Christmas-Eve in the Mines
CHRISTMAS-EVE IN THE MINES.
ON Christmas-eve, in former days, the small people, or the spriggans, would meet at the bottom of the deepest mines, and have a midnight mass. Then those who were in the mine would hear voices, melodious beyond all earthly voices, singing, "Now well ! now well; " [a] and the strains of some deep-toned organ would shake the rocks. Of the grandeur of those meetings, old stories could not find words sufficiently sonorous to speak; it was therefore left to the imagination But this was certain, the temple formed by the fairy bands in which to celebrate the eve of the birth of a Saviour, in whose mercy they all had hope, was of the most magnificent description.
Midsummer-eve and new-year's day and eve are holidays with the miners. It has been said they refuse to work of those days from superstitious reasons. I never heard of any.
[a] "Now well I now well! the angel did say
To certain poor shepherds in the fields who lay
Late in the night, folding their sheep;
A winter's night, both cold and, deep.
Now well ! now well ! now well !
Born is the King of Israel !"