by Poet as a Nowspap Segistered at the G.P.O. Perth, for transmission
Published every ?Saturday. No. r523.
the Secret of Christmas Noy An Irish Christmas Night Oh,
come, boughs
we'll
twine the holly
And deck the house again, And let the glist'ning berries red,
PR/C11 : THRICEPENOW
SATURDAY DECEMBER 25, 1909.
VOL. XXXTII.
R.
BECHTEL CONTRACTORS TO milE W. A
.
&
CO.
E. ARUNDEL)
AND COMMONWEALTH GOVERNMENTS,
Head Office : BarrackStreet, Perth. Perth Factory, and Saddlers Ironmon.r,ry Department, Murray'st.,
Lay 'gainst the window pane ; And when the golden dawn appears,
They'll sparkle in its light, Whilst you and I old times recall This Irish Christmas Night. Now fix the trailing ivies, dear, In garlands 'hove the door ; And don't forget the mistletoe-Love's mystic wreathe a stoir ' the Hand down the tile from off shelf, Mavrone, it must be bright 'Tie old, but sacred in the cause Of Irish Christmas
Night.
if that old tile could speak, 'Twould tell of years gone hy, And generations passed away That in the graveyard lie ; martyrs Of blood -stained times and brave, hunted Soggarth's fliehtThe mountain cave, the Midnight Mass, And Irish Christmas Night.
Ah, me
!
The Yule -log's blazing on the hearth And in its ruddy glow I still can see two faces, dear, We loved, long years ago. There's " Nora balm," and blue-eyed
Kate,
Oft made the burden light ; God rest them in afar oil lands
This other Christmas Night. A stoireen, but you're weeping now, Sure we are left alone ; Your heart beats for the crathnrs
still-
There's erief within my own. But they are safe from earthly wileFrom care and sorrow's blight ; O'er you and I they'll vigil keep This Trish Christmas Night. grey, For you and I are old and years ; We've borne the load for Together we have lived and loved, And shared Life's joys and tears. How gladly would we rest us now 'Neath winter's snow -flakes white, 'Longside our dear ones, ever more, This Trish Christmas Night. T. D. Sullivan.
A Corner of the Factory. cattle and Blessing the Animals on Christ- er grown-up chorister, hidden some- Nativity to bless your is only right it because above flocks, bower -branch fir your in the where mas Eve described, gave the response, " Ubi?" that the animals which constitute of chorister conceal- Your greatest help and source in particular a mid- (Where ?) A tenor I remember word prosperity should participate in the sheep added the night Mass which I attended one ed near the Now then a baritd'ne I
and joy which tills all our hearts. Christmas Eve, in the church of an " Bethlehem," " Eamus." t us betrayed voice lead your flocks past me." where we were village, Breton old thither.) Thereupon the priest, spending the holidays. 'the sacred go The shepherds and cattle herders emigreentire the acolytes, and and storm -beaten edifice when we en- his began to drive the animals past and then procession formed into a tered it, .shortly before midnight, gation to the at -tree bower, where us, while the rector, dipping this marched kneelwith was filled to overflowing representation of the Nativity sprinkler into the silver ewer of holy ing and picturesquely attired pea- the arranged. The priest hay - water, showered the latter upon the been had alsants. On the right side of the both the mother and oxen and the sheep ; and amid the sprinkled tug fratar a bower had been made of child, as well as the animals, clang of bells around their necks, grant pine and fir branches, with the holy water, we all followed the their lowing and their ba'aing, as great bunches of crimson-berried holly with Christmas Plum Pudding old rector to the chief en well as the words and the cries of and waxy mistletoe glistening among kindly trance to the Church. The scene were Crumble a Pint of bread Crumbs, the verdure. Under this canopy there there was one which I shall never their drivers, ever and anon of heard the solemn words of the priest from the centre of a stale loaf and sat on a low stool a young girl of flocks and cattle the forget. All Deus, pour over them one cup of scalded great beauty, with her long, black the village had been driven into the " Benedictus vos oirnopotens her Patar et Filius et Spiritus Sanctus," milk. When cool, add three-quarters hair falling in silky masses on there stood and her arms old churchyard, the choristers bringing the -blessing to of a cup of sugar, one teaspoonful of loose white garments. In stood crowded together in the silvery light a close with a resounding Amen. As salt and the yolks of four eggs beat- she held an infant. .Beside her poropen the of a young man wearing a gold-embroi- of a full moon around I watched the animals vanishing one en together. Chop a half pound tal. Standing on the topmost step after the other into the night, it suet and thoroughly mix with it a dered role and leaning on a' heavy and of the Porch, with his acolytes and seemed to me as if I were carried half -pound each of raisins, currants staff, while an ox, a donkey, around hirt. the times of the Add a teaspoonful four sheep were quietly munching surpliced choristers and almoncr. who back to the primitive venerable, white-haired priest, as if our mata of mangers. and couple a nutmeg, from Christians, corn and early cinnamon of each charge of the parish for close ter-of-fact, prosaical and materialisthird of a teasponnful each of cloves The celebration of Mass began. A had " Puer upon forty years, exclaimed : " God tic century was not a reality, but and mace and the whites of four small chorister chanted the is in His mercy, my dear children, has only a nightmsre. child a us hard (For with nohis." Serve est natus beaten. stiffly eggs sent me on this radiant night of the anothof voicedeep bass The born.) sauce. I