n, near Hastings, in
the year 1869, the village boys were in the habit of visiting the
houses of the gentry at Christmas time to perform a play, which had
been handed down by tradition." The description of the play which then
followed shows that it was another variation of the well-known
Christmas play, and included the "Turkish Knight," the "Bold Slasher,"
and other familiar characters.

A SCOTCH FIRST FOOTING.

Writing on "Mid-winter Customs in the North," Mr. Edward Garrett says
"it is not easy to write of 'Christmas customs in the North,' because
many of them, even though connected with the Christmas festival, do
not take place till January 6th, that being Christmas Day, Old Style,
while most of them are associated with the New Year, either Old or New
Style, one of the most striking celebrations coming off on January
11th, regarded as 'New Year's Eve.'

"Christmas itself has never been a national Scottish festival since
the Reformation. On its purely festive side, it has become somewhat of
a 'fashion' of late years, but its ancient customs have only lingered
on in those districts where Episcopacy has taken deep root. Such a
district is 'Buchan'--a track of country in the north-east of
Aberdeenshire--a place which cannot be better described than in the
words of one of its own gifted sons, Dr. Walter Smith:--

"'A treeless land, where beeves are good,
And men have quaint, old-fashioned ways,
And every burn has ballad lore,
And every hamlet has its song,
And on its surf-beat, rocky shore
The eerie legend lingers long.
Old customs live there, unaware
That they are garments cast away,
And what of light is lingering there
Is lingering light of yesterday.'"

[Illustration: A SCOTCH FIRST FOOTING.]

YULETIDE CUSTOMS IN SHETLAND.

The inherent Scandinavianism of the Shetlander, which leads him to
repudiate the appellation of Scotchman, and to cherish in secret the
old customs and superstitions of his ancestors, asserts itself yearly
in the high jinks with which he continues to honour the old holy days
of Yule. Until within the last two or three years, he pertinaciously
adhered to the old style in his observance of these festivities. On
Christmas Eve, New Year's Eve, and Uphelya--the twenty-fourth day
after Yule, and that on which the holy or holidays are supposed to be
"up"--the youths of Lerwick, attired in fantastic dresses, go
"guising" about the town in bands, visiti