Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1914-12-24
81 !

brAtions more II
keeping with the passing OF a year o.
past opportunities. and the making
of new resolutions for the coming
year. on this continent, at least, the
night has been given up to revelry
strongly condemned by right thinking
people.
At one time New Years eve In Der
lin was time that might have glad
dened the heart Of the most exuber
ant undergraduate. being from dusk te
dawn a succession of practical jokes
and gOod.natured Raging" But now
adays the town shows more sedate
temper. and II in a very German way
n beer or n wine Journey" Ito give
the German expression) often reminds
one In the small hours of what used
to be seen at the same time OF the
year in the ancient world, the days
seem to have passed by when It was
unsafe for q cabman to show himself
in the city before dawn, for fear Of
having some joker ride away OIL his
embarrassed Polly"
In those times the silk hat was
more worn than today. and still more
often was crushed in or thrown across
the street by some Of the more ram
pageOus. 1t is said that one could
then buy cheap edition of the silk
hat that had a gloss that would last
through the evening, and at price
that made its disappearance quite suf-
ferable.
Today such practical jokes have
dropped into the background. Berlin
and the rest of the empire indulge in
a celebration Of the New Year that
has something of tho French reveil.
lon, something of the Scottish festivi'
T., and also some reminders of April
Fools day and Gunpowder Plot day
in England, and the Chinese New
Years feast of Lanterns"
New Years day in Germany is the
day for sending the jokes and would
be jokes that are generally held over
until April l in France and England
cigars that might seem to be burn
ing, references to such rarities as the
peacock's eggs, and all the SELLS" that
can be thought of. Then, as the Eng
lish Of the North may eat toffee and
"parkin" on the eve of the 9Th Of
November, the Germans have special
fare of pancakes and jam, with punch.
The rattle reminds one Of the Orient.
II is the article of the day, or rather
of the night. Even the biggest stores
in the capital head their weekly cata-
iogue with list of the styles of rat
ties that they have to sell. and no
self-respecting Berllner is without one
when he sallies forth late in evening
10 make n round of the town before
saluting the emperor with the guard
In front OF the palace in the Lustgar-
ten ut nine o'clock.
The occasion also offers another ex-
ample of the extraordinary powers Of
endurance in the matter Of entertain.
ment that the Berliner possesses. Al
though business begins at eight, and
in some Offices even as early as half.
past seven, there are as many in the !
cafes between two and three in the |
as one would see, for exam.
pie, between one and two in Paris
a much moro lelsured city.
And on New Years eve the COM
pany does not go home to bed with
the milk, as in the French capital,
but sees 1t out until 1t is question
Df whether luncheon shall come be-
lore or after the sleep.
Supper In the better-known restau-
rants iii the center of Berlin and In
fine avenue OF Kur-
Is much on the lines of
The Paris reveillon. There is no men,
ion of the traditional "Boudin avec
,uroe de pommes," but in return the
pancakes and strip get their place.
md there is always some punch in
he making.
New Years eve is marked at the
'ourt of Vienna by u ceremony some
What reminiscent of Hamlet" with.
ut the chief character. The diplo-
matte body Is invited to the Hof-
urg to wish the emperor the compli-
1ents of the season, but his imperial 1
majesty never attends to receive ,
hem. Since the days of Maria Their.
sa II has been the custom for the
rand master Of the court to depu- ,
lie fer his sovereign on this occasion, I
nd no member of the imperial family ,
J ever present. !
This ceremony. which is commonly I
nown as the homage to Gessler's I
at, is SO strongly resented by some '
iplomats that they purposely absent G
from Vienna at this time Z
the year in order 10 evade 1t.
At Queens college. Oxford, besides S
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