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arranged on the shelves and the best clothes hung in regular order on a long pole where the Yule fire may shine upon them. Great oblong loaves of Yule bread are browning in the oven with the round cakes of rye bread.

And the children! What are they doing? Oh, they are everywhere, their eyes glistening with excitement, hands and feet not still a moment. They must bring in the straw, help polish the cups, gather up the branches cut off from the trees help here and help there.

Then they have some special work of their own to do. To-morrow every gable and post must bear its Christmas sheaf for the birds that are already chattering about the feast to come. They will be here in large flocks in the morning and will waken these little boys and girls with their 15 Christmas carol.

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The children have gleaned the grain from the harvest field long before. How they enjoy climbing about to fasten the sheaves to gable and post! How they laugh to see the eager birds nod from their perches!

Now it is growing dark, and the children must go with the women to the cow house. They give the cattle their best forage and say to each one, as they put a new collar on her neck, "This is Christmas Eve, little one."

Then they proceed to the stable where they give the 25 horses their choicest hay. The fowls are remembered with bits of food and the watchdog is set free on this one night of the year. For these good folks say, "All creatures should have cause to rejoice on Christmas Eve."

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Soon the fires are lighted, the Bible is read, and the merriment begins. The children keep running to the door as if they expected some one and clap their hands with delight when they hear a bell ring just outside. They

spring to throw open the door and welcome an old man and an old woman, a queer-looking couple.

These old people are grotesquely dressed but they are most beautiful to the children, whose great round eyes sparkle with delight. The woman carries a large basket 5 of sealed packages. She hands out each package to the one whose name it bears, and when her basket is empty disappears to return with a new supply. The name of the giver is not attached to the presents and there is great fun guessing and questioning one another. The gifts themselves are usually very simple.

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Music, dancing, and games follow, and supper at ten o'clock. Before supper grace is said and the meal closes with a psalm. All the family must sleep under the same roof, and the children on rye straw. The candles and fire 15 must burn until morning, and the remains be kept until the next Christmas.

1. Where is Norway? What do the people do for a living? Why is mention of the cow house made in this selection?

2. Imagine you are a Norwegian boy or girl dwelling near a fiord. Relate what you do on Christmas Eve. What would be some of the games you could play on Christmas?

3. If you know or can find out any other ways of celebrating Christmas, in any country, report them to the class.

CHRISTMAS IN MERRY ENGLAND

BY SIR WALTER SCOTT

EAP on more wood! the wind is chill

HEAP

But let it whistle as it will,

We'll keep our Christmas merry still.
Each age has deemed the new-born year
The fittest time for festal cheer:

Even, heathen yet, the savage Dane
At Iol more deep the mead did drain,
High on the beach his galleys drew,
And feasted all his pirate crew;
Then in his low and pine-built hall,
Where shields and axes decked the wall,
They gorged upon the half-dressed steer,
Caroused in seas of sable beer,

While round in brutal jest were thrown
The half-gnawed rib and marrowbone.

And well our Christian sires of old
Loved when the year its course had rolled,
And brought blithe Christmas back again
With all his hospitable train.
Domestic and religious rite
Gave honor to the holy night;

On Christmas Eve the bells were rung,
On Christmas Eve the Mass was sung;
The damsel donned her kirtle sheen;
The hall was dressed with holly green;

Forth to the wood did merrymen go,
To gather in the mistletoe.

Then opened wide the baron's hall
To vassal, tenant, serf, and all;
The heir, with roses in his shoes,

That night might village partner choose;
The lord, underogating, share

The vulgar game of "post and pair."
All hailed, with uncontrolled delight
And general voice, the happy night
That to the cottage, as the crown,
Brought tidings of salvation down.

The fire, with well-dried logs supplied,
Went roaring up the chimney wide;
The huge hall table's oaken face,
Scrubbed till it shone, the day to grace,
Bore then upon its massive board
No mark to part the squire and lord.
Then was brought in the lusty brawn
By old blue-coated serving man;

Then the grim boar's head frowned on high,
Crested with bays and rosemary.

Well can the green-garbed ranger tell
How, when, and where the monster fell,
What dogs before his death he tore,
And all the baiting of the boar.
The wassail round, in good brown bowls
Garnished with ribbons, blithely trowls.
There the huge sirloin reeked; hard by
Plum porridge stood and Christmas pie;

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Nor failed old Scotland to produce
At such hightide her savory goose.
Then came the merry maskers in,
And carols roared with blithesome din;
If unmelodious was the song,

It was a hearty note and strong.
Who lists may in their mumming see
Traces of ancient mystery;

White shirts supplied the masquerade,
And smutted cheeks the visors made;
But oh! what maskers richly dight
Can boast of bosoms half so light!

England was merry England when
Old Christmas brought his sports again.

'Twas Christmas broached the mightiest ale,
'Twas Christmas told the merriest tale;

A Christmas gambol oft could cheer

The poor man's heart through half the year.

Marmion.

1. Scott pictures two Christmas scenes, the one briefly, the other at length. What people and times are the subject of each?

2. In the days of castles and lords, what was the proper custom at Christmas time for the nobleman of the neighborhood to follow? Where did all the neighborhood expect to gather?

3. Describe one of these gatherings: the people attending, the amusements, the feast.

4. What can you find out about the life of Scott that makes you know he loved medieval times?