Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1874-06-19

land ''too poor to have King" but We
always decline sympathy on that score, and
remark that our land is so rich that we are
all kings and queens. After the reading
| the gentlemen betake themselves to cards,
and the ladies to knitting. After the
Feminine Germany is maniac on the SUBJ
| iect of stockings. The desire for them
amounts to passion. a lady told us n
few days since that in her 'outEt" she
had two hundred and fifty pairs. How
these people endure to knit three hundred
and sixty-five evenings in year, Sundays
is not excepted) is beyond our comprehen-
| sion but the knitting work seems as in
dispensable to the hand of German lady
as the pipe or cigar does to the lips of her
husband, and they think the American
ladies the most useless cumberers of the
ground because "they do not even knit
their own stockings" This evening we
amuse ourselves with the ':Hasenwette, -
or chasing the hare"
We all begin knitting together, and
counting the rounds. The one who has
finished the first round calls out one, she
who finishes the next calls out two, and so
on till twelve are knit. The one who says
twelve must be the hare. She must now
knit alone, but has the privilege of count
ing on from twelve, while the rest OF US
must go back again and begin at one, and
see how soon they can catch her. The
needles fly, and the counts come thick and
fast from the pursuers, while the hare
counts steadily on alone. Woe to her who
drops stitch, or must stop to narrow, or
''slip and bind.n The chase grows hotter
and more exciting as the hunters near the
prey, the counting and laughing grow
louder, and the gentlemen lay down their
cards and cheer, sometimes the pursurer
and sometimes the pursued, until the vic
tim is caught and rejoiced over. The hare
reached her hundreth round before we three
hunters caught her. But we must pluck n
few of her laurels out by saying that she
was 1T the toe of her stocking, while the
rest of US were in the largest part of the
leg.
The countess is knitting from "Wun-
der Knauel,'' or wonder ball." 1t was
presented to her on her last birthday, and
is made by putting in all sorts Of little
knck-knacks as the ball is wound. These
are done up in papers, and the ball pre-
sents enough mysterious angles and points
to excite the most torpid curiosity. Surely
if anything could induce one to knit, it
would be the thought OF developing the re-
sources of one Of these balls. We all look
on with the deepest interest as one little
package after another loosens itself from
the last contining thread and falls out.
Now it is chocolate drop, now a little
box with pretty ring in it, then pair of
tiny embroidery scissors, and so on till the
heart of the wonder is reached, which is
often gold watch or some other long
coveted treasure. We regard the ''Hasen-
wette' and "Wunder Knauel" as merciful
little inventions to help one over the intol-
cradle platitude of long cotton stocking.
But we are reminded that the evening is
passing by the horn of the watchman, who
at ten O'Clock Deglns MS nightly walk ABOUT
the great isolated pile Of buildings which
for eight hundred years has been the scene
of the joys and sorrows of the family of
Won RI. As the hours come round
he pauses at each of the four sides of the
castle and blows his trumpet, and in 4
weird and monotonous voice sings the fol-
lowing verse:
''Ls: my lords, the while ! say
The hour of item has passed away.
Look We well to fire and light,
Lest harm bcfall the house Tonight
And praise the Lord your God ~
The swallow-tailed genius appears again,
and announces that the baron's horse is
at the door. The courtier literally bows
himself from the presence of the ladies to
the back of his horse. After this ceremony
is over the servant brings in the candles,
we shake hands and say "Schlafen sic
Who'll, - the daughters kiss the fathers hand,
he kisses their foreheads, and the company
breaks up, with perhaps mischieyous
blowing out of one or two of the candles as
we pass each other for the last time.