The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-11-12

the pound.
February is not the month for open
air masquerading. The "confetti'
which has come to be nothing but col
ored paper cut into small discs, is a
sodden mass. When a lump OF it
strikes you in the eye, your instinct is
not to laugh gaily, but to find out the
man who threw it and to hit him back.
This is not the true spirit of carnival.
The marvel is that in spite of the al
most invariably adverse weather these
carnivals still continue. In Belgium,
where Catholicism still remains the
dominent religion, carnival maintains
Itself stronger than elsewhere in north
ern Europe. At one small town, Binehe,
near the French border, it holds unfn-
terrupted sway for three days and two
nights, during which time the whole
population, swelled by visitors from 20
miles round shouts, romps, eats and
drinks and dances. After which the
visitors are packed like sardines into
railway trains. They pin their tickets
to their coats and promptly go to sleep.
At every station the railway officials
stumble up and down the trains with
lanterns. The last feeble effort of the
more Wakeful reyeller, before he adds
himself to the heap of snoring HUMANE
! ty on the floor of the railway carriages,
] is to change the tickets of a couple of
4 his unconscious companions. In this
way gentlemen for the east are drag
/ ged out by the legs at functions and
/ southern fathers are shot out in the
chill dawn at lonely northern stations
to find themselves greeted with en-
thusiasm by other peoples families. At
+ Binehe they say have not counted
/ them myself-that $4,000 maskers can
! be seen dancing at the same time.
/ When they are not dancing they are
throwing oranges at one another. The
1 houses board up their windows. The
restaurants take down their mirrors
/ and hide away the glasses. If I went
masQuerading at Bfnche should go IS
a man in armor. period Henry the Sew
/ enth. Doesn't it hurt I asked a lady
who had been there, having oranges
thrown at you? Which sort do they
use, speaking generally: those fine,
} juicy -ones-Javas, I think you call them
a nutmeg crater? And, if both sorts
1 are used Unfortunately, which do you
/ personally prefer?" THE smart peo-
! pie" she answered, They are the same
/ everywhere-they must be extravagant,
/ they use the Java orange. If it hits
you in the back, I prefer the Java or
/ ange. OF course, it's more messy than
! the other. but is does not leave behind
\ it that curious sensation of having been
| temporarily stunned. Most people, of
| course, make use Of the small hard or
! ange. If you duck in time, and so
/ catch it on the top of your head it
| does not hurt so much as you would
think. If, of course, it hits you on
tender place-welI, myself, always
/ find that a little sal volatile, with old
eognaGe-half; and half, you understand
/ happens one a year. she added.
Nearly every town give prizes for
/ the best group of maskers. In some
cases the first prize amounts to as
much as two hundred pounds. The
| butchers, the bakers, the candlestick-
makers, join together and compete.
They arrive in Wagons-each group
/ with its band. Free trade is eneour-
aged. Each neighboring town and
village dumps its load of picturesque
merry makers. 1t is in these smaller
towns that the spirit of King Carnival
finds happiest expression. Almost
| every third inhabitant takes part ia the
fun. In Brussels and the larger towns
/ the thing appears ridiculous. A few
1 hundred maskers force their way with
difficulty through thousands of dull
clad spectators, looking Ike a Spanish
river in the summer time; a feeble
stream, dribbllng through acres Of
muddy bank. At CharIeroi, the center
of the Belgian Black Country, the
chief feature of the Carnival Is the
dancing of the children. A space is
specially roped off for them. # BY
chance the sun is kind enough to
shine. the sight is a pretty one. How
they love the dressing up and the act
ing, those small mitesi One young
hussy, she could hardly have beer
more than ten, was gotten up as a
naughty young lady. Maybe some
elder sister had served her as model
She wore a tremendous wig of haxeE
hair, a hat that guarantee would
have made its mark even at Ascot OF
the Cup Day. a skirt that trailed twe
yards behind her. a pair of what mad
been white kid gloves, and a blue sill
parasoI. Dignity I have seen the
offended barmaid, have met the
chorus girl-not by appointment
please don't misunderstood me. merely
as a spectatoF-up the river on Sun
day, but never have witnessed in an,
human being so much hauteur to thu
pound, avoirdupois, as was carried
! through the streets Of Charleroi b.
that small brat. Companions of othe
days. mere vulgar boys and girls
claimed acquaintance with her. Shi
passed them with a stare Of such ute
dizdain that It sent them tumblinl
. over one another backwards,