Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1878-04-04
Easter Games i'm Germany.

Easter Monday is looked upon as a
grand holiday by the peasantry in
many parts of Germany. Weddings
are often deferred to this day, and
many village games are reserved for
this season. The lads anu lassies all
appear in their gala costumes; the
girls with short, dark skirts, braided
with gold or silver, snowy aprons and
full white sleeves, bright colored
bodices and odd little caps; the boys
with knee -breeches, white stockings,
low shoes, and scarlet or yellow vests,
the solid god or silver buttons on
which are often their whole inheri-
tance. But when they are dancing
gayly together on the green, they look
a good deal happier than if they were
little kings and queens.
Games vary in different villages
Throughout the country, but one ex
ample will give some idea of what
they are like.
Two of the leading young men OF the
place take entire charge of the days
amusements, selecting for the purpose
as the scene of festivities some inn or
| Wirthschdtt, to which is attached a
large garden or meadow.
For several preceding evenings,
when work is over, they go about from
house, dressed in their best, and
carrying large baskets on their arms.
Everywhere they are kindly received,
and bread with wine or cider is placed
before them. While they eat and
drink, the baskets arc quietly slipped
away by some member of the family,
a generous donation of eggs is placed
within them, and they are secretly re-
turned to their places. The eggs are
not asked for, neither are they allud-
ed to in any way: but The object of the
visit is well un,l r-lpud and prepared
for long beforehand.
When Monday morning dawns the
inn is found to have been gayly deco
flowers, and fiuttering ribbons of many
IcolOrs. The Tree nearest the house Is
ornamented in like manner, and on it
the prize to be contended for, co.,
spicuously hangs. On the smooth
grass hard by, strip, few feet wide
and perhaps hundred lCng, has
been roped in, and at either end Of
this narrow plot ii large, shallow,
round -bottomed basket, called Wd1lae,
is placed, one filled with chaff and the
other with eggs, dozens upon dozens,
cooked ard raw, white ami colored.
The plan of the peculiar game which
follows is that one player is pitted TO
run given distance, while another
safely throws the eggs from one basket
to the other, be who first completes
his task being, of course, the winner.
Accordingly, when the young men
and maidens have arrived, two leaders
drawn lots to determine who shall run
and who shall throw. That decided,
the contestants are gayly decked with
ribbons, band strikes up lively air
a capering clown clears the way, and
the game begins. He who throws
takes the eggs, and one after another
swiftly whirls them the length of the
course, and into the chaff filled basket,
: which is held in the hands of an assist.
ant. Occasionally he makes diversion
by pitching hard one to be scram bled
for by the crowds of children who have
assem- bled to see the sport. Meantime
(while wagers are laid as to who will
likely win) the other contestant speeds
the distance of mile or two to an ap
pointed goal, marks it as proof of hi:
, having touched it, and if he succeeds
\ in returning before all the eggs are
thrown, the victory and the prize are
+, his, otherwise they belong to his OPP
4 poaent. The game finished, the priZe
is presented-.91ne victor with dut
ceremony and amid the cheers of the
crowd; the hard eggs are distributed
| among the company, and the raw one
carried uproariously into the neighbor
ing inn, there to be cooked in Variou:
WaVs and eaten.
3 The remainder OF the day is spen
in dancing and merry-making, and i
wedding can possibly be arranged tt
: take place on that afternoon the fun il
wilder than ever.-F. +. Corne, st
, Nicholas for April.
!. A boys first bet-Alpha-bet.
Men are frequently like tea-the rea
strength and goodness are not properl.
drawn out until they have been in no
water.
J.; 1t staggers an Englishman when III
gets over here and hears fellow cali
ed, colonel who doesn't look as tho
he knew enough to cock a cannon.
D Everyday Absurditie5-Not to go II
bed when you are tired and sleepy be-
cause it is not bedtime. To make you
servants tell lies for you, and after
wards be angry because they tell lie
r for themselves.
A poetess weighing 100 lbs. yeafns t,
"twitter as bird on some lone spray.
;, When she gets on spray and begin
70 fuiffor thorojc n0inn ff, no an item