YULE FIRES 343 



of our puritanism burns away and the glow 

 within shines forth as we sit about this primal 

 altar of our race, fire-worshipping. 



It was the olden custom for host and guests to 

 watch the first burning of this ashen fagot, and 

 as the hazel withes one by one burned away the 

 severing of the bond was the signal for the pass- 

 ing of the flagon, the loosing of the genial hos- 

 pitality pent within the breasts of all and set free 

 with the flames. Perhaps many who took part 

 in these rollicking ceremonials thought they cared 

 merely for the cakes and ale, but even they were 

 self deceived. It was the genial freeing of the 

 spirit of Christmas good-will to all, the fellow- 

 ship that touched deepest, though they may not 

 have formulated the fact even in their thoughts. 

 No wonder that the children, whose clear sight is 

 unblurred by too much learning of things which 

 are not so, knew that to this fond fire on Christ- 

 mas eve must come that patron saint of gifts, 

 Santa Claus, even though, the house being locked, 

 he must climb down the wide chimney to reach it. 

 We have forgotten the shoe, which in the folk 

 tales of our earliest forbears of the North Euro- 

 pean forests was the symbol of mutually helpful 

 deeds of love. The children of these days placed 



