his life, he said, than a
Noel procession on the coast of the Mediterranean. A beautiful young
woman and an equally lovely child sat on a donkey, which an old
fisherman in a flowing brown gown was supposed to be leading into
Egypt. Young girls robed in white muslin were supposed to be angels,
and hovered near the child and its mother to supply to him sweetmeats
and other refreshments. At a respectful distance there was a
procession of nuns and village children, and then a band of vocalists
and instrumentalists. Flowers and streaming banners were unsparingly
used. Bright sunshine played upon them, and the deep blue sea formed a
background. The seafaring people who looked on, not knowing whether to
venerate or laugh, did both. Falling upon their knees they went
through a short devotional exercise, and then rose to join the
procession and give themselves up to unrestricted mirth. In the
chateaux of the South of France _creches_ are still exhibited, and
_creche_ suppers given to the poorer neighbours, and to some of the
rich, who are placed at a table "above the salt." There are also
"Bethlehem Stable" puppet-shows, at which the Holy Family, their
visitors, and four-footed associates are brought forward as _dramatis
personae_. St. Joseph, the wise men, and the shepherds are made to
speak in _patois_. But the Virgin says what she has to say in
classical French. In the refinement of her diction, her elevation
above those with her is expressed. At Marseilles an annual fair of
statuettes is held, the profits of which are spent in setting up
Bethlehem _creches_ in the churches and other places. Each statuette
represents a contemporaneous celebrity, and is contained in the hollow
part of the wax bust of some saint. Gambetta, Thiers, Cavour, Queen
Victoria, Grevy, the Pope, Paul Bert, Rouvier (who is a Marseillais),
the late Czar and other celebrities have appeared among the
_figurines_ hidden within the saintly busts.

CHRISTMAS IN CORSICA.

"A Winter in Corsica," by "Two Ladies," published in 1868, contains an
interesting account of the celebration of Christmas in that
picturesque island of the Mediterranean which is known as the
birthplace of Napoleon Bonaparte--"One day shortly before Christmas
our hostess, or landlady, was very busy with an old body in the
kitchen, who had come to make sundry cakes in preparation for that
festive season. We were all called down to see what was going on, and
our attention was particularly