At St. Martin's church, a few weeks before Christmas, a bell is nightly rung, the expense of which, I believe, is provided for under the will of one Sir Robert Berkeley, Knight, who left a fund for bell-ringing on certain days, and to purchase bell-ropes. The bell at St. Martin's is called "the plum-pudding bell," probably in allusion to the approaching Christmas festivities, as the "pancake bell" was formerly rung in many places at Easter. In most old towns, as at Worcester and Bewdley, a very early morning bell was formerly rung, probably for the purpose of waking up apprentices and arousing the working classes generally, as also school-boys to their studies; but these parties are now mainly left to manage their early rising as they can, unless some friendly factory bell be at hand. There was also a passing bell, tolled while persons were dying. In the articles of visitation for the diocese of Worcester in 1662 occurs the following: "Doth the parish clerk or sexton take care to admonish the living, by tolling of a passing bell, of any that are dying, thereby to meditate of their own deaths, and to commend the other's weak condition to the mercy of God?" ST. CATHARINE'S DAY. "Catherning," or "Cattaring,"--that is, the observance of St. Catharine's Day (Nov. 25) has not yet gone out of remembrance in Worcestershire. It was formerly the custom of the Dean and Chapter--that day being the last of their audit--to distribute amongst the inhabitants of the College precincts a rich compound of wine, spices, &c., called "the Cattern bowl." A modified edition of the custom, I believe, is still observed. At Leigh, Harvington, Offenham, and other parishes, the young people had a custom of going round to the houses and asking for apples and beer, using a doggrel rhyme on the occasion which differs in most places, and St. Thomas's and old Christmas Day are sometimes selected for the purpose. The St. Thomas's Day perambulation is in some places called "Going a gooding." The rhyme or carol more usually sung on St. Catharine's Day began thus: "Catt'n and Clement comes year by year, Some of yr apples and some of yr beer; Some for Peter, some for Paul, Some for Him who made us all. Peter was a good old man, For his sake give us some: Some of the best and none of the worst, And God will send yr souls to roost." Concluding thus: "Up the ladder and down with the can, Give me red apples and I'll begone." The ladder alluding to the store of apples, generally kept in a loft; and the can, doubtless, to the same going down into the cellar for the beer. In some districts of the county the following doggrel is repeated: