The Jersey City news., 1892-03-16
CHILDRHNS BIRTHDAYS.
Their Anniversaries as a
Rule Not Made Much of
By Americans.
HOW THE GERMANS CELEBRATE Them
Surprises and Good Times In Or
der--The Birthday
Cake.

OF the many admirable qualities for
which Germans as class are famous
none is more commendable than their in
herentlove of family. An American OF
the middle class will smile at seeing a
station of life, out on a Sunday
stroll with his wife on his arm
and his children walking ahead.
The German will march sedately, hap
PLY on, with one hand extended fiatiy
against his broad chest and the other
carrying mis- cane, as proud as Punch OF
his little plump frau, his chubby girls
with their flaxsn hair. tightly braided IN
anything but the latest style, and his
boys looking anything but little Lord
Fauntleroys. What does he care Tor
style? He has his family. The American
may smile trifie sarcasticai!y, out tne
German neither sees, nor would ne care IL
he saw. =,
Prompted by this love, Germans of all
classes stand fast by their families.
Christmas. New Years and birthdays are
made days Of family reunions, each per-
son giving the other some remembrance,
trifling though it may be. IL was once
my good fortune to spend christmas
Eve with a German family, and one GUS
tom which they followed seemed TO me
especially delightful. Three genera
tions had assembled at the house OF The
grandparents, and after much whispering,
q procession was formed to march 70 Jne
room where the Christmas tree STOOD.
golden haired tot, scarcely two years oiu'
led the way; her cousins. boys and girls,
f,4r th1an
next came sedate mamas ana proua
papas, with white-haired grandma ana
grandma in the rear. On arriving at the
table. on which the li4hted Christmas
tree stood, each found pcrtlon OF the
table reserved for nimseif. Inc gus
were arranged as tremendously for old
as for young For the nonce all were
CHILDREN After the gifts had been ad-
mired, there was much merrymaking,
and children's songs were sung. Iheh
the party dispersed to meet again on
Christmas Day.
CELEBRATING BIRTHDAYS.
Americans as u rule make little OF
birthdays. OF course while Christians
live. the birthday of the King will De OBJ
served. Celebrating New Years day Is
a thing of the past. and as said before,
birthday anniversaries Of individuals are
seldom observed. think this Is u pity,
especially for children. A happy home
lie IOr bDo DCy OE gin iLpiO SAhSSe ~
the man or woman than is often supposed.
To celebrate these anniversaries may be
little troublesome, but such acts OF
thouchtfulness are never forgotten. And
here we can learn much from the sweet
ness of German homes. Such calebra-
ton gives child happy feeling that Tor
one day in the year at least, he is an inn
nortan1 personages 1t is far better, l
think. to let him make merry with his
little friends, than to give him expensive
gifts which he alone can ENJOY. Inc
former leads to unself1snness, Tor while
the child is king or queen OF the day, 1t
is also hostess or host, and 1t behooves IL
to concern itself about others Ihus the
day teaches unselfishuess. To add to Che
Measure of the anniversary. Il German
M other always has birthday cake. large
and round and good to behold, 1t will
he all sugared with fantastic designs,
and if you examined it closely you might
find such words as "Gretchen, sieben
,Jahre Alt, 1892" Wouldn't any child
feel a natural pride in sucn possession
and gratitude to the kind mother who
gave it? Thus unselfishness and graft
tude would blend in the cnild's nature.
For | believe that kindness and though
fulness never in the world sDoilt Child.
We often hear 1T said that parents are too
good to their children; they are probably
iuiudicious and Inconsistent
of German family draws near, there
will be much whispering between the
children, and preparation. Let us sup
nose IL is the father. Tbe mother will
probably arrange u programme to sur
prise him, and il he hears fecitations
.,oiup ON in one room and much piano
practice in an other, he knows pretty well
what is going to be his birthday gift.
Mamma mas given Karl a new piece
which will be 1ull of happy illusions TO
papa's birthday and Elsa mas had a piano
solo tor learn. The programme will be
faithfully carried out. papa receiving his
gifts in state and expressing much we'll
feigued surprise thereat. Isn't this
happy custom?
A PATHETIC INCIDENT.
/ recall an Incident which occurred to
n little boy know which seems apropos
of BIRTHDAYS His mother, who was an
ideal German woman, died u few months
before his seventh birthday. lie grew
accustomed to her absence. but early one
morning he was found on the piano stool
in his night shirt weeping bitterly. His
elder sister found him thus. The cause
of his sorrow was tnat it was his birth
day. and they had forgotten all about 1t.
He had been lying awake almost all
night anticipating the pleasure OF seeing
his birthday gifts on the piano as OF yore,
and had slipped down rs early as he
dared. And there was nothing. Thus
the little fellow first realized what his
mothers absence meant 10 him aud his
sister also She made up for his disap-
poiutmeut later in the day, but could
not wholly efface the mornings disap-
pointment.