JANUARY, 1840. I TO MY YOUNG PATRONS. In writing or conversing to children an old man feels divested of all worldly considerations. He was once a child himself; the happiest days of his life were in childhood, and the happiest hours of his old age is passed in adding to the stock of their pleasure and profit. HAVE now commenced my eighth means of information have increased and volume of PARLEY'S MAGAZINE. are increasing, and I hope to make my When I began this work, in the year volumes still more useful and amusing. 1833, many of you, who have now almost arrived at manhood, were then little children; and I myself have had seven years added to my already long life. To you the time has appeared long, but to me it appears very short. This is one of the differences between childhood and old age. When you are as old as I am, the passage of time will seem as quick. Many events occur in seven years, and though the time appears short to me, I am surprised at the quantity of labor I have assisted in performing, and the great portion of reading I have furnished. I hope it has been like good seed sown in a good soil, that it may yield a hundred fold, and that your usefulness may be continued when my old head shall repose in the grave. I feel the responsibility I am under whilst associating with youth, and as standing on the verge of eternity,-to direct their steps aright. Whilst instructing and amusing their heads,-whilst exercising their bodies and invigorating their faculties, a more serious duty is not to be forgot, that of making better their hearts. Rectitude of conduct and good principles, whether possessed by rich or poor, learned or unlearned, is truly the pearl of great price. I shall endeavor to make the minds of my young readers better as well as wiser. With these few words of promise and purpose, I proceed in my work. THE OLDEN TIMES.-No. 1. I AM going to commence my January number with relating curious old customs about the New-Year, and shall continue to tell further stories every month of such old doings and say ings as will give an idea of many things you hear about and see, which you hardly understand. England, our mother country, still retains many strange ancient customs, curious ceremo nies and superstitions, popular pastimes and public holidays, the history of which would be entertaining to relate to children; and to tell how our Saxon ancestors carried on these ceremonies, and how they have since been altered, or refined, by a long run of years, and brought down to our own days, will be a pleasant pastime indeed. This we shall try to do; and if the language and description of manners may sometimes appear quaint and coarse, yet the old phraseology cannot in all cases be dispensed with, because this style of language is still common in many of the British counties or provinces, and deserves preservation as illustrating the primitive words which were the original of the English colloquial language of the present day. Let me now show you how a great festival is observed in London, especially among the common folks. IN TWELFTH-DAY. N London, with every pastrycook in the city, and the west end of the town, it is 'high change' on Twelfth-day. From the taking down of the shutters in the morning, he, and his men, with additional assistants, male and female, are fully occupied by attending to the dressing out of the window, executing orders of the day, before receiving fresh ones, or supplying the wants of chance customers. Before dusk the important arrangement of the window is completed. Then the gas is turned on, with supernumerary argand-lamps and manifold wax-lights, to illuminate countless cakes of all prices aud dimensions, that stand in rows and piles on the counters and sideboards, and in the windows. The richest in flavor and heaviest in weight and price are placed on large and massy salvers; one, enormously superior to the rest in size, is the chief object of curiosity; and all are decorated with all imaginable images of things animate and inanimate. Stars, castles, kings, cottages, dragons, trees, fish, palaces, cats, dogs, churches, lions, milkmaids, knights, serpents, and innumerable other forms in snow-white confection 6 ery, painted with variegated colors, glitter by excess of light' from mirrors against the walls festooned with artificial wonders of Flora.' This 'paradise of dainty devices,' is crowded by successive and successful desires of the seasonable delicacies, while alternate tapping of hammers and peals of laughter from the throng surrounding the house, excite smiles from the inmates. The cause of these tappings and loud laughter outside may be inferred from the following conversation: the way! You boys, stand aside! Constable. Make way, make way! Clear Countryman. What is all this? Is any one ill in the shop? 1st Boy. Nobody, sir; it's only Twelfth-day! This is a pastrycook's, sir; look at There they stand! What cakes! What pretty ones these are! Only see that! 2d Boy. the window! 3d Boy. 4th Boy. 5th Boy. Why, it's as large as the hind wheel of a coach, and how thick! 6th Boy. Ah! it's too big to come out at the door, unless they roll it out. 7th Boy. What elegant figures, and what lots of sweetmeats! 8th Boy. See the flowers! they look almost like real ones. |