and Yorkshiremen enjoy furmenty; and mistletoe and the kissing-bush
are still hung in the hall; and in some remote parts of Cornwall
children may be seen dancing round painted lighted candles placed in a
box of sand. The devil's passing-bell tolls on Christmas Eve from the
church tower at Dewsbury, and a muffled peal bewails the slaughter of
the children on Holy Innocents' Day. The boar's head is still brought
in triumph into the hall of Queen's College. Old women "go a-gooding"
or mumping on St. Thomas's Day, and "hoodening" or horse-head mumming
is practised at Walmer, and bull-hoodening prevails at Kingscote, in
Gloucestershire. The ancient custom of "goodening" still obtains at
Braughing, Herts. The _Hertfordshire Mercury_ of December 28, 1907,
states that on St. Thomas's Day (December 21) certain of the more
sturdy widows of the village went round "goodening," and collected £4
14s. 6d., which was equally divided among the eighteen needy widows of
the parish. In 1899 the oldest dame who took part in the ceremony was
aged ninety-three, while in 1904 a widow "goodened" for the thirtieth
year in succession. In the _Herts and Cambs Reporter_ for December 23,
1904, is an account of "Gooding Day" at Gamlingay. It appears that in
1665 some almshouses for aged women (widows) were built there by Sir
John Jacob, Knight. "On Wednesday last (St. Thomas's Day)," says this
journal, "an interesting ceremony was to be seen. The old women were
gathered at the central doorway ... preparatory to a pilgrimage to
collect alms at the houses of the leading inhabitants. This old
custom, which has been observed for nearly three hundred years, it is
safe to say, will not fall into desuetude, for it usually results in
each poor widow realising a gold coin." In the north of England
first-footing on New Year's Eve is common, and a dark-complexioned
person is esteemed as a herald of good fortune. Wassailing exists in
Lancashire, and the apple-wassailing has not quite died out on Twelfth
Night. Plough Monday is still observed in Cambridgeshire, and the