The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1906-1908, 1907-01-11

Rise up, gude-wife and shake your
feathers:
Dinna think that we are beggars;
We are BARNS come to play,
And to seek our hogmany."
Much excitement was manifested
over another Scottish custom. The
first person who entered house after
the clock struck midnight New Years
eve was called a first footer," and
often f2rties of first footers went
about calling on friends and making
merry generally.
In striking contrast to this frivolity
was the habit the next morning OF
opening the Scotch Bible at random,
verse in the chapter read containing
prophecy to be made good by fate
during that New Year.
At all the courts of present-day Flu
rope the New Year is celebrated with
great impressiveness, it being the Of
fetal feast, just as Christmas is a
family one.
In Belgium, on New Years eve, the
children have a special frolic tingling
with the thrill of suspense. Early in
the day, all the door keys in the house
are spirited away from their locks
into small boys pockets. A pet rela-
tive, called a sugar aunt" or sugar
uncle" is then beguiled into room,
and while her or his attention is d.
verted, key is whisked out from its
hiding place and click-a-ty-click the
door is locked! OF course the pris-
oner, confronted by hard-hearted,
giggling jailer is glad to negotiate
freedom at any price-a ransom's pos
sibilities no doubt ranging from
candy cane to a rocking horse, accord
ing to auntie's indulgent humor or
the size of uncle's pocketbook.
The Germans have very impress
sive old custom. At Frankfort-on-the-
Main in almost every house is fam
lily party and at the first strike of
midnight from the cathedral all open
wide the windows, and-filled glasses
lifted in their hands-cry: "Prosit
Neujahr! "-"Happy New Year"
| France practically makes Christ
mas of New Years day. All Paris is
en- fete, and the Latin Quarter jubilant
with song, fiddling, and droll farces,
while the poor, starved art student
| splurges in all sorts Of culinary ex-
! travagances. In fact, even the beg
gars are merry, singing instead of
whining their appeals for charity, and
dancing a jig for SOU"
1 mt oh g.. n
stockings filled by good st. Nicholas,
who in his Christmas rush must have
thanked his lucky star that these
young clients would not expect a pro
fessional call until seven days after
he had attended to the impatient
American youngsters over the sea.
After a midday dejeuner a la four
Ghetto, the younger members of the
family call on the older, and in the
evening there is grand reunion fol
dinner.
Amid all this French gayety there Is
that one pathetic little touch that SC
often creeps into this rainbow worlC
of ours, where tears mingle with the
sunshine of our smiles. If a member
Of the family has died during the pas
IL months, early on New Years morn
ing the near relatives meet at thu
grave and lay upon it their Offering,
of love and remembrance.
The Russians, following the Julian
calendar, do not celebrate their New
Years day until January Is.
In rural Russia there are a grea
many amusing customs connectei
with the season. Roguish boys ris
at daybreak and with a gleesom
chuckle fill their pockets with drie
peas and wheat. Stealthily enterin
houses, they pelt all whom they fin
still sleeping, their enemies with
singing fire of peas and their friend
with the gentle missile of the whea
After breakfast-for which their in
; pish gymnastics no doubt have give
them ravenous appetites-they seleC
the "handsomest" horse in the villag
and decorate him with evergreens an
! red berries until the dumbfounde
: quadruped must be a spectacle fc
gods and men. They then lead hil
7 to the home of the nobleman, VIII
l good-naturedly admits the steed an
/ his attendants into the parlor, wheI
New Years greetings from the pc
' shooters and silver coin from ii
$ nobleman are duly exchanged.
The grown-up, not to be outdone
! the small fry. now form a gorgeol
procession to pass under the critic
e nose of the noblemans upper windo'
II Oxen, cows, goats and hogs, adorn,
9 with evergreens and red berries, a
u driven past, while old women bril-
= up the rear bearing gayly decorat,
barnyard fowls as presents.
: In our own country we American
> "half-pagan, half-Puritan," take o
8 New Year Enthusiastically. Wi
y flashing eyes and smiling lips '
70 greet its dawn; dancing, feasting, I
roariously blowing our little tin horI
: And at the same time in our secI
/; hearts-the curtains of pride and &C
p ventionality closely drawn-we sac
- sit beside the dying embers of t
e. past years hopes and shiver at t
es knocks of the unknown future at t
ct door.
n, MAY {. RINGwAL7