The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1888-04-26

on Thursday of last week. When the
stork comes they say "it is a sure sign
of spring." therefore they are greeted
with voice Of welcome.
The stork and her mate arrived at
Eltingen last week to look for q suitable
homo for the coming summer. They
flew to the nest on the church while in
spectins the mansion two others arrived;
both parties wanted to take possession,
after combat between the two, one
party flew humbly away; the chill.
dren could not distinguish which ones,
the first or last. If the stork or nest is
molested in any way the one doing so is
punished, as they think the stork brings
"glick" or ''good luck"
Easter holiday was salso welcomed by
all. The children talked long Of the Eas.
ter rabbit and what it would lay for them.
The holidays commenced Thursday by
having church in the morning, no school
was held and no unnecessary work was
done (; although the stores were opened,
the factories and mills were closed. With
US Easter is time of giving eggs here
Thursday and Friday, the "bretzels day"
as the children say. 1t is an old custom
and still kept up in some localaties. For
little Cotton who perhaps does not un.
derstand what bretzels are will explain,
they are sort of cookey, but instead OF
being sweet like mama's cookies they
are very hard and very salty. suppose
1t is like the Israelites having their time
of eating unleavened bread while here
the Protestants eat their bread in the
way of bretzels in which there is also no
yeast or leaven. Little boys and girls
60 from house to house selling them.
The grandiathers and mothers, god
fathers and mothers are expected to give
bretzels to their children on these days.
Another old custom in the small towns,
which is now passing away, is, that the
beau is expected on Thursday night to
hand up to the maiden's window silken
ribbon strung with bretzels. The ribbon
is afterward worn in the hair or at the
throat to show that it is appreciated. If
the window is in the second story the
bretzels are handed up on pole. Aunt
tells an amusing story; she was forbidden
to receive the attentions of the gentle
man who is now her husband. When
Good Friday night arrived she received
five dozen bretzels on blue ribbon, the
more bretzels that were given the more
they thought OF the girls. She was very
much afraid that her mother would ar.
rive on the scene or her little sister who
was sleeping with her awaken before
she got them in safely. She reached her
hand out the window to take the ribbon
when plump went the pole against the
fence, but luckily the noise was not
noticed. In the morning she arose
early to hide the bretzels 80 her mother
should not know. She hid some in the
garret and the remainder in her room.
She would get them as fast as she was
able to eat them she could not divide
with her sisters as they would tell. Fri
day or Good Friday is considered by the
church here to be the most sacred day
of the year. In small places no store is
opened the entire day; in cities where
religions differ, all stores are not closed.
Church was held here. both morning and
evening, sacrament was administered
during the morning service. The con.
gregation wore black or dark colors on
Thursday and Friday, in mourning for
the Savior, and on Easter Sunday very
gay colors.
Passing through the streets of the city
before Easter the far-famed rabbit
greeted one from dozens OF windows, here,
a very tiny one, there one as large as an
old mother rabbit, here one standing,
one running, one sitting, rabbits in all
positions. More interesting was the dis
play of eggs, ranging in size from a
birds egg to an ostrich and even larger
as the kaleidoscope egg, with shell of
sugar. Looking through glass at one
end ofthe ingenious oval one sees various
magnified scenes, green grass, rose
bushes, flower gardens, glittering lakes
on which swim the proud swan, herds
OF sheep grazing on the green meadow,
an ideal grove in which a loving couple
are promenading, these and numerous
other scenes are buried in the sugar egg.
There are also very pretty ones of silk
and satin, on which all sorts Of quaint
things are painted, eggs of straw, eggs of
paper, glass eggs, rubber eggs, china
eggs, metal eggs and indeed eggs of
almost all material.
The custom here is for the mother or
older sister to color the eggs and hide
them in nest of straw or grass in the
garden. The little folks believe that q
rabbit lays them and on Easter morning
a great search Is made for the hidden
treasure. Columbus was scarcely more
elated over the discovery of America
than is Clara or Katy, Freddy or Neddy
when after repeated and useless search
the hidden nest is found.
Oh, what joy, the mamas and papas
must come quick and see what the good
rabbit has laid for them. also received
my share but was not sent out to hunt
for the nest, but the egg was brought to