Democratic Sentinel, Volume 15, Number 10, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 March 1891 — Page 6

EASTER EGGS.

A Glance at the Religious Feature of the ,K«g. The egg is the germ of life. From the egg comes forth all things that live and breathe. The egg, therefore, is the emblem of the rising sun, of the coming forth of vernal life—of the bursting of environment the tomb, and coming forth in life. The egg has been intimately connected with religious worship for many thousand years; and yet clings to its place in the ceremonials. The Buddhist, Moslem, Christian—all connect the egg with Easter —with the resurrection —with the coining forth of life. In the matter of color —it sometimes runs to fantasy, but red is commonest—-blood-red —in imitation of the blood that the pre-Christian Mediators shed in giving up their lives for sinful man. Both the idea and color passed into Christian custom. Indeed, it would be difficult to point out the year or century when the Easter egg custom ceased to be Pagan and became Christian, since it has undergone no material change in all the ages. Tracing it back it becomes connected with the crescent moon at Heliopolis—the city of On in the Bible pages, also with the serpent —like as the Eden apple and the serpent Among the Cyprus ruins is found an enormous carved stone egg, adorned with generative emblems. The practice o present n£ eggs to friends on Easter day is Magian or Persian, alluding to the mundane egg for which Ormuzd (Supreme Being) and Ahriman (the Devil) were to contend to the end of all things. It was said that on Easter the earth was hatched or created. In most pagan iands it was a type of the resurrection. The ritual of Pope Paul V. reads: Bless, Lord, we beseech Thee, this Thy creature of eggs, that It may become a

wholesome sustenance to Thy faithful servants, eating it in thankfulness to Thee on account of the resurrection of our Lord. Come with me to Cairo. This is Easter week. These women you see are Moslem —Mohammed is their savior. This is Palm Sunday—and as you see they bind palm twigs about their heads and fingers. Eaoh succeeding day has its peculiar ceremonials. On Shrove Tuesday the diet is cheese broth and onions; Ash Wednesday is Arba Eyub—Job's day; Maundy-Thufsday is their pea soup day. and Gpod Friday is their gum'a ei-maf-ruka —day of butter cakes; and Saturday is sebt cnnur, or Sabbath of light—so named from the sacred fire which on this day bursts forth from the Holy Sepulchre at Jerusalem. Now do they strengthen their eyes with powders, get themselves bled and eat colored Easter eggs. On Easter Sunday, ’id en-nusara, they love their neighbors as themselves —even fflhke friendly calls upon their Christian neighbors—calls that are to be returned during the feast of Beriam. In the discussion of Plutarch and Macrobius we find that the egg plays a prominent part in the religions of the ancient world. It was used in auguries, was placed by the Romans upon the tabio at the beginning of the repasts, and at feasts in honor of the dead it was also prominent The ancient Jews at Pasqua, after purifying and cleaning the house, placed hard eggs on the table as a symbol, and also cakes of peculiar form, and dates and figs—three emblems of fecundity. The Greeks and Romans used the egg in expiations, and when they had blessed the houses and temples, and sprickled them with lustral (purification/ Water, they carried an egg with them. The account of blessing the ship by Apuleius might almost stand for a description of 'the tnoderti ceremony at Pasque. “The high priest,” he says, “carrying a lighted torch and an egg, and some sulphur, made the raostsoiemn prayers with his chaste lips, completely purified it, and consecrated it to the goddess. ” Besides the blessing of the eggs and the house, it is the custom in some parts of Italy for the priest at Easter to affix to the door of the palaces and villas a waxen cross to guard against evil spirits —and ie’ahit witfh* the letter M.—Misere«ordia—“Have mercy on us. *

Her Easter Bonnet.

I look around—she must be here.’ Ah, no— alas! Her place I see Filled by a maiden strange to me. And all at once how empty seems The crowded space; how dim and cold The tender morning light that streams Through windows stained in blue and gold. The craven cherubs look quite glum. And even the organ pipes seem dumb. The preacher tells of peace and bliss. Of Easter Joy. Ah, well, no doubt Some other sinner will not miss The comfort that he talks about. For me, my altar shrine is bare Since my fair saint's smile is not there.

A GLORIOUS EASTER MORN.

What's A sweet-face turned toy way, A gently weleoming-lookr dear-eyest'-’’ 4 - Ah, now, indeed, my prayer I’ll say, * , And now the preacher’s words seem wise. To think my love I did not knw. Her Easter bonnet changed her so! —Madeline S. Bridges.

Of fond eyes with love sunned o’er. Eyes that iie'er shall brighten more.

Bells of Easter, thy loved voice* Will ring clear, Tho' one year Some glad heart that new rejoices. Then at rest. Comfort-blest, Will not throb for earthly noises— Sleeping calmly on, below Summer’s bloom and winter's snow. Bells of Easter, lo! thy sweetness Care’* surcease. While the year* with ’wlld’ring fleetness Wing their flight To Bine's night. And some souls—past Incompleteness— List to soundwmore sweet by far Than thine, O bells of Easter, are!

Easter Festivities at Chester.

There is hardly an ancient English city which is not surrounded by the memories of the quaint customs of bygone times. Most of them selected some particular day to celebrate. Blaster was

i *f//ft*Gskrr HE seats are taken, every one; My heart is beating in my ear; The sermon Is but Just begun.

of Easter, T thy clear ringing Sounded so One year ago; And as now thy tongues are flinging On still air, Music-rare, They to some are mem’ rle s bringing

chosen by Chester, and was enlivened by sports—everybody played football, there being two games, one for the men and one for the women —and an Imposing procession. TMS' latter wa* not diSebjftinued until frSO, ttovlbg boen k&JrtY.p for centuries. It had its. origin to the delivery from the Welsh of Lord Dutton’s castle. Many minstrels and other roving characters were %ajhered together &jsd matched toward' the invaders' cant#/ Thoy matte an imposing appearance, and although they could npt have fought for half an hour, the Welsh' away. Lprd Dutton. oi|t of gratitude, declared that a parade should be given every Easter for all time to come. Various sports are still held in Chester on Easter, and a dinner is still the reward of the winners as ancient times. * *■ a n *

EASTER SUPERSTITIONS.

Carious Customs ot Various People on That Day. The curious practices and beliefs that cluster about Easter would almost be laughable to an American if he were not able to trace many of them to anterior tp Christianity, and if!he did not know that they once had a profound siguiiicance for his ancestors. The world is a big child, which often affects to look with contempt upon the broken toys of : its babyhood. This, is particularly so in America, the most precocious of countries. The old-time feasts for us are stripped bare like the interiors of our churches or the walls of our imagination. One must go to some hamlet In Ger many, or some village in the North of England to find a survival of Easter customs, or, as some might call them, superstitions. This word may be discarded, however, as it is too harsh to be applied to our ancestors.

THE SUN DANCE. The first of childish fictions about Easter, and the one that has longest survived in America, is that the sun dances or takes three steps on Easter morn. One has a suspicion that this fable was invented by nurses who wished to encourage in youthful Christians a habit of early rising. Little ones go to bed Easter evening fully determined to get up to witness the phenomenon; but as they oversleep themselves they generally remain credulous and unsatisfied. Perhaps it would be wrong to rudely disturb their beliefs. One of the minor English poets has given a metrical explanation which is satisfactory of the Easter jocularity of the sun. He thus addresses the luminary:

Phoebus, the old wives say That on Easter Day To th’ music of th’ spheres you do caper; Ts the faet, sir, he true. Pray let’s the cause know When you have any room in your paper. A NEW BONNET ESSENTIAL. Speaking of superstitions one had almost forgotten that there is one as old as the hills in which all women believe even to this day- It is that a person will have no luck for a year tvho does not wear a new article of dress Easter Sunday. It will be observed that it is not necessary to order an entire outfit. A bounet, for instance, will suffice, and if it is new and pretty that is sufficient. It is not necessary that it should”cost a week’s salary. TANSY TEA AND RED HERRING. To entirely propitiate fate the true observer of Easter should dine on tansy tea and red herrings. At least this is in accordance with the rules laid down in ancient and reliablo English chronicles. The beggars were presumably first made presentable, and then their feet were washed in tjirn by the laundress, the sub almoner and the grand almoner.’ Then the Queen repeated the ceremony while her lords and ladies of the court waited oh her, carrying towels, etc. She wiped, crossed and kissed the feet of the fortunate unfortunates, and then distributed presents among them. beggars’ feet washed by the queen. A royal custom on this day was the

washing by the king or queen of the feet of beggars, after the example related in the Scripture. There were as many beggars as the sovereign was years old. For instance, if her Majesty was 40 years old there were exa’ctly forty-nine beggars. This was no doubt thought in ancient times a salutary way of reminding & woman of her age. SIGNIFICANCE OF EASTER CUSTOMS. The passing of the feast of Easter from Semitic to Aryan lands is really the history of humanity, and the story of Easter practices is the story of civilization. These practices link us with the remote past, and in their decadence from earnestness to sport they show how the world has grown from childhood to the age of reason. The Reformation in England did away with a number of pagan practices that were supposed to be “popish. ” The fact was that the peasants had kept them from pagan times, and the Roman Church may have tolerated but did not encourage them. They would have died a natural death if left alone, for many that did survive the Reformation gradually became ridiculous, and died to tho music of a laugh. GIVE BREAD TO TUE POOR. In England and other parts of Europe tho observance of the feast began about the Thursday before the feast and lasted about a week. Maundy Thursday was so called because loaves of bread in maunds or baskets were distributed among the poor. DECORATING THE WEI,!,. Easter is the time for the divining of a good year by the height of the water, and for the decoration of wells.

Great Guns.

“Few people,” says a naval officer, appreciate the tremendous power of the blast caused by firing a big gun on board of a ship. An example of its effect was seen in some recent trials in firing the 64-ton gun of the new battleship Trafalgar, considered one of the three or four finest vessels in the British navy. The gun was pointed directly ahead, and fired with a charge of 630 pounds of slow-burning powder and a 1,250-pound projectile. The blast produced by a rush of the powder-gas and the shot was so tremendous that the plates of the forecastle were forced in and tho deckbeams bent out of shape, while almost every round carried away some fragment of the projecting portions of the ship, even when the training was to the right or left. It is estimated that the vessel would be reduced to something very like a wreck, were twentyfive rounds to be fired, either directly ahead or directly astern. This interferferes with, or renders impossible, firing when either in flight or cliase, and has caused our naval constructors to modify the plans for the projected battle-ships, as it is not deemed desirable to have them sink from the discharge of their own guns.”

Is Your Mustache Uneven?

A writer in the Albany Express says: “A friend of mine has for several years been annoyed by a curious circumstance. One side of his mustache grows about twice as fast as the other, and if it is neglected for a few weeks he will suddenly notice that it is from half au inch to an inch longer on the left than on the right. He is obliged to keep cutting it off from time to time to make things even. He had not the faintest idea what caused the greater luxuriance on the left, until some days ago he asked a barber about it, and the man questioned -him as to how his desk stood in relation to the light. “He replied that for years he has occupied a desk with a window on his left, which at once explained the difficulty. Hair, like vegetables, grows best in the light, and ascertaining the fact my friend at once had the desk changed to the other side of the window in order to give the right side of his mustache a chance to develop. He is awaiting the result with some interest, and if the change in growth shifts with the light he is going to face the window.”

He Oiled His Own Watch.

A prosperous farmer recently entered a jewelry store in Bay City, Mich., and asked if the repairs on his watch, which he had left there a short time before, were completed. The proprietor said the watch was ready and delivered it with the remark: “Next time don’t use quite so much kerosene.” The man looked surprised and embarrassed, but managed to say: “I guess I won’t oil it any more at all. It costs too much.” He paid his bill and departed. After he had gone a reporter asked if the man had actually put kerosene oil into his watch. “Certainly he did," said the jeweler, “and he is not the only on 9 who does it. We have cases of a similar kind every few weeks, and people who one would think know better are generally the ones who commit such folly. I sup- 1 pose a little kerosene would not do a watch much harm, but when it is poured in something happens and wo are called upon to remedy the difficulty. I suppose I should not complain, for it is a good thing for us, but it is strange’ how foolish some people are.”

Quail in a Skunk Trap.

A skunk has been taking too much interest in my poultry for my benefit. I found his tracks in the snow, and they were very plain and easy to follow. I found what seemed from the number of tracks to be quite a den of them. Procuring a good trap I placed it well down in the hole, and in the morning the skunk was in the trap all right. I let the trap remain in the same place until seven had been caught; and tbeq imaging my surprise to fiu& aiquaiPin the same ‘trap that all of those deadly foes of quail and all biMs that roost on the ground had been caught in. Have tljsy no instinct to tell them to keep away ? There was quite,;* flock I should think by.the traokS around the hole.—. Forest artd Stream. -* „■ , t , , - . . Thb natives of Griqauland are just noWßUfferihglrom a cjlrions qpideifiic. If alarmed by any shdden 'noise 1 they will start violently/; contract their features, stiffen their limbs, jump about and waltz like dervishes. ■ " France exported shoes to the value of 03,909,945 francs in 1890.

HUMOR.

Mis Highest Ambition. Visitor—Are you going to be a great man when.you grow up, Willie? Willie—You bet! I’m going to be an Artio explorer. “An Artie explorer’s life is full of hardships,’Willie.” “Yes’m. But I can stand’em, I reckon.” “I like your spirit, my boy. There is a great deal of glory to be gained in a career of that kind.”* “Yes’ut. And you don’t never have to wash your face.”

A new application of the phonograph; or, a sure mode of awakening Bridget. —Judge.

B* Protests. “Prisoner,” said the Judge, “it is my duty to say that I approve of the verdict the jury has rendered. The crime you committed was one of unusual atrocity. With murder in your cowardly, treacherous heart, you stole up behind your victim and stabbed him in the back. You gave him no chance to defend himself. It was the act of an assassin. You have shown that you have an abandoned, malignant heart, destitute of any. redeeming qualities whatever. You are capable of • any crime.” “That isn’t fair, Judge,” protested the Arizona cowboy, an indignant flush dyeing his bronzed cheek. “I never stole a horse, ” Meddlesome Ho el Attaches. Great actress (to hotel clerk) —I left my diamond necklace on the bureau in my room, and now it’s gone. Send word to the police immediately, and—ind the newspapers. Hotel clerk—One of the servants saw your necklace there and brought it to me. It is in the safe. Great actress (hotly)—l—l wish people would attend to their own business. So there! —Brooklyn Life.

Conclusive Proof. Office boy—There was a man in to see you to-day. Neverpay—Who was he? Office boy—l don’t know, sir. Neverpay—Well, say, Johnny, do you think he was anybody I owe ? Office boy—Oh, no, sir; he’s never been here before. It Made Her Unhappy. • Astonished mother What means this? You say you have accepted Mr. Slimpurse, and yet you have assured me over and over again that every time he called you were unhappy. Smart daughter—l was unhappy because he didn’t propose.— Good News. Astonishing Progress. Aunt Miranda (to little city nephew) —l’m glad you go to school regularly in the city. What d’ye study ? Little Nephew—Oh, every grade has a s different set of text-books. Aunt Miranda—Land sakes! The way things is goin’! Can’t folks find texts enough in the Bible now’days?— Street & Smith’s Good News. How He Could Be Cheered Up.

Inebriated Friend— l shay, ol’ ( hie) boy, don’t leave me. I’m (hie) meloncholly—cheer me up—ash me to (hie) take sh’n’ drink.

They Were Icy. Tongs—Better make a contract for your ice now. Open season, you know. Prices may go higher. Sour—No contract for me. Don’t want any ice. Tongs—What will you do when the hot weather sets in ? Sour—Hang your last year’s rates in my refrigerator. Innocence and Law. Warden—A dying burglar has confessed that he committed the murder for which you were sentenced, and as it was a clear case of mistaken identity, the Governor has granted you a pardon. Innocent Man—A pardon 1 What am t pardoned for ? Warden—For committing the murder. of court*. Go; but don’t do it again.— New York Weekly; 7 A Slight Mistake. i ( A fond father, blessed with eleven children and a very domestic man, tells tjbiis story: One business being very dull, he took the early train back to his happy home, and after a time slipped upstairs to help put the children to bed. Being missed soon, his wife went up to see what was going on. Upon opening the nursery door she exclaimed: “Whv, dear, what in the world are veu doing?” = “Why. wiffey,” said he, “I am putting the children to bed and hearing them sav their little prayers.” “Yes,” said wifey, “but this is one of our neighbor’s children, all undressed !* And he had to redress it and send it home.— London Moonshine.

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