Evening journal., 1911-04-14
EASTER POSTCARDS
PRETTIER NOW
Novel Designs, Both Cheap
and Rare. but all AttraC-
tive Are Shown
LAVENDER IS THE
MOST FAVORED HERE

Easter is here with her gay blossom
ing.
She has blotted out winter and
brought back the spring.
I'm thinking Of you, and l wish you
good cheer;
May Easter and spring usher In a
glad year.
These lines adorn one of the new
Easter postcards. and 1t would oe a
very disagreeable mail, indeed, heavy
with bills and circulars and all the
other varieties Of unwelcome letters.
that its buoyant little message would
rot illumine and transform. Just
emember," saiys another, Spring has
ollowed each December we have
ad." Trivial and trite," says the
lisanthrope, "and a shocking waste
money to load down Uncle Sans
lail bags with tons Of pasteboard."
e must be a hopeless misanthrope.
deed, if he can wholly escape the
'eling that spreads over the land,
vading even dirty city streets, when
ne first warm breezes begin to hint
Of bursting leaf buds.
Bigger Supply Than Ever.
The supply Of Easter greetings and
decorated cards is greater than ever
this year. Dozens of new and clever
designs flood the counters and fill the
stationers' windows. Easter has come
to be a season of gift-giving equal to
Christmas, and many people who like
the sentiment Of exchanging tokens,
but depreciate costly presents, employ
the folder or card with its bright
picture and bit of dainty verse. There
is decided liking for Illuminated
cards. The outer cover is simple and
shows a paschal lamb in white and
gold on a purple ground, or the his
monogram in ecclesiastical colors,
with a few appropriate words; or a
gorgeous scarlet cross, with a mono-
grammed centre.
In some instances this central de-
sign is in gold on a mother-of-pearl
plaque. an exceedingly attractive nov
city. The inner leaf Is In imitation
of an old missal, with delicate gold
tracers and richly colored initials.
Sometimes this style Of decoration Is
used on a single leaf Of parchment,
and even post cards show Illuminated
saints heads in gold backgrounds,
surrounded by snowdrops and violets.
The appropriateness and simplicity Of
this style Of card makes It very popu-
lar.
Color Runs to Lavender.
The overwhelming fancy this spring
for lavender and heliotrope; fiow-
srs. printing and paper reflect the
tint. It is repeated in ribbons and
candies, and even appears as a bor-
der on note paper The purple iris
disputes with the violet I'm popularity,
and many Easter greetings show Jap
anese maidens associated with the
first-named flower, though their spe-
cial connection with the festival seems
somewhat obscure. Another fad OF
the season is to have a little easel
arrangement at the back Of the card,
which permits il to stand upright.
lavender cross is adorned with a
bunch of violets, cut in separate
pieces, so that part of the bunch
stands away from its setting giving
semblance Of nature. This relief
feature is used in many ways.
The novelties are more delightful
than ever. Supposedly designed for
children, nine grownups out Of ten
relish absurd little dressed-up chick
ems and rabbits more than the most
pretentious floral design.
There are cut-out children's heads
capped with eggshells and yellow
ducks with blue parasols and enor-
nous feathered hats. The motif is
everywhere. On a card bearing the
words Easter Joy" was a small child
crowned with an enormous chapeau
with a real feather. Perhaps that
card will be sent to the right person.
The place-cards are fascinating
The very latest, so new that 1t had
to be ordered by cable. is a tiny lad
der which hooks on the rim of the
glass. A downy yellow chick has
climbed nearly to the top, while from
the lower rung depends a tag for the
name. tied on with narrow ribbon and
liliputian flowers. A chickens pur-
sues a red spider across another card,
or inspects a caterpillar, or pulls
along a large ribbon-bedecked egg.
These are not painted but in relief.
There are exquisite old-fashioned
nosegays. with lace paper frills or
iardinieres on pedestals and paper
fiowerpots, holding miniature plants
or gypsy kettles swung from crotched
sticks. witched over by the ommnipre-
sent yellow chick. These are admir-
ably dainty toys, like French dolls