers who were working alongside of the | Whooping-cough annually destrovs | Each salmon produces about 20,000,000 the name of Bernardino de Jesus. He|of earthenware and filled with tallow. | with tiny bells, others were like huge | fifties, when the captain of a ship brought | courthouse. After putting the hat in a | avout 250 lives 1n every 10,000 in England. eggs. 3 *