The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1894-12-31
7 2
Sorrows viii pass away.
A season of Good VIII.

Sorrows VIII pass away.)
A Season of Good VIII.
During the annual festival that stirs
the heart of all ChristendOm the shops
are closed, and images of the Virgin in
walks and inches and churches are
crowned and bedecked with masses and
garlands Of flowers. Uniformed boys and
liveried servants hurry about the streets
with presents and tributes Of affection
in the form of the ever welcome flowers.
The cafes are trimmed with palms,
green vines and blooming plants At
each guests plate Is q prettily decOraU-
ed card which serves as a gentle remind
er that the offer Of Ira or two would
not be taken amiss by the waiter who
has patiently served one through the
year.
Even the beggar forgets to pose in his
usually melancholy attitude and smiles
in anticipation Of a generous aims from
the happy throng.
Occasionally bands of men called pit
ferarI come down from the mountains,
wander about the streets, and pausing be-
fore images of the Virgin, at street cor
ners, under balconies they play weird.
sweet strains of music on their Arcadian
pipes or piffero. Their costume is odd and
picturesque. consisting of a sugar loaf
hat, with red bands about it, blue jacket,
goatslin breeches and sandals fixed TO
the feet with crossed leather thongs
The sugar loaf hats serve as contribution
boxes for the pennies that are freely
showered into them. For nine days pre-
vious to Christmas they wander about
playing their curious, sweet melodies,
and singing melancholy tune, which is
interrupted now and then by chanted
hymn to the Virgin. This IS called the
IN ovena -
Troubadour Music.
I remember the first and only time I
saw these fast disappearing relics of o
long line of tr0u badOurs- / was stroll
ing about one sunshiny Christmas morn
ing when my attention was arrested by
the sound of faint, melancholy music
found my way into the narrow street
whence it emanated and there beheld
the pifferari. Their music entrauced
me- followed them from street to street
and house to house and only left them
at last from pure physical exhaustion.
After resting awhile / went out again
to find them and listen to the music,
the strains Of which still linger in my
memory. never to be forgotten. But they
were gone, and although ] spent several
other Chrlstmases in Italy never again
came across the piferari
There are sweetn8eat stalls on almost
every corner. They consist of a counter
with steps lined with calico and fringed
in front and at the sides with bright red
cloth edged with a stripe Of gold. On the
counter ana steps are all the toys and
sweets necessary for a jolly Christmas
There are pangial1i and panetOne, yell
low breads with raisins in, substitutes
for plum pudding. nougat and tOrroni
and all the sWeetmeats appropriate to
the season
Well do I remember my first glimpse
Of the Milanese Christmas dainty
panetone- ] was passing along a narrow
street when. IN glancing into dirty
courtyard, szw hundreds of the large
round loaves placed on the ground "a
rise, nothing between them and the
stone paving except 3 thin board PEG
pie were passing IN and ont, hucksters
and servants and dirty children, while
several cats were alniably summing them
selves IN q warm spot.
One Of these selfsame Ioaves after
ward found its way to our table, a gift
from the baker. A little later, divided
exactly III two. it furnished happiness
il the families of the two little serv