The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1897-04-20

So the Countess decided to repay
their kindness. She secretly sent
her old servant down to their old
home. There he found the castle
almost wholly destroyed, but was
lucky enough to gather up a large
number of tho chickens that still
roasted about their old home. He
brought them up to the mountains
and great was the surprise Of all
the peasants as they saw the quee1
birds. But few weeks afterwards
Ghey were still more ustonished and
delighted, for Il young brood Of
chicks was shown to them by the
kind Countess. Oh, how the village
children laughed and clapped their
hands at the sight Of the little,
downy, bright-eyed creatures, who
were so strong and spry, and who
followed the old hen about to pick
up their food on the very day they
came ont of their shells. Such
contrast to tho blind, bald, ugly
little fledglings that they saw IN the
nests in the hedges.
Now the Countess saved up her
eggs until she had enough for a
feast, when she invited all the
housewives to como and taste the
new food, and learn how to prepare
1T. At the close of the feast she
gave each family a number of fowls
to take homo and use forher family.
When Easter came, she was anXi-
Gus to do something for tho children,
and it occurred to her that as tho
egg was the sign OF now life it
would be nice thing to have an
egg festival for tho children's S
Easter treat. So she took mosses
and roots, and with item colored
some Of the eggs--saying that "tho
earth lay aside her mantle Of snow
III tho spring, and God himself
made the fruit and berries not only
good to eat, but pleasant to look
upon"
On Eastor Sunday, after the
villagers had met for their simple
service, she called all the little ones]
and after talking pleasantly to them
for awhile, she led them into n
grove near by. Thoro she told them
to play about, and pretend they
were little brides, and make them
selves some cute little nests. Then
she called them to her house, or
cottage, and gavo them a little feast
of the best she could prepare. 1t
was only some nice milk soup with
cooked eggs, and egg-cakes. When
they had finished their feast, they
heard a great whistling, and cooling,
and squeaking in tho grove where
they had left their nests. What
could be the matter7 The children
ran back to see, and 10! in every
nest there were five beautiful
colored eggs, and on ono Of these,
a little rhyme was painted. Imagine
the surprise and delight Of these
simple children. They talked among
themselves, and wondered where
they came from. "N hat a strange
hen it must be to lay eggs of so
many colors !" said one. "Oh, I do
not think that hens lay such hard
eggs" said another. But third
one said II am sure it was that dear
little Hare | saw jumping out from
behind tho bushes where / made
my nest. This idea seemed to
please the little ones, and they all
shouted together-"Yes, yes-tho
little Hare laid the colored eggs"
And they kept on repeating it until
they began to believe it.
Not long afterward, as the Count
ess sat talking to the children, who
was it that the little daughter saw
coming up the mountain7 1t was
the dear father, the husband whom
they all thought must be dead. And
rs he came to them on this Easter
day, it was another reason why the
Countess loved the day and wished
to have it always celebrated. So
when she went back with her hus-
band and children to rebuild their
old home, she left sum of money
to be expended in giving the chill
dren an Easter egg feast every year.
She also started the fashion of the
"egg-feast' in her own Duchy, and
so 1t grew, and by degrees the GUS
tom spread all over the land, and
the eggs also at length became q
sort Of symbol Of restoration to