The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1914-12-30

DTdllOuS luOlO IL
keeping with the passing of a year Of
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 v in Ber-
lin was a time that might have glad
dened the heart of the most exuber-
ant undergraduate, being from dusk to
dawn a succession of practical jokes
and good-natured raging" But now
adays the town shows a more sedate
temper, and if in a very German way
a beer or a 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 a cabman to show himself
in the city before dawn, for fear of
having some joker ride away on 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
&the6 buy a cheap edition of the silk
MAT that had a gloss that would last
through the evening, and at a 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
q celebration Of the New Year that
has something of the French reveil-
lon, something of the Scottish festivi-
ty, 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 e
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 n
.'parkin" on the eve Of the 9th OF
November, the Germans have a 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-
lcgue with a list Of the styles of a t
ties that they have to sell, and no
self-respecting Berliner is without n
when he sallies forth late in evening
to make a round of the town before
saluting the emperor with the guard
in front of the palace in the Lustgar-
ten! at 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
Gates between two and three In the
morning as one would see, for exam.
ple. between n and two in Paris
a much more leisured 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 it out until 1t Is a question
of whether luncheon shall come be-
fore or after the sleep.
Supper in the better-known restau-
rants in the center Of Berlin and in
Charlottenburg's fine avenue of Kur-
~furstendamm is much on the lines of
the Paris reveillon. There is. nc
ton OF the traditional "Boudin ave
PURGE de pommes," but in re.urn the
pancakes and strip get their place,
and there Is always some puI-h in
the making.
New Years eve Is marked at the
Court Of Vienna by a ceremony some
what reminiscent Of Hamlet" with
out the chief character. The diplo-
matte body is invited to the Hof-
burg to wish the emperor the compli-
ments of the season, but his imperial
majesty never attends to receive
them. Since the days of Maria Their
esa 1t has been the custom for the
grand master of the court to depu-
tie for his sovereign on this occasion,
and no member of the imperial family
is ever present.
This ceremony, which Is commonly
known as "the homage to Gessler's
hat" is SO strongly resented by some
diplomats that they purposely absent
themselves from Vienna at this time
Of the year in order to evade it.
1t Queens college. Oxford, besides