Page:Notes by the Way.djvu/342

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272

��NOTES BY THE WAY.

��Perceval

London's

' 1857.'

��The Daily Telegraph of the 28th of December calls attention to the fact that behind the festival,

" glorious and inspiring as it was, there was a shadow known only to the organizers, but realized by every member of the Committee, by every officer, by Lord Roberts above all, with indignation and with grief."

Many of the men " that we cheered and honoured and loved " had come from the workhouse, to return there to spend then: Christ- mas.

" Already forgotten, once more they think, as they were forgotten for many and many a year before, they are in the workhouse, and there they will remain, if nothing be done, until a pauper's portion ends in a pauper's grave .... They have conquered for us. Yet they have lost their freedom and the status of self-respecting manhood. They have been struck from the roll of citizenship. They are social captives within the workhouse walls, and never, never can our honour be repurchased until their liberty is redeemed."

A telegram from Lahore states that the 10th Bengal Lancers (2nd Hodson's Horse) celebrated the jubilee. The regiment, including the British officers, led by Col. Cowper, marched past and saluted its own native retired veterans, including Sepoys.

The series of articles giving the history of the Mutiny which appeared in The Daily Telegraph have been reprinted and published in a volume. They were by Mr. Perceval Landon, and form an interesting record. There is an appendix containing a complete list of the surviving officers and men.

As the result of this banquet a Veterans' Relief Fund was started. (See post, p. 285.)

��1908, Jan. 4.

Christmas carols.

��CHRISTMAS CAROLS.

Lovers of Christmas carols should possess themselves of ' A Wreath of Christmas Carols and Poems,' chosen by Mr. William Andrews, and published by Mr. Tutin of Hull, who has already rendered good service by the publication of many other delightful booklets as good as they are cheap. This ' Wreath,' well printed on excellent paper, can be had for the small sum of threepence.

Mr. Andrews has made his selection with judgment and taste, and in his brief preface reminds us that the earliest Carol we possess is in Norman-French, and dates back to the thirteenth century, the manuscript being in the British Museum. In 1521 was issued, from the presss of Wynkyn de Worde, the first printed collection of Carols. The opening Carol in the present selection, " Lordlings, listen to our lay," is said to be the earliest English example ; and

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