Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1860-04-01


Arrival OF Passenger Trains.
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EDuErElp AND REsruorr-I0 A N.
An FooI's nay.
To-day every small wit !" is at liberty and
by eommoH consent and the usage OF ages TO send
as many people on sleeveless errands F" as he can
AS to the origin Of this custom the New American
Cyclopmdia says
The first Of April is called IN the English language
April fools dav but the custom OF sending people on
empty errands and laughing at them, Is common IN
every country in Europe, and wherever the Euro
pean races have settled on tins continent TWO ac-
counts are given of its origin Tue oriental sehol-
ars saw that il Is derived forom the hh feast
Emonq the Hindoos where similar custom pre-
walls The older opinion IS THAI Il comes from a
celebration of Christs being sent about % and fro
between Herod PLATE, and Caiaphas. In France
the fooled man is called poisson II urd, meaning a
silly fish, ike a mackerel easily caught In Scot-
land he is called gowk, which means a cuckoo.
The Charleston Courier says no two antquarians
agree as to the Origin of the ocose practices peculiar
to the first day of April 1t is not questioned says
that paper that this mirthful festival is of imposing
antiquity. There is but one voice on tins point. But
when we attempt 10 find out where and when it
at fault The answer the centuries make is delight
fully uncertain. Because the HindoDs spend this
day in fun and jolity, it 5 conjectured that this
Hull Festival Of those Mussulmans and our All
Fools Day are the same and that the latter owes
its existence TO the former. Some authorities re
gard our All-Fool's Day as tie poypetuahon Of the
Feast Of Asses. or of the Feast Of Fools. 1t is
well kno that these holidays were only modifca-
tons Of the Saturnalis and that they were observed
by the popUlace with every demonstration OF mrth.
The distinctions Of society were overlooked, work
laid aside, pleasure held undisputed sway, and
wisdom and dignity gave place to folly and vulgar
ity Others view Au-Fool's Day as the perversion
and abuse Of the great Festival Of the Annuncia
tion of which this is the octave. writer prOpounds
the query" Whence proceeds the custom Of max
ing April Fools And proceeds, with gravity
hugely farcica to solve the question by narrating
the old story of the Roman youths and the Sabine
Virgins. This most forced and extremely far-fetch
ed answer will give some idea of the thick darkness
in which the matter is enveloped
It is also stated, with somewhat Of FEASIBILITY
that the pleasantly Of this season was borrowed
from France We are told that during the month Of
April vast numbers of maclerel are caught in the
waters Of that country, and that in capturing that
fish the ishermea facilitate their work by practis-
ing some single articles The ease with which they
are deceived suggested an appeation to the ready
mind Of the French for the dupes Of April Day, and
hey termed them P0i5SoHS dAUra April Fish. or
Silly Mackerel which we have changed into April
Fool. But an author of 1906 Indignantly wrests
this simple and satisfactory explanation Of the name
of the origin and sports Of this day and his own
learned and By no means likely. solution Of these
questions. This learned tells that the
word Poisson is a corruption Of Passion and that
as the Passion Of our Savior took place about tbs
time Of the year. and as the Jews sent CHRIST back
wards and forwards to mock and torment him, ]. c
from ANNAs to CAIAPHAs, from CAAPnAs to PLATE,
from PLATE to HEHoD. and from HEEoD back again
to PLATE" the custom Of despatchng persons on
boolless errands commentaries that cruel treat
ment.
A degree farther moved from probability is the
following grotesque account of the origin of the
practice of playing upon the unsuspicious aud cred
ulous on ~AIFoors- Day" These VINO contend for
this funny explanation state that it the first Of
April when NolH let the dove out Of the Ark
When persons intent on pleasure, or absorbed in
business, were in danger Of negecting to celebrate
that notable event. they were fcrciby reminded Of
this duty and punished for the ngrattude by being
sent upou some sleeveless errand, similar to that
Intellectual message upon which the bird was sent
by the patriarch"
If any of our readers believe they recognize the |
original of the custom Of Afools Day, in any Of
theexplanatons We have given must take the lib
erty Of cautoning such persons to be on their guard
today for their creduty viii certainly render them
liable to be practiced upon. We trust that those who
think we have signaily failed in our attempts to trace
to this source the sportive receptions praceed and
and permitted this day viii not harbor the suspi-
con that we designed to make April Fools Of them
We utterly and positively disclaim this unworthy
intention.
One of the most favorite and venerable diversions
Of April day is that OF sending persons on nonsen-
Eical srrands BRAND. inhls Popular Antiquities, to
which work we are under large obligation quotes a
passage from the Spectator concerning small wit
who seems to have had a passion for this form Of
amusement. He was certainly very successful in
befooTng people:
neighbor of mine, says the Spectator, "who Is
ahaberdasher by trade, and very shallow, concert
ed fellow makes his boast that for these ten years
successfully he has not made less than one hundred
fools Ny landlady had falling out with him
about a fortnight ago for sending every one OF her
children upon some sleeveless errand, as she terms
IT,
worth of ince at a shoemakers; the eldest Gaugh-
ter was despatched half mile 10 see monster, and,
in short the whole family OF innocent children made
April fools.
We have a lively and picturesque description Of
this pleasantly by one Of Poor Robins poets. Our
readers will pleasemark the sentiment Of the four
concluding lines
But on this day are people sent
On purpose for pure merimsnt;
And though the DAY is know beiJTe'
Yet frequently there great stcTe
Who're sent to dance NoV Bizon's round:
And having tried each shop and stall,
nd disappointed at them all.
A last tells them Of the Cheati
Then they return from the pursuit
Aud others laugh at what is done
But 'ts thing to be disputed
which the greatest fool reputed-
The that unocenty went,
Or he that him design dly sent.
In Scotland persons who go to meet fictitious ap-
p,intments, are said to hunt the Gowk This Is
another name for the Cuckoo which is regarded as
the representative Of fool Those victims Of folly
are called April Gowks.
From time out of mind everybody IN Provence
has dined on peas upon the first of April The
lyeler in the convent of the Chartrcux used to be
orievouslv annoyed on each return of this jocund
feast. The knowing ones would give out that the
fathers were required by rule of the establish
ment to distribute peas gratutousy ON that day to
ANYBODY who should ask for them. Such delightful
tdings sent crowds of young people to the convent
and many luclIess wight convinced by the
rod in the hands of the fathers that he had hcen
made an April Fool
SPRING FAsHloNs FOR LADIES DREsSEs.-The New
York Times tells us As. to the fashions Of the
yolstes there is net SO much noise in that quarter
In tie drcssnaking rooms all is smiling and peace
full serenity over the ounced robes. which are the
feature in Spring silks The plain skirt and the
aounced skirt will be worn, but the founces have
the largest choice The corsage for this season VIII
be round-points being exclusively confined to eve
ming dresses A very pretty sleeve which Is entire
Nv new and very stylish is the leaf sleeve; it's very
wide and the bottom is curved to represent the
curving in the oak leaf The cape is the samS and
both are ornamcuted with a pulled silk trimming