East is held to be typical of the offerings 
made by the wise men, who came from 
afar to worship, bringing with them spices, 
&c.—was made. The boar’s head, which 
was anciently the first dish on Christmas 
Day, after being soused, was carried up to 
the principal table with great state and 
solemnity accompanied by merry music 
and carol singing, while the tables were 
crammed with viands and groaned with 
good cheer. A Christmas pie was made in 
England in 1770, which consisted of two 
bushels of flour, twenty pounds of butter, 
four geese, two turkeys, two rabbits, four 
wild ducks, two woodcocks, six snipes and 
four partridges; two neat’s tongues, two 
curlews, seven blackbirds, and six pigeons. 
It is said to have been nine feet in circum¬ 
ference and weighed about twelve stone. 
It was neatly fitted with a case and four 
wheels, and was wheeled from guest to 
guest. 
But with all the sports and merriments, 
festivities and feasting, the sacred and re¬ 
ligious significance of the day was not for¬ 
gotten, for the church bells were answered 
by throngs of people, while the sacred fanes 
rang with the praises of Him whose natal 
day it was. On that day and at that season, 
the poor were as one, and well it has been 
said of the yule tide: “The same spirit 
that vindicated the pouring of rich oint¬ 
ment on the Saviour’s feet—because it was 
homage paid to sentiment in His person— 
knew how to bless the gift of the cup of 
cold water. Every face which you con¬ 
tribute to set sparkling at Christmas is a 
reflection of that goodness of nature, which 
generosity helps to uncloud, as the win¬ 
dows reflect the luster of the sunny 
heavens. Every holly bough and lump of 
beiTies with which you adorn your houses, 
is a piece of natural piety as well as beauty, 
and will enable you to relish the green 
world of which you show yourselves not 
forgetful. Every harmless pleasure, every 
innocent mirth, however mirthful, every 
forgetfulness of even serious things, when 
they are only swallowed up in the kind¬ 
ness and joy with which it is the end of 
wisdom to produce, is but one way of obey 
ing the Golden Rule.” 
And now I will conclude this series of 
Rural Sports, by wishing every reader of 
Seed-Time and Harvest, a “Merry Christ¬ 
mas and a Happy New Year.” 
What She Said and What She Did. 
“I never will marry,” she said—she said— 
“Unless a young man that just suits me I find; 
Taller than I by at least half a head 
He surely must be, with a face bright and kind; 
His eyes I’d prefer of a violet blue, 
His hair a light-brown or a very warm gold; 
He must sing—a fine tenor—and dance nicely, too, 
And tell as good stories as ever were told. 
No smoking allowed, for the weed I detest, 
And, of course, no remarks that are rude or ill- 
bred; 
And I’d like him to always be stylishly dressed, 
The young man I marry,” she said—she said. 
And then the maid married—she did, she did— 
A three-score old fellow much shorter than she. 
Who wore a black wig that but awkwardly hid 
A pate that no balder could possibly be. 
And his voice was a creak, and he danced like a bear, 
And his nose it was red, and dull grey were his 
eyes, 
And he’d sit by the hour and stupidly stare, 
And he neyer said anything witty or wise. 
And he smoked a clay pipe, and from morning till 
night 
In his mouth held of strongest tobacco a quid; 
And he dressed—but enough, he had two millions 
quite, 
And she married him gladly—she did—she did. 
Breeding Fish. 
BY W. BAIRD. 
I have a few thoughts to present to my 
fellow farmers all over the country. I 
know the times are hard and we are all 
anxious to earn an honest penny. When 
wool is only 28 cents and wheat 80 or 90, 
we have to look sharp to make the ends 
meet, and a free exchange of thought often 
does much to assist us. I know that I owe 
all that I possess to ideas gleaned from the 
different papers. I bought a farm in 1881. 
Then everyone thought that things were at 
their lowest, and times must brighten up. 
But expecting good times did not meet my 
payments. I could not raise grain, cattle 
or hogs with any profit, so I was driven to 
look for something new, and struck on 
raising fish. I will say to start with, the 
United States government will give to any¬ 
one desiring to start in fish business, from 
twelve to t twenty German Carp fish to 
