“ In the bleak mid-winter
Frosty wind made moan,
Earth stood hard as iron,
Water like a stone;
Snow had fallen, snow on snow,
Snow on snow,
In the bleak mid-winter
Long ago.
Our God, Heaven cannot hold Him
Nor earth sustain;
Heaven and earth shall flee away
When He comes to reign.
In the bleak mid-winter
A stable-place sufficed
The Lord God Almighty
Jesus Christ. ”

“ Through the rude wind’s wild lament
And the bitter weather.
“Sire, the night is darker now,
And the wind blows stronger;
Fails my heart, I know not how,
I can go no longer.”
[Pg 39]
“Mark my footsteps, good my page;
Tread thou in them boldly:
Thou shalt find the winter rage
Freeze thy blood less coldly.”
In his master’s steps he trod,
Where the snow lay dinted;
Heat was in the very sod
Where the saint has printed.
Therefore, Christian men, be sure,
Wealth or rank possessing,
Ye who now will bless the poor,
Shall yourselves find blessing. ”

“ With my wassail bowl I drink to thee.
Here’s to our mare, and to her right eye,
God send our mistress a good Christmas pie;
A good Christmas pie as e’er I did see,—
With my wassailing bowl I drink to thee.
Here’s to our cow, and to her long tail,
God send our master us never may fail
Of a cup of good beer: I pray you draw near,
And our jolly wassail it’s then you shall hear.
Be here any maids? I suppose here be some;
Sure they will not let young men stand on the cold stone!
Sing hey, O, maids! ”

“ The Child who is God’s son,
When to the mother,
I my praise have given,
When I have finished,
All I should have done:
No more shall I be lame,
Boots and saddles, boots and saddles,
No more shall I be lame,
Boots and saddles, mount and ride.
Provençal Noël of Nicholas Saboly Included by permission of The H. W. Gray Company.
[Pg 9]
CAROL
Villagers all, this frosty tide,
Let your doors swing open wide,
Though wind may follow, and snow beside,
Yet draw us in by your fire to bide;
Joy shall be yours in the morning! ”

“ So thrilling as the concert sweet by heav’nly harpings made;
For love divine was in each chord, and filled each pause between:
O, who hath heard what I have heard, or seen what I have seen?
I roused me at the piercing strain, but shrunk as from the ray
Of summer lightning: all around so bright the splendour lay.
For oh, it mastered sight and sense, to see that glory shine,
To hear that minstrel in the clouds, who sang of Love Divine,
To see that form with bird-like wings, of more than mortal mien:
O, who hath heard what I have heard, or seen what I have seen? ”

“ It is Jesus, good folk of the village;
Christ is born, and Mary’s calling;
Ah! Ah! beautiful is the mother;
Ah! Ah! beautiful is her son.
It is wrong when the Child is sleeping,
It is wrong to talk so loud ”

“ A happy New Year.
We are not daily beggars
That beg from door to door,
But we are neighbours’ children
That you have seen before.
Good Master and good Mistress,
As you sit by the fire,
Pray think of us poor children
Who are wandering in the mire.
Bring us out a table
And spread it with a cloth;
Bring us out a mouldy cheese
And some of your Christmas loaf.
God bless the master of this house,
Likewise the mistress too;
And all the little children
That round the table go.
Old Devonshire Carol Included by permission of The H. W. Gray Company.
[Pg 44]
WASSAILER’S SONG
Wassail! ”

“ That the thief, though ne’er so sly,
With his flesh-hooks, don’t come nigh
To catch it.
From him, who alone sits there,
Having his eyes still in his ear,
And a deal of nightly fear
To watch it.
ANOTHER TO THE MAIDS
Wash your hands, or else the fire
Will not tend to your desire;
Unwashed hands, ye maidens, know,
Dead the fire, though ye blow.
Robert Herrick
[Pg 48]
OUR JOYFUL FEAST
So, now is come our joyful feast,
Let every soul be jolly!
Each room with ivy leaves is drest,
And every post with holly. ”

“ For Jesus Christ, our Saviour, was born on Christmas-day.
Dinah Maria Mulock
[Pg 43]
THE WASSAIL SONG
Here we come a-wassailing
Among the leaves so green,
Here we come a-wandering
So fair to be seen. ”

“ With word of Bethlehem and why they went.
I only know that watching here alone,
I know a strange content.
I have not failed that trust upon me laid;
I ask no more—I stayed.
Theodosia Garrison Included by permission of the author and of The Century Company.
[Pg 38]
GOOD KING WENCESLAS
Good King Wenceslas looked out
On the Feast of Stephen,
When the snow lay round about,
Deep, and crisp, and even.
Brightly shone the moon that night
Though the frost was cruel,
When a poor man came in sight,
Gath’ring winter fuel. ”