and a Happy New Year to you." The card was issued
from the office of one of the periodicals of the time, _Felix
Summerley's Home Treasury_. It was first lithographed, and then it was
coloured by hand.

Christmas and New Year Cards became very popular in the decade
1870-1880. But then, however, simple cards alone did not suffice. Like
many other things, they felt the influence of the latter-day
_renaissance_ of art, and by a sort of evolutionary process developed
cards monochrome and coloured, "Christmas Bell" cards, palettes,
scrolls, circular and oval panels, stars, fans, crescents, and other
shaped novelties; embossed cards, the iridescent series, the rustic
and frosted cards, the folding series, the jewel cards, the crayons,
and private cards on which the sender's name and sentiments are
printed in gold, silver, or colours; hand-painted cards with
landscapes, seascapes, and floral decorations; paintings on porcelain;
satin cards, fringed silk, plush, Broche, and other artistically
made-up novelties; "art-gem" panels; elaborate booklets, and other
elegant souvenirs of the festive season. Many of the Christmas
booklets are beautifully illustrated editions of popular poems and
carols.

"Quartette" cards, "Snap" cards, and other cards of games for the
diversion of social gatherings are also extensively used at
Christmastide.

[Illustration]

RUSTIC CHRISTMAS MASQUE.

In compliance with a wish expressed by the Lady Londesborough, a
Masque, entitled, "Recollections of Old Christmas," was performed at
Grimston at Christmas, 1850, the following prologue being contributed
by Barry Cornwall:--

"When winter nights grow long,
And winds without blow cold,
We sit in a ring round the warm wood-fire,
And listen to stories old!
And we try to look grave (as maids should be),
When the men bring in boughs of the laurel tree.
O the laurel, the evergreen tree!
The poets have laurels--and why not we?

How pleasant when night falls down,
And hides the wintry sun,
To see them come in to the blazing fire,
And know that their work is done;
Whilst many bring in, with a laugh or rhyme,
Green branches of holly for Christmas time!
O the holly, the bright green holly!
It tells (like a tongue) that the times are jolly!

Sometimes--(in _our_ grave house
Observe this happeneth not;)
But at times, the evergreen laurel boughs,
And the holly are all forgot!
And then!