Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-06-03
WHAT WOULD QUEEN VICTORIA dor

Conumdrum Consequent Upon the Eassss
Egg Rolling I'm This CITY.
Mrs. Frances Hodsson Burnett in st. Nicholas.
There is very delightful thing which a
one OF the springtime events Of the bowery
city. 1t Is not . social or q political function,
and it is an event I have never heard the
origin Of.
1t Is the egg rolling on Easter Monday.
Easter eggs, colored red aud blue and yei-
low, and adorned with flowers and stripes. are
delights known to the children Of many coun-
tries; but think it is only in Washington that
there exists custom-which is almost a osr-
emony-of rolling the brilliantly hued thiney
down grassy slopes by way Of festivity.
Il strikes also a. being delightfully."- illuetr,.
tive Of the power Of the childrens republic that
the places chosen ss most suitable for thess
festivities should be the private grounds of the
presidential mansion-the White House itself-
and the slopes Of the grounds which surround
the Capitol
II one wants to roll red and blue ana yellow
eggs down . sloping lawn il appears that .
little republican sees no reason why he or she
should not roll them by the thousand down the
lawn Of a Presidents back garden. The slope
is just the one required and no President. %
far has been hsrd-hesrted enough to 60 out ON
the portico and wave his hand and order the
little intruders away; no Mrs. President has
ever thrown shawl over her head to run ous
and scold them and say she will not allow f.
So every Easter morning there 10 10 be seen an
ever increasing stream Of children OF various
sizes swarming through the streets, all vending
their way 70 the grounds OF the White House.
There are well-dressed ones attended by their
nurses or relatives; there are shabby littls
ones attended by no one at all:
there are some little black ones in .
pleasing state Of excitement; but everybody has
basket or package with colored eggs IN il A
great many also have something which holds Q
little lunch. There is great excitement and
rivalry about the color Of the eggs and the
number each little person possesses In very
short time the Presidents back garden 10 Q
shouting, laughing romping psndemonium
The entertainment consists In rolling the eggs
from the top Of the slope TO the bottom Of Il.
There Is also the exciting sport Of egg pick
ing" One egg proprietor enters into . con-
test with another one, In which one egg 10 tap
ped against the other until one Of the two y
cracked. The proprietor whose egg IL not
cracked is the winner, and the stake won ID the
broken egg.
Eggs are rolled and ''picked," and broken and
eaten. When the festivity 10 over. the Presi-
dents back garden and the slopes Of the Capri
tol grounds are strewn with fragments Of
bright-colored eeg-shells and bits Of paper left
for the White House gardeners TO pick up, and
many little indigestions have gone home and 10
bed In innocent joyousness and fatigue.
One cannot help wondering what would occur
IL the same number OF little London children
decided to 60 and roll eggs in the grounds Of
Buckingham Palace. Would her most gracious
majesty order out the horse guards? Perhaps
not, as she has had nine little children OF her
own, whom she helped in their childhood 10 be
most delightfully."- happy little persons, but An
afraid she would regard IL rs rather . liberty.