hospitality and lavish observance of Yule-tide. It was the happy
home-coming for daughters, sons, uncles, aunts, and cousins of the
first, second, and even the third degree. For whosoever was of the
name and lineage, whether rich or poor, was welcomed at this annual
ingathering of the family. Every house was filled to overflowing;
great hickory fires were lighted on the open hearths; the rooms were
brilliantly lighted with candles, and profusely trimmed with greens.
From doors and ceilings were hung sprigs of the mysterious mistletoe,
for

"O'er the lover
I'll shake the berry'd mistletoe; that he
May long remember Christmas,"

was the thought of merry maidens as they decorated their homes.

Christmas brought carriage-loads of guests to these old-time homes, to
partake of the good cheer and enjoy weeks of fun and frolic, indoors
and out. For many days before Christmas arrived, colored cooks, the
regular, and extra ones, were busy cooking from morning till evening,
preparing for the occasion. The storerooms were replete with every
variety of tempting food the ingenious minds of the cooks could
devise, for Christmas dinner was the one great test of their ability
and woe to Auntie whose fire was too hot, or whose judgment was at
fault on this occasion.

[Illustration: LIGHTING THE YULE-LOG IN COLONIAL DAYS.]

To the whites and blacks Christmas was a season of peace, plenty, and
merriment. In the "Great House" and in the cabin there were music,