— 258 — 



1860, when the Mayor, on New Year's eve, issued per- 

 mits to lads to run the IgnoUe, so as to protect them 

 from arrest by the police. This precautionary measure 

 did not always prove effectual in preventing disorder ; 

 when rival Ignoleux met, some of them under the 

 influence of the " ardent ", would get up a fight ; the 

 victors adding to their store of gifts by despoiling the 

 vanquished, of theirs. 



The IgnoUe which took place in Canada on New 

 Year's eve was kept up in some provinces in France 

 on the 1st January itself. 



Eight well can we remember, more than fifty years 

 ago, the observances of the day in our youth, at St. 

 Thomas, now Montmagny ; the pyramid of Crockignolles 

 on a table in the ante-room, to be served out by the 

 courteous housemaid to the jolly young villagers calling 

 shortly after day- break, and discharging round the 

 house to wake up the inmates, their long duck-guns, 

 which were answered by the ringing of all the house 

 bells, whilst we boys (my brother and self) awoke from 

 our slumbers, enjoyed the surprise of unconscious and 

 unadvised town visitors, spending the holiday under 

 our parent's hospitable roof, scared by the loud, unex- 

 pected artillery discharges. 



But, alas ! the quaint druidical IgnoUe has had 

 its day, and the charitable Quite de V Enfant- J 4ms 

 has followed. 



* * 



In closing these glimpses of a pleasant past, 

 one other feature remains unrecorded, — the Etrennes 

 of the newspaper carrier's address on New Year's Day. 

 He, also, the espiegle Gamin, counted on and got his* 

 offerings, demurely pocketing innumerable small coins 

 of the realm, his time-honoured perquisites. 



The practice, however, cannot have originated pre- 

 vious ta the year 1764, when those enlightened Scotch- 



