Middletown transcript., 1868-01-18

each other The owner Of the harder one
which has succeeded in breaking the other,
carries off both.
In spite Of this association with the sea
son Of Easter and theasacred character Civ
en- 20 the custom by the Greek church,
these eggs originated in the far East, and
are of heather nature. In the Orient the
egg is well known to be the symbol Of the
primitive state of things, Of the creation
which developed the germ Of all things.
Now there the New Year begins still,
as it has ever done, with the spring equi-
noxes, and the festive occasion is celebra-
ted BY the giving away of eggs. AT this
period, when the year and all nature begins
anew, gilt and gaily painted eggs are sent
from friend to friend as tokens Of the re-
newal of all things. From there the GUS
tom found its way TO the western parts of
Europe, where for centuries the year also
began with the opening of spring, and the
egg remained an appropriate symbol
Since the time when Charles TX of France
first fixed the beginning of the year upon
the first of January, the custom has grad
ually lost its ancient Specification, but
Easter eggs are still well known in all
parts of the world.
10 Pass THE RuBIcoN-THE DIE is
CAsr.-The expression: to pass the Ru-
bicon, used to express the final decision
that hazardous enterprise is to be attemp-
ted at any cost, is an allusion to an incl
dent in the great Caesars rebellion against
the Roman Senate.
| V,bo p,,b,ao,, n cx,,on ,.sx,ar ,,,nrn
creek, which in those days separated Italy
proper from Cisalpine Gauls. The Sen
ate, in order to protect Rome against the
army of Gaul, had passed the famous de-
crees by which any one who should cross that
river with legion, or even with cohort
only: was given up to the internal gods
} and declared patricide. When Caesar
had been refused the Consulate and an at.
tempt was made to deprive him of his COM
. mand, he resolved to overthrow his rival
Pompey. For this purpose it was nccessa-
ry to leave his province and to march intt
: Italy. When he had arrived ON the bank.
of the fatal river, however, he was sudden
ly arrested by recollection of the fearful
penalty he incurred. The step which hat
! appeared SO simple and SO easy at dis
tance, now assumed gigantic proportions
, and he hesitated for some time. He ever
called council of his friends and said t.
; them: 1t is yet even time to retrace ou
steps, but that frail bridge once crossed
the sword must decide. One ofthose omcn
= which exercised over the ancients powe
that we cannot comprehend, decided hin
: at last. A man of lofty stature and grea
= beauty appeared suddenly before tn
amazed spectators; he was seen seated no
= far off, and playing on pipe. Som'
: shepards ran up to him; so did severa
!, = soldiers from the nearest post, and amoni
y them some trumpeters. The mysteriou
man suddenly snatched trumpet from on
of the latter-threw himself into the rive
q sounded his instrument with great force
u and crossed to the other side. Then Ca
!, sar cried Let us 60 where the voice {
y gods and the injustice of men call us; tn
u die iscast!
y He won't and paid with his life for ha,
i ing passed the Rubicon. Hence the gres
= 4, force of the expression and the intimat
= connection between the deed itself and th
y words by which it was characterized. :
'e The die is cast