Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1872-05-25
Easter Eggs in Paris.

There is no Disgusting that these eggs
have become to many persons tax,
burden, and a source of bitterness. SO
long as no further innovation was at
tempted than selling sugar eggs
in lieu of genuine ones, it was well for
sugar egg, even when colored pink
and filled with caraway comtts, is not
much to be alarmed at. But one day
there appeared an artiticer of woe who
set himself to blowing out all the yolk
and white from an egg, cutting the shell
neatly in two, lining the halves with
white satin, adapting them to each
other on the screw top system, and then
putting gold or silver thimble inside.
This was the first avf a surprise. 1t
looked like the real thing, ,and could be
set by the donor in the donees egg cup
without the fear of detection, until at
the critical moment when the spoon was
going to crash through the top every
body round the table would cry out af-
fectionateiy Care" and pleasantly
mystify the recipient. OF course, this
| ingenious invention cost from twenty to
fifty francs, and found numerous imit9-
tols. Ducks, geese's and swans eggs
| were pressed into service as capable of
containing not only thimble but small
scissors, needlecase, etc, and of being
sold at from five to ten guineas. Then
somebody asked why one should not put
ear rings, sleeve-linl<s, or brooches, into
the eggs instead of thimbles; AMI this
led to an enterprising .jeweler drawing
ahead of every one else by fitting up
ostrichs' eggs as work-boxes, scent bottle
stands, or ,jewel-cases. This jeweler,
who deserved well of his kind. worked
in the Faster, egg trade the same sort OF
revolution as Victor Hugo and the
Romantqucs wrought in the drama.
Up to that time, it had b en- considered
essential to keep up some semhlance OF
respect for probabilities, hut from the
ostrich-esg day probabilities were dis
carded. Eggs appeared measuring foot
in diameter-big chocolate and sugar
eggs filed with swcetmeats, or monster
eggs filled with toys; or, again, huge
mahogany eggs, with brass mountngs
and feet to stand up on an end and act
as liquor +, ceptacles. Then people use
the Easter egg us II medium tor giving
presents which they would have had no
excuse for offering at other times, and
also tor paying off arrears OF etrcnnes. An
august parsonage very gracefully sent
one of his Ministers the insignia and
patent of the Grand Cross of the Legion
of Honor in an Faster egg, and the lat"
merry Due de Caderous.e, iramont pre-
sented an actress with the most stu
pendous egg on record it was colossal
wooden thing painted white and con
tanning brougham. They conveyed it
alon. the boulevards in cart, to the
Il Il
the nine days wonder of that Easter
There must have been people who hoped
that the collapse of the Empire would
have entai!ed that of the Easter egg ;
but they were mistaken. This year the
confectioners,j jewellers, and knick-knack
shops We're as full of eggs as ever, and
the only difference between now and
two years ago seems to pe that the
tradesmen have drawn from their coun-
try woes further inspiration in the way
OF egg contrivances, and have added
about ten per cent. all round on the prices
of former inventions. Thus, a Partisan
bachelor, who has dined out all winter,
and feels himself bound to give eggs,
has only to set out on a ramble OF In
spection and he may choose either a
stuffed hen, life-size, sitting on a nest OF
twelve eggs, each containing silver egg
cup; or a stuffed turkey, whose upper
.hat comes off, disclosing berceannette
with babys layette complete; or an un
pretending pheasant's egg with an en-
erald ring inside or mole unpretending
still, little wren's egg with set of
studs; or, if he be bent on gratifying IL
lady whose tastes are author-like, a
smooth ebony egg that slips into the
pocket like a darning ball, and houses
lnkstand, pens, sand-horn, stamps, wafer
and pencil. TO be sure, he may choose
nothing, argue that he is not rich, that
eggs are an abuse, and that he emptied
his pockets to feed his friends with
sweetmeats at Christmas-tide. But in
this case he had better go and admire
the monuments of London for fort
night, or proceed to Rome to see
whether the Holy week festivities there
have degenerated and when he returns
he must plead that he was called away
by urgent private affairs. Even then,
however, let him not be surprised if SO,
clety watches for some time with a cool
and guarded eye as one inclined to
make light of those beneficial observan-
ces which raise man above dumb brutes.
-iaU Null Gazette.