The Dickinson press., 1895-04-13
on EASTER
The Symbolic Scarlet Esx and An
Easter Card

The Symbolic Scarlet E4K and An
caste Card.
Since the days of the Elm Vror Con.
stantine churches and no les have
made much of Easter fest tals. but
none is more beautiful. mort to he fol-
lowed and made n geners custom
than the chi!dren's celebratih at the
family breakfast table.
The Easter breakfast has come to |
be in Washington Il recognized "chil-
dren's hour" President Arthur's lit
tie daughter Nellie said at one Easter
breakfast in the White House, 'Oh!
its a whole fairy story"
The table is laid with care with
snowy damask, the prettiest china,
glass and cmbrOiderics that the house
possesses; IL in season, flowers, fresh
from spring woods. pale leaves and
spice bushes, rcd-bud and ferns, which
in Washington we can usually get in
April. But when wild flowers are not
possible. anything in bloom is taken
for decoration. The center piece is
Easter lilies, tulips. sririas, in pots.
jars or vases; a low dish of yellow
primroSes or white Easter daisies Is
much liked. At each plate is laid a
bouquet or q single flower, tied with
q pretty ribbon to the small gift, what
ever 1t may be. Flowers are thrown
ca~relessly on the cloth and q pretty,
green vine Is trailed about the dishes.
OF course, the dish of the feast is
eggs. Most people dye them, just as
we Washington people do for the
grand egg rolling on Easter Monday.
One mother buys each year the love-
Hest dish she can find. that 1t may lie
to the family "a new feast" and piles
it high with brilliant eggs of every
color. Many build a 'tnest" of leaves
and vines in a basket of soft, fresh
moss. The say eggs are beautiful,
peeping out of the green. In memory
Of the Olden time, when the dyed Eas-
ter egg was scarlet ''as the blood of
Christ" some mothers put at each
plate q tiny nest in a small basket,
with a scarlet egg laid in the nos
A Beautiful Custom.
"A small choir boy in Washington
last Easter came In to breakfast with
q basket of spring flowers from Rock
creek, and as the family took their
seats Little Robin" sang On Easter
carol as he walked slowly around the
table behind the seats and dropped q
flower or spray of wildwood leaf at
each plate. His whole heart sang in
his glad little hymn Of praise:
Rejoice! the Lord has risen" we cry;
These flowers fair we raise OIL high.'
Easter fruits are arranged on a
large waiter. covered with natural
leaves. Frosted oranges are piled up
high in the center of purple and white
grapes, bananas, golden manderins
and red apples. The oranges are
peeled, rolled in white Of egg and
dried In coarse graduated sugar. In
children delight in choosing from this
er.
Next to be provided are easter fa-
vors" and bonbons. Little yellow
chicks hop out of candy eggs; white
rabbits, bOnbOnieres and gray sQuir-
rels bow their heads to give the chill
dren pounds of delicious sweets. Such
a popping Of Surprise favors!" Such
big gray eT..s ".%iing from the trees
of pistache green! White swans sit
majestically on a lake Of "lemon ice""'
Out Of a straw hat comes another
brood Of chickens! The children clap
their hands and shout and laugh at
the wonderful devices In their Easter
breakfast ices and creams.
An Easter Menu.
One breakfast for an Easter break
fast is fruit, boiled eggs. lamb chops,
with a spring twig for a chandler" egg
salad, made with lettuce; broiled
chicken on toast, fried potatoes. rolls
and bread, chocolate, coffee and con
fections. Waters, or small biscuit, as
for luncheon, may be served with
salad.
A society mother says: 1.-THE creams
In Easter devices r entirely good
form for an Easter breakfast, as the
children must enjoy the pretty figures
and animals"
Perfectly simple meals are served
with a profusion of flowers and one
kind Of fruit; a cereal, with cream;
eggs, rolls IN. chocolate. A beautiful
custom is the bringing to the table
pots of blooming plants. Father,
mother, guests and children, each Sc
lect a plant unknown to the others,
hiding it away until breakfast is an.
nounced. when 10! little Jack appears
with a tiny pot of daisies, Ruth with
violets, May with a scarlet geranium
and pretentious roses and Easter lilies
are proudly brought in by the father
and mother. All the pots m wrapped
in colored papers and tied with rib
bons.
After "grace" is said 1t is common
for the children to sing an Easter
hymn before they begin the meal
Then they open their boxes of gifts
and exchange thanks and courtesies
or wait until the meal is over ant
take them to the sitting room. where
q festival follows the breakfast.-Mar
garet Spencer.