37 / 90
CUPS
AND
THEIR
CUSTOMS.
25
the
operation^
and
at
the
conclusion
to
make
an
incli-
nation
of
his
head,
—
this
being
the
origin
of
our
custom
of
taking
wine
with
each
other,
which,
with
sorrow
be
it
said,
is
fast
exploding.
A
very
usual
toast
for
a
man
to
give
was
the
health
of
his
mistress
;
and
in
France,
when
this
toast
was
given,
the
proposer
was
expected
to
drink
his
cup
full
of
wine
as
many
times
as
there
were
letters
in
her
name.
We
now
pass
on
to
times
which
seem,
in
their
cus-
toms,
to
approach
more
nearly
to
the
present,
yet
far
back
enough
to
be
called
old
times;
and
we
think
it
may
be
pardoned
if
we
indulge
in
some
reminiscences
of
them,
tacking
on
to
our
short-lived
memories
the
greater
recol-
lection
of
history,
and
thus
reversing
the
wheels
of
time,
which
are
hurrying
us
forward
faster
than
we
care
to
go.
For
we
hold
it
to
be an
excusable
matter,
this
halting
awhile
and
looking
back
to
times
of
simpler
manners
than
those
we
are
living
in,
of
heartier
friendships,
of
more
genial
trustings
;
and
that
these
good
qualities
were
pre-
eminently
those
current
during
the.
17th
and
18th
cen-
turies
we
have
abundant
proof.
Has
not
one
of
the
most
noble sentiments
in
the
English
language
come
down
to
us
in
a
cup
—
the
cup
of
kindness,
which
we
are
bidden
to
take
for
"
Auld
Lang
Syne^^?
And
truly
there
come
to
us
from
this
age
passed
by,
but
leaving
behind
an
ever-living
freshness
which
can
be
made
an
heritage
of
cheerfulness
to
the
end
of
time,
such
testimonies
of
good
done
by
associable
as
well
as
social
intercourse,
that
were
we
cynics of
the
most
churlish
kind,
instead
of
people
inclined
to
be
kind
and
neighbourly,
we
could