Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-12-24

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square neck, and more feathers in the
short. puffea sleeves. She has neck
lace of cranberries, and cranberries
and celery tops in her powdered hair.
And what has she in her hands,
Surely not q pumpkin piel No, only
| palm-leaf fan painted to look like one
a roll of painted cotton batting around
| the edge of the fan for crust, and a
knife smeared with yellow ochre, laid
on the handle of the fan, and care
fully fastened there, complete the
make-believe pie.
Standing near the fireplace, and
together, Easter and Ash Wednesday
form charming tableaux.
Ash Wednesday is dressed SIS a
black friar; while Easter wears Con
firmation dress, with lIllies, white
prayer-bcok, and pearl 1osary-and
perched on her shoulder is snow
white dove. She has a basket of eggs,
each one bearing an apt quotation,
one for every holiday.
Here are the st. Patrick's Days, and
they look as though they were fresh
from the Emerald Isle. Mrs st. Pat
rick's Day is dressed IN green, with
black-fannel serpents writing On her
skirt. She is reading her valentine,
and again we shall use our privilege.
and peep over her shoulder:
g. Come list to me, darlint tale I would tell,
OF how precious ye are to me, how 1 love ye
so well;
By all saints above us, by st. Patrick. too.
love ye, me s~ateheart, and love only yon
L know your name, colleen, and would ye
mt r
VALENToINE."
There is Twelfth Night walking
with Election Day. The latter is a
typical Uncle Sam, and he is con
stantly electioneering FIR his friends
or himself, and he walks about the
room Alec and Alice come next, as
Hallowe'en-Alec, with a variety of
vegetables taat have a suggestively
mischievious look, and Alice as q
Scotch lassie. We borrow her valen-
tine and read:
''With trick and trap of various kind,
On Halloween We SEE k to find,
With aid from mirrors and fr IN books,
Each how his own true lover looks.
need no trick or trap to see
That my fair sweetheart looks like thee
Mardi Gras, with tam bourine full
of flowers, passes by and pelts with
them as she goes George w ashing-
ton, with his Ratchet, walks beside
her, model of dignity and truth.
In the corner, seated ia a rocking
chair, is the other Washington's Birth
day, Lille. who bellies her name this
time, for she has blackened her face
and is dressed as an old nurse, with
bright turban, folded kerchief, and
valuminous apron, in the corner of
which is embroidered, IN big red let
ters, ''VIRGINIA" She holds some
thing that placard announced as
the Grandfather of his Country
because, as everybody knew, she said
"the child is father to the man"
I nave not space to describe all the
costumes, nor give all the valentines,
but must hasten to tell of
the Christmas-tree, and the vot-
ing for the prize costumes
The ballot was presided over by
Election Day, who took one prize her
self, and the other was voted to ''Vn-
ginia y and the infant George. After
supper the mysterious curtains In
front of the bay window were
drawn and disclosed the Christmas
tree, from which Santa Claus took
appropriate gifts for every day. A
j0inted snake for ST. Patrick's Day.
a silver egg for Easter, a match-safe
in the shape of a tiny pumpkin for
Thanksgiving Day-something for
every one.
Then led by May Day, we danced
around the May pole, winding it with
! its bright ribbons. But all good
times must have an end. and some
one had whispered the hour-and 3
very late hour it was. So we hurried
on our wraps, and as we said good
night, we decided that OF all our
camp parties, the Holiday Party had
been the very best.