The times., 1897-04-25

with almost as much interest as they FIX
hibit in the coming of Christmas or The
Fourth oil July. About two weeks before
hand both boys and girls begin to bug
sheets OF gilt and silver paper Tor the
Inanufa cture of those perishabie but gilt
teriag reccptacles for flowers which are
called May baskets"
On the first night OF the ''inerry
month" every little girl under fourteen
wears of age starts out in the tTenlng
Just at dusk with her collection OF pre-
cioIs paper baskets filled with hepaucas
and other spring flowers which snc las
picked with her own hands during the
day These she distributes among her Ia
vorites OF the opposite sex an the follow
ing manner:
Creeping softly up the steps that lead to
the dwelling place of him who is TO receive
the mark of her favor, she hangs the basket
on the door knob, rings the bell and then
scampers down the steps asfast as She can
run. Not so fast however. but that the re-
cipient, rushing out almost immediatelg,
is close on her hcelsin bot pursuit, andif he
catches her she is bound 10 pay the for
f.it-which of course means q kiss.
Having paid the forfeit or escaped her
pursuer-a very rare occurrence, by the
way--she goes on to the next place, and SO
on until the baskest are all distributed.
On the next night the boys take their
turn with the baskets, but. strange to say,
a great change has come over tie spirit oil
their dreams. For, while on tie previous
night they were as fleet as deer in puT-
suit Of the maids who brought them baskets,
tonight they run like snails, and thus get
double reward for their pains.
The baskets in both cases are made very
much alike. but the girls fill theirs WIN
nothing but flowers, while those which
they receive usually contain candy with
a sprinkHng OF flowers on top.
There are two or three different styles
of basket in favor among the youths ana
maidens VINO observe this custom, but the
favortes are the comucopia and the heart
shaped basket woven of gilt or paru-
colored paper The manner of making The
cornucopia is familiar to everybody, but
weaving Q basket is a different matter
Children who go to kindergarten learn
to make all sorts OF fancy things cut OF
raner but those who are not SO fortunate
dpDend unon their mothers or elder Sis
ters to help them in such emergencies.
II therefore behooyes the latter to pre-
pare themselves if they would be popular
with the younger members of the family
The simplest way to weave basket is
this: Take two pieces of paper about four
inches wide and ten inches long. One should
be silver, the other gilt. Fold each pi zee
In the middle and slash Into long, finger
like strips that end in the folded edge and
reach back almost to the opposite edges
Then begin to weave these pieces together
by looping the first silver strip over the
first gold one under the second gold one,
over the third, and so on. The second strip
is woven in and out the same way, then the
third, and so forth, until all the strips have
been used The open edges are then trim
med into heart shape, a gold or silver
loop pasted on for handle, and the basket
is complete 1t only remains TO put In the
flowers or candy, with a card, upon which
is in scribed the name OF the donor.
If one wishes TO vary the style Of basket
Il may be done by using different colors-
red or pink or violet, with endless combine
tions or the shape may be changed by eX-'
perlmenting a little. Plain paper .houId
be used as O pattern, and when the desired
size and shape are obtained the fancy i,aper
may be cut from the pattern.
In localities where this custom Is IN