Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1896-12-30

nour on the evening of December 31st.
The shopkeepers adorn their windows
with an attractive medley of toys and
monday gifts. Oranges, dried and freshS
fruit, imported and domestic table del
lcac1es, candies. cakes, are either dis
played in the showcases or piled Cp in
front of the stores, which are extrava-
,gantly lighted up for the occasion, and
decorated with garlands of colored pa
per skilfully cut out in the shape of
natural flowers. From the ceilings, from
the top of the windows, they fall in
the chandeliers, from the pictures, from
grouped festoons.
The mild climate permits a large
and variegated crowd to circulate
through the streets and gather in the
stores, and no sight is more pictur-
esque than a street in the East on ST.
Basil's eve.
There are to be seen people of COM
mun1ties and races having nothing in
common but the land and the sur
rounding atmosphere; there are curious
contrasts Of complexion and wearing
apparel; there the genuine attire of five
races is on constant exhibition.
You see, for instance, the long, loose
robes of the Jews, and the hight red
or yellow silk garments worn by their
wives. There are the short, wide
preeches of the Turks, contrasting with
the long ones of the Kayaks The small
red fez and the large vermillion one,
designed to hang down on one side of
the lace like the Phrygian cap, are
lntermingled with the plain Derby and
black silk hats of the European gentle
men, whose simple attire is made OBJ
truslVely plain by the bright-colored
goods used by the natives.
Conceive, too, the variety of gar
ments worn by the women. Imagine.
1or instance, the Partisan dress and
bonnet of a European merchants
daughter, side by side with the loose
yellow breeches, the lilac doublet and
the long green veil of a wealthy Ar
menlan lady! Every day one sees en-
proldered 'bosoms, long garments some
times trimmed with fur, robes, cash
mere shawls and bright red silk Slip
pers, on the women.
Among men it is not uncommon to
behold bare legs and gorgeous holiday
turbans; often gallant Mohammedan,
covered with rags and filth, carries in
his belt an assortment of Damascus
blades, yataghans and jewel-encrusted
firearms, worth small fortune.
Two singular customs contribute to
this holidays particular character: one
is the making of est. Basils caks," the
other the singing of a song through the
stNets on the eve of the saints al
legged birthday.
Elaborate preparations for the
kneading of the cake begin in every
mouse two days, at least, before the fes-
tlVal, for much labor is involved in it's
CONNECTION. All the women of the fam
lily squat on rug, in the Turkish fash
ION, around a low, circular pastry
table, and amidst gay stories and
laughter the rolling-pin runs over the
rich paste, while the housewives vie
in decorating and forming the cakes.
The commonest decorations are
Oriental arabesques representing
palms, flowers, shells, or grotesque fig
ures with which to amuse the children,
while the most skilful workers make
dolls whose faces are red eggs firmly
embedded in the paste.
These would seem simple to an
American housekeeper; but in a ceun-
try where cooking utensils and baking
ovens are very rude, the undertaking
| requires much patience.
The cake consists of butter, eggs and
sugar, and it's f1avoring is of certain
spices. 1t is usually made very rich,
SO that it may keep soft for days after
1t is baked.
Housekeepers dread the task, for
large quantity of St. Basil's cake is
made in each family. A large part of