The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1898-04-10
THE FIRST EASTER BONNET.
The Lady Who Wore IL Lived Many
Centuries ago.

The Lady Who Wore IL Lived Many
Centuries Ago.
Who wore the first Easter bonnet?
That is a question the most distin-
guished archaeologist would scarcely
dare to answer Off-hand However this
pretty custom OF freshly and gaily ar
raging the feminine head ON the most
notable and glorious day of Spring. can
easily and safely be traced for thirteen
centuries.
Going back that far not only is II Fat
tering to feminine taste and cOnserya-
tism to find that charming custom has
endured so long. but that 10 the pious
and Jealous women is due all the honor
of having inaugurated the first official
Easter Sunday celebrations in western
Europe
1t is all very well for St Martin. an
heroic worker among the barbarous
Frankish hosts as early as the year 30
y. D.. to claim the glory of celebrating
the first Easter Sunday at Tours where
remnant Of his shrine stiH exists; but
it was not until fair Clotllda married
pagan Clovis that the anniversary OF
the resurrection became an imposing
national religious function
Clotilda, II Is written. was a Dious
| BurSundiau princess who took Clovis
for better or worse. and so worked on
his spirit that she softeued his heather
soul with Christian doctrine. and per
sCaded him TO submit to baptism. That
was in the year 4e6. and in 80 Clovis
founded the cathedral at Strasburz,
"herc the Franks, whom Clovis had
either persuaded or forced TO follow his
example came 10 celebrate their first
grand Easter festival
Now il is neither frivolous or foolish
Is imaginative TO suppose that Queen
Clotilda and the women Of the Fraukish
! hosts decorated themselves in especial
honor of this Sunday OF Sundays and
wOrshiped beneath the cathedral roof in
fervOr. thanksgiving and lovely fresh
headdresses. This good lady outlived her
husband. and on his death retired 10 a
convent, but StrasburS cathedral stands
as monument to the greatness Of femi-
nine influence, and it was in England next
that q woman cOntriVed to have celebrst-
ed the first Easter Sunday among the
Anglo-Saxon barbarians.
Everybody who visits the cathedral city
Of Canterbury takes the time to knock
up the sexton, and investigate the little
church of ST. Martin As Il church IL
dates back 1861 years exactly. and memo
ries of its founder, Queen Bertha. cling az
closely about it as the ivy to its tower
Bertha came from France, and could
claim rather close blood relationship with
the piOus ClOtilda- She, then was married
70 pagan husband that hardened old
sinner Ethelbert, great-great -grandson OF
the immortal Hengist, invader OF En-
gland.
Bertha. however. Iabored not in vain
with Ethelbert's conscience. for the king
invited St. Augustine to Kent. and built
ent tiny church. which is bat 30 feet long
and p wide.
The front. from which St Augustine
took water 10 baptize the king, still rests
in the church. and Bertha's stone coffin
is exhibited 10 visitors. English-speakinE
people owe this lady for her Inauguration
of Christian rites and Christian rule there
can be no doubt, and because she came
from France none need question that she
and her women brought over the embryo
Easter headgear, to develop nobiy and for
all time in Great Britain.
There is a lapse of about ], 100 years be-
fore Easter Sunday enjoyed its first OFF,
cial recognition in what constituted the
original thirteen States. The Puritans
sternly regarded Easter festivities as pop
ism rites, and refused TO observe them,
so that to the Pilgrim mothers cannot be
given any of the credit enjoyed by Queens
ClOtilda or -ertha. An Easter bonnet
would probably have been put in the
stocks had il been found abroad in Ply
mouth or Boston in the Eth century.
In consequence, 10 Virginia goes the
honor of holding the first Easter service,
at jamestown, about 1891. There was a
certain Parson Hunt who came over with
the early settlers 10 care for their spirit
ual needs, and steel caps on masculine
heads We're the only Easter bannets Vir-
ginia saw for q long time There is now
only a ivy-srOwn brick tower 70 mark
the spot where JAMESTOWN little church
stood. and where the Easter feast. with
rites, floral altar decorations. and a sound
dOctrinal sermon, received initial eele-
bratiOn in the States. This church did
not owe its erection 10 any especial FEM
mime influence. 50 far as the annals OF
Virginia record. The bricks and altar
decorations were all brought from Eng
land. but there is not a shadow of a doubt
that the first Easter bonnet ever seen in
the States Haunted its innocent sDIeudors
among the rough oak pews Of the little
edihce in jamestown, and that the church
was built 10 shelter at their devotfons
the wives of the coiOnists. To whom Eas-
ter was something more important, from
every standpoint. than any of the other
hfty-one Sundays in the year