The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-04-02
Worcester Gala Dress
For Easter
Tide.
THE PROMENADE PARADE
is Good Natured
And All Are Wearing
Carnation Pinks.

Hidden III Tue sleAP
terday there was a breath of Easter
and of flowers in the air that eXhaled
from the windows on Main street and
was taken up by the passersby as they
stonped a moment to look at the spring
time colors and articles of wear dis
played. Even the little furry OF snow
In the afternoon seemed of such a
downy whiteness that it resembled pet
ais Of flowers got loose from some sky
land garden People were smiling anu
glad, and greeted each other with such
friendliness that made one think OF
Christmas, and the old blind pencil
seller in front of the Boston Store WoT9
a faded carnation that some one had
given him. B
Most Of the store windows yesterday
had for part Of their decorations Eas-
ter lilies in pots and jars, ana mowers
of all sorts abounded. One enterpfls-
ing firm on Main street had IN us WIN
dow a. hen and brood of downy chcks
that scratched and chirped and nestled
against the mother with all the MAUI
ralness of q barnyard scene. They mac
plenty of visitors all the afternoon VINO
commented on the downiness Of the
chickens and the stateliness of the
mother hen.
Everybody was buying flowers and
carrying them home for Sunday. one
little tot not more than four years old
was laboring under the burden Oh a
stately lily almost as tall as herselI'
and as she trotted at her mothers side,
not O. few persons stopped to look back
at the two emblerns of purity the child
and the Easter lily. Her face was
radiant with content and happiness,
and it was pleasant to see one learning
so soon that Easter is q season Of glad
ness.
''Pinks-two for five cents" came
from a hawker standing on the edge
of the sidewalk near the post office.
In his hands he had few carnations
that had perhaps seen better days.
They were not meeting with a ready
sale. It was too evident that they had
been used several times before, and
no one cares to wear secondhand flow
ers, even at Easter-tide.
The florists did a rushing business all
day. and several new establishments
were opened for the sale Of flowers
during the week. In front of some of
the more pretentious flower stores,
wagons We're carrying off loads of lilies
and potted plants to be used in the
churches or to beautify homes for the
occasion. Easter lilies this year are
particularly beautiful and are to be
had In abundance. But the tall, grace
full lily is beautiful at all times and in
all conditions, and one cannot help feel
ing it to represent what is best among
flowers.
Besides flowers, people were buying
Easter cards. 1t is a pretty custom
the sending Of cards to friends at this
season, and is coming more ana more
into prominence each year. The cards
in Worcester show windows were some
Of them designs Of art.
To turn to the more material side Of
Easter shopping and shoppers yester-
day, the dry goods and furnishing
stores and the markets did thriving
business. Every one must wear at
least a new neCktie on Easter Sunday,
II he can afford nothing else, and new
hat that looks like spring. If money
holds ont ne buys new clothes, too, and
comes out on the first Sunday after
the first full moon after the vernal
equinox in toys that sometimes cause
Old Sol to smile as he hides himself
under the cloud from which falls a cold
drizZle. A cold rain is usually part of
the Easter program, you know.
And besides wearing new clothes
people must eat on Easter, and they
seem to think they must eat ham and
eggs. The sale Of eggs yesterday sur
passed that of last year by so per cent
and 1t was lucky eggs were cheap
There was some demand for live rab-
bits too; for the kind that lay the col
Ored eggs; and that reminds one of
some of the rabbits in the show win
dOWs on Main street. In some of the
places there We're rabbits Of all degrees
oil stuffed of course. and around than
were eggs Of all cOlors. There were
none of the Welsh rabbits, though.
But 1t was at night that the greater
part of the population went out to buy.
The crowd was so thick at the corner
Of Main and Pleasant streets that peo-
pie in a hurry had to give 1t up and
walk slowly. Those who work during
the day took advantage of the evening
to do their Easter shopping, and at
any time from to II o'clock people
carrying hong bundles of flowers or
packages of wearing apparel could be
seen struggling through the crowd. II
was a goOd-natured crowd, though.
that did not mind a little pushing, and
when the fire alarm sounded at 9
o'clock. it showed a unanimity of mind
in following the engines.
At midnight the streets began to be
deserted; the lights in the florists
shops had gone out one by one The
flowers themselves had gone to sIeep
following the example Of the peonIa
and save for a few belated stragglers
all was silence, waiting for the advent
Of dawn and the ushering in of a new
Easter.
OUT AND ABOUT.
A.