Show i w ii iossa preparations for ealter out where the willows are bending low out where the flats drift to and fro all in the easter morning little brown birds in quiet neet twittering low neath mother s breast say spring Is coming let us eing our best early on easter morning just as I 1 was pondering in my mind as my good colored auntie would say bow I 1 would amuse the children in planning for easter polly my ing one dropped in and said lets have an old fashioned easter like we did when we were young but polly I 1 walled there was no egg trust then eggs 60 cents dozen and we had real hens and a real barn and we had mother s piece bag and everything that children now after this wall from my usually cheerful self polly gave me this outline which I 1 pass on ask just the neighborhood children say six or eight and save enough perfectly fresh eggs to allow two for each guest set the time on the saturday before easter from three to five and request each child boy as well as girl to bring an apron hide the eggs in nests hidden carefully behind the furniture and warn the little hunters to be most cautious in handling the eggs for they are to take them home for their easter breakfast it will be well to provide small handled baskets for each one tie a bow of yellow ribbon on those tor the boys and white for the girls they will make acceptable favors after the eggs are found tie on the aprons and go into the kitchen ft here squares of bright figured calico may be sewed tightly around somo of the eggs and dropped into a kettle of boil ing water tor a few minutes r these eggs will come out beautiful ly marked with the colors and pattern of the cloth upon them on some of the eggs stick little dabs of beeswax then drop in boiling cochineal water and the covered spots will remain white these spotted eggs were a great favorite in the olden days then we did not have specially prepared dyes and used onion skins for our yellow logwood chips for purple and oh es I 1 forgot to say that the calico pieces must be sure to be the kind in which the colors will run on the solidly colored eggs the names and simple designs may be traced with a sharp penknife blade I 1 well remember how I 1 used to cling to these wonderfully decorated sped mena until the odor was EO strong that mother would insist upon my up the sacred treasures when we used to go to grandea ailers the week before easter the rule was that each child had or keeps all the eggs found during the time beaw een wednesday and saturday time being up at noon on saturday we each carried out our own decorative scheme the most beautiful in our eyes being those ornamented with transfer pictures or to be accurate decalcomania work and a small child just informed me that they hav just such pictures now BO polly Is going to get some for this party they are great tun then we are going to make tho cutest place cards by gluing a halt of an egg shell on a yellow shaped card and mark a happy little face upon it with pen and ink the child s name to be written underneath these egg shell cards are aln tor concealing gifts to be presented on easter morning and are large enough to cover a gold piece a ring or even bright new pennies tor the children ot course the shells have to be brok en but they are easy to make and no one minds a bit of trouble at this season we are going to serve brown bread sandwiches with cocoa a wee yellow chick perched on each cup that Is all just enough to make it seem like a party easter monday party the easter dawn Is approaching and with it comes requests tor parties especially affairs or children who simply adore the bunny season I 1 must tell you how a mother of three Is to entertain at an all day easter monday party the guests being seven of the neighborhood children the in are written on egg shaped cards sealed with a violet paster or the dearest easter chick just coming out of the shell may be found among the seals or as the children call them the ages of the guests range from five to eight years A third floor chamber Is known as the children s room and it is to be prettily decorah ed with flowers and branches of bud ding fruit trees which ha e been placed in water for several days there should be a mass of blossoms on them by easter ten little hoops have been prepared thus for one of the games and each one Is to be wound with a colored tape the boy who can roll hla hoop twice around the room without letting it turn over will be awarded a bag of marbles and the little girl who accomplishes the same feat will have a dear little doll baby dressed all in white A substantial luncheon will be served at noon with the prettiest ta ble imaginable all glorious jonquille jon quills bunnies and fluffy yellow chicks A music box will play during the repast after luncheon the children are to decorate the eggs to take home mabama MERRI |