Stray Leaves from a Border Garden 
I remember right — “ why should the Devil have a mono- 
poly of all the good tunes ? ” 
In Perthshire I believe it used to be a custom for young 
people to go round on New Year’s Eve singing carols, 
when they were given small sweet cakes. It was called in 
consequence “ Caroleven.” 
In Ceylon an old custom is still kept up. The band ot 
the Ceylon Volunteers go on New Year’s Eve about the 
streets of Colombo playing and singing carols. And it is 
curious that among the native members of the band are 
sometimes Mohammedans as well as native Christians. 
The custom of carol-singing is now creeping into many 
Scotch churches. 
Here is a curious old carol, which I came across in a 
MS. leaflet years ago. I do not know who wrote it, or 
indeed anything about it, and have never met with it in 
any collection. But it is pretty, I think, and I should like 
to know who wrote it : 
Wake any, watch any, 
Here in this dwelling ? 
Weep any, wait any, 
Lonely hours telling ? 
Moan any, pray any, 
Under heavy load ? 
Hope any, trust any, 
Looking up to God ? 
Flies the snow, falls the snow, white upon the wold : 
Shines the glow, warms the glow thro’ the midnight cold, 
Light within, dark without, rich and poor together, 
Bright within, cold without, here in Christmas weather, 
Wake any, watch any ? 
Watch the angels too. 
Weep any, pray any ? 
Angels pray for you. 
Moan any, wait any, 
Wearied out of life ? 
Fall any, faint any, 
Beaten in the strife ? 
By the star, by the star, are our footsteps led, 
Some from near, some from far, where our Saviour bled. 
’Neath the Cross, ’neath the Cross, shelter seek we all. 
One for us, one for you, Christ for one and all. 
Wake any, watch any ? 
Ever wakes our Lord. 
72 
