Christmas Customs. 89 



out the parish ; it is usual to keep to the parish, for 

 some of the old local feeling still remains even in 

 these cosmopolitan times. At Christmas sometimes 

 the children sing carols, not with much success so far 

 as melody goes, but otherwise successfully enough ; 

 for recollections of the past soften the hearts of the 

 crustiest. 



The young men for weeks previously have been 

 practising for the mumming a kind of rude drama 

 requiring, it would seem, as much rehearsal before- 

 hand as the plays at famous theatres. They dress in 

 a fantastic manner, with masks and colored ribbons ; 

 any thing grotesque answers, for there is little attempt 

 at dressing in character. They stroll round to each 

 farmhouse in the parish and enact the play in the 

 kitchen or brewhouse ; after which the whole com- 

 pany are refreshed with ale, and, receiving a few 

 coins, go on to the next homestead. Mumming, how- 

 ever, has much deteriorated, even in the last fifteen 

 or twenty years. On nights when the players were 

 known to be coming, in addition to the farmer's 

 household and visitors at that season, the cottagers 

 residing near used to assemble, so that there was 

 quite an audience. Now it is a chance whether they 

 come round or not. 



A more popular pastime with the young men, and 

 perhaps more profitable, is the formation of a brass 

 band. They practise vigorously before Christmas, 

 and sometimes attain considerable proficiency. At 

 the proper season they visit the farms in the evening, 

 and as the houses are far apart, so that only a few- 

 can be called at in the hours available after work, it 

 takes them some time to perambulate the parish. So 



