The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1923-03-31

Grandmother, mother and Yreneli
ransack ali the boxes and trunks in
the attic for bits of colored fabrics
r. dye the children's Easter eggs
which will figure 50 c-onspicuously in
the egg contest on the last school day
before Easter. But at last they are
al eOlored, dozens Of them. and the
glad day arrives. It IS an exciting
event for old as well as young, and
they all 90 TO the school house to wit.
ness it.. Even father leaves his cows
and sheep long enough to indulge in
this pleasure.
Few Eggs Go the Limit
The teacher stands the children in
a row and then divides them into two
rows. Each child has a basket Of
eggs. At last the fateful momen ar
rives. Little hearts beat pit-a-pat as
the opponents egg is smartly tapped
against the one held aloft. Alas j!
4here is an omlnous crack which pro-
claims the rainbow-hued egg as the
weaker. Fortunately, there is always
one egg in the multitude that remains
intact despite the vicious raps and
taps, and the match-winner naturally
captures all the others. Old and
young are supremacy happy
That evening just after dusk there
is enacted a pretty little Easter tab
leau they have been anticipating.
Jean has been absent for more than
"a hours, and they suspect that he
has gone up the mountains with some
of the other Easter SWANS TO find his
chiltenbleume or counting flower. Be
hind the easement of her room Vreneli
awaits his arrival with a beating heart.
Suddenly she hears the soft yodeling
of a well loved voice. She discreetly
remains in the background, however,
until the shadow on the balcony
passes, then she throws open the
window and gathers from the sill the
precious ~star-shaped Edelweiss bloom,
trembling a bit still as she thinks Of
the dizzy heights he hazarded to OBJ
tain them for her. Well she knows
and eternity, and she knows, too, that
not far distant in the shadow of the
pine tree her Jean has had her answer
in that she has deigned TO gather
them TO her breast. She yodels her
welcome, whereupon he dashes for
ward with all the impetuousness of the
Swiss lover.
Formal Sign of Engagement.
IN addition to the counting flower
Jean has planted under her window
a young tree which he has gaily decked
with ribbons and blossoms. Vreneli is
now engaged. She invites Jean in. The
family crowd round the young pair
with congratulations, greatly i'm
pressed by all Jeans signs Of devotion
They all sit round in the fire poke
hour drinking from their jugs of milk
and eating Yreneli's cakes.
1T was not thus with another maid.
IN reminds the father. 81 knew her
and her lover well. She was wicked
and sent him up SO high a cliff that
he was dashed to death before he ever
found her chiltenbleume-"
Nor yet like the puppet hung in the
window Of Narda when I was young,
says mother. because she held her
head too high. looking for a match
outside U village"
Father looks at the tail grand
fathers clock, the same N that
mothers father used to look at when
he stayed TOO long. He does not mean
to be impolite, but tomorrow will be
Easter market day and they must all
get an early start for Lucerne. just
a few hours of sleep will be theirs.
then the candles will begin to flicker
throughout the valley and further up
the Alpine meadows. Jean departs, for
he is 10 join them on The morrow.
Grandmother and mother remain at
home. for their day of going a-larking
is past. They must live in their
memories aside from the weekly
church service and the fetes of their
hamlet. Women are not spoiled by
their men folk in Switzerland-after
they are married. There are cows
pigs. sheep, chickens and us2Glly
goats to feed; cooking, washing, iron
ing and mending TO be done; spading
gardening, planting, hoeing and weed
ing. and invariably embroidering and
weaving to exc out the family ex-
chequer.