The Dickinson press., 1883-09-08
TnB END OF THE ORL

the END OF THE WORLD.
Last year Just before the carnival, there
was 9 report in Hunebourg that the world
was coming to an end. Doctor Zacharias
f'"er, OF Colmar, first spread this dis
slee able news: it was spoken Of in the
Ltme Messenger, in the Perfect Chrtstian,
n in fifty other journals.
Z,charias Piper had calculated that .
comet would descend from the skies on
Ehrove Tuesday, having, q tail formed Of
polling water, n hundred and, five mil
lion miles in length, melt the snow on the
highest mountains, wither the trees, and
burn up everybody.
a learned man named Popinot had writ
ten from Paris TO say that there was no
doubt that the comet would come, but that
its tail would be composed of such light
vapors as to cause no One the least incon-
venience: that people might go on quietly
with their business; that he would answer
Tor everything. This assurance allayed
much alarm.
But. unfortunately, there lives at Hume
bourg, in the little street Of the "Three
Jugs" an old wool spinner named Maria
F1nck. She is q little, pale, withered old
woman covered with wrinkles, whom peo-
pie go and consult on the most delicate and
important affairs of life. She lives in q low
room, the ceiling of which is painted with
eggs, red and blue stripes, gildsd nuts, and
. thousand other fanciful objects. She
dresses herself up in old tnery, and lives
on echaude, which two. things gave her
great authority in the n%eighberhood. Ma
TIA Fitch, instead of approving of M. Popi-
not's opinion, declared herself to be on the
side of Zacharias Piper, and kept saying;
BE converted and pray; repent Of
your sins, and give to the church, for the
n of the world is at hand-the end is at
hand!"
At the furthest end Of her room was q
picture Of hell, to which people were going
down by a path all sown with roses. None
OF them seemed to have a suspicion about
the place to which this road was leading
them; they we're dancing along, some with
bottles in their hands, some with hams,
others with strings of sausages. A work
man. with ribbons flying from his hat, was
playing the %clarionet to amuset them ontheir
way. Some we're kissing their partners, and
all OF these poor wretehes were heedlessly
approaching the pit full of flames, into
which already the foremost were falling.
their AIMS extended and their legs in the
air.
So most Of the people of Hunebourg
agreed that they would have no carnival
but spend Shrove Tuesday in acts of re-
pentance. Never had such thing been
heard Of before. The adjutant and captain,
as well as the non-c commissioned officers
II the garrison at Hunebourg, were quite in
despair. All the preparations for the fete
the decorations Of the great hall Of the
mayoralty. with moss and trophies of arms;
b stage raised for the orchestra. the beer,
ka9sch, and btschos, ordered for refresh
ments-in short, all arrangements were to
be of no use, since the young ladies of the
town would no longer hear q word about
dancing.
But with all this, those who were most
distressed and disappointed were Daniel
Spitz, tie secretary Of the mayoralty; Jer-
ONE Bertha, the postmaster's son; Dujardin,
the tax collector; and I. A week before
we had gone to S%trasbourg on purpose to
buy ourselves fancy costumes. Uncle To-
bias had given me fifty franc out of his
pocket, so that I need spare nothing.
I, therefore had chosen for myself, at Mad
emoiselle Dardenai's, the costume of a
clown. This consists of a kind of skirt,
with wide folds and long sleeves, trimmed
with onion shaped buttons as big as ones
fist, which are set &C close from the throat
down to the knee as to rattle against each
other. A little black skull cap is to be worn
Oh the head, and the face whitened with
-four. Provided one has a long nose, and
deep, sunken eyes, the effect is admirable.
Dujardin, because of his fat paunch, had
chosen a Turkish costume, embroidered up
all the seams; Spitz, the dress of punch,
made of a thousand pieces Of red, green,
and yellow stuf-a hump in front, one be-
hind, and a great gendarme's hat to be
worn on the back Of his head; nothing
could be better. Jerome Bertha was to be
a savage, and was to have a plume of par
rot's feathers. We felt sure. beforehand
that all the young girls would leave the
soldiers to have US as their partners. And
after having spent all this money, was it
not enough to set one against the whole
kaman race, to see everything go to the
deuce, all through the stupidity Of an old
mad woman, Or of a Zacharias Piper!
At last Shrove Tuesday arrived; the sky
was heavy with snow. One looked right
and left, up and down-no comet was to
be seen. The girls all seemed %bewildered.
OF ran the young fellows to the houses of
their cousins, aunts, and grandmothers.
saying, You see row that old mother Finck
is mad, and that there's no sense whatever
in your notions about the commet. Do
comets ever come in the winter? Do they
not always choose the vintage time? Well,
well, you must now d~ecide-there's still
time, etc., etc.
The soldiers, on their side, went into the
kitchens, and talked to the maid servants,
exhorting them, and loading them with re-
proaches. Many people began to pluck up
courage. The old men and women went
arm in arm to see the decoration Of the
great hall of the msyorality; the stars made
of sabres and the little tricolored flags be-
tween the windows excited universal adj
miration. Then peoples minds began to
change; they remembered that it was Shrove
Tuesday. Suddenly all the young ladies
made Haste to get their smart petticoats out
OF their %cuphoards, and to wax their shoes.
By ten O'Clock the great hall of the may
orality was full of people; we had carried
the day; there was not q single girl in
Hunebourg who did not answer to the call.
TbS clarionets, the trombones, the big
drums, resouned; the lights sparkled in
the windows, the country dancesw ent mer-
rily; the walters whirled round madly; the
young men and girls were in a state of
wild enjoyment; the old grandmothers
SEATED against the walls were laughing
heartily. At the refreshment counters
people we're showing each other about; the
drinks could not be furnished quick enough,
and father Zimmerman, who had a contract
for the supply, might boast of feathering
his nest we'll that night.
i Those who had taken rather too much
began to stumble down the staircase. The