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RIXbAU II YW UUUUIt'9, JliaDi va ayess
I bunnies, candy bunnies and bun
one with Kay ribbons tied round
their neck and all come to town
in bonor of Easter!
What have bunnlea to do with Easter,
anyway?
Well, It's a story that reaches a long
way back. Centuries and centuries ago,
authorities tell us, when the world was a
great deal younger than It Is today, and
when Its primitive dwellers reveled In
myth and fable, the untutored peoples of
the. tiny British Isle worshiped the god
dess Eostre, whs seemed to have been
nearly allied In character to the Aurora
of Roman mythology. Just as Aurora,
sometimes portrayed seated In a rosy
chariot drawn by two horses, was believed
to be the "forerunner of the sun," so In
very truth Eostre, fabled goddess, proved to
be forerunner of that true Sun of Chris
tianity which has so enlightened thi earth.
Belief .In her paved the way for belief In tie
tory of the resurrection.
The Teutons worshiped the same god-
dess under the slightly different name of
Ostran. Writing of her, Jacob Grimm de
fines the meaning of her name as "the
divinity of the radiant dawn, of upsprlng
ing light, a spectacle that brings Joy and
blessing, and whose meaning would be
easily adapted to the resurrection day of
the Christian God." '
The German Mythology of Holtsmann
refers to the goddess Ostara, and contains
this passage: - - 1
"The Easter hare is unintelligible to me,
but probably the hare was the sacred an
imal of Ostara."
Four other authorities concur In this
opinion, practically establishing it, and
making it clear that the hare and not the
rabbit was at first associated with Easter.
The two animals, of the same family and
so closely resembling each other In every
particular except In size, have doubtless
become confused with each other in the
minds of many succeeding generations.
We all know that the mistletoe and Yule
log, which we consider indispensable to
proper celebration of the birth of Christ,
are in truth but the lingering remains of
the superstltulous ceremonies of the
Druids. What more natural than that the
worshipers of the goddess Ostara; or Eostre,
blended the thought of her radiant per
sonality with the new conception of the
resurrection dawn? What more likely than
that In Ignorant but sincere fashion they
sought to worship the Christ after the same
manner as they had worshiped the goddess?
This Is considered, at all events, to be the
explanation of how the bare or rabbit, erst
while sacred' to the heathen goddess, came
to be so closely associated with our sublime
Christian festival.
Bede, the historian of the seventh cen
tury, gives It as his opinion that the name
Easter Is derived from that of Eostre, and
also explains after the same manner that
April, in the language of the Britains, was
"Esturmonath," or the "Month of Eostre."
- The hare, of which the rabbit has un
doubtedly in many cases been made the
representative, has been held sacred, or at
east accredited with supernatural charac
teristics la many lands and times. From
China to Peru it has been given honor.
There la a myth of the Great Hare f the
Algtnqulns, which has been generally be
lleved In through the North American con
tinent. Hottentots, Greenlanders, Welsh
and the natives of Finland, so opposite la
racial characteristics, bad this In common
that they abstained from partaking of ths
hum's flesh aa food, because of its sacred
ness. The black broth of the Spartans was
brewed from "the blood and bowels" of a
hare. The Irish kings who occupied the
throne of Tara were supposed to derive
peculiar benefit from eating the "bares of
Naas." which was a privilege accorded only
to them as royal.
Both Orient and Occident make the hare
(he central figure of spring festivals. Thus
the Chinese observe a Moon Festival. They
claim that the spots on the face of the
moon delineate the figure of a hare, and
annually keep the fast of Yue Ping (loaves
of the moon), a custom dating back to ex
treme antlo jity. The day is one of general
merry-making. Little cakes, on each of
which is stamped the figure of a hare
couched among trees, symbolic of the moon,
are exchanged among acquaintances. Thta
custom seems directly akin to ours of ex
changing gift im the form of rabbits.
Costly and Effective Decorations Used, by Modern Merchants
; ti -'rmvr-' - fi- .:timk:r: h'Ktw v
; v & JiiK hi" jt , ar.tr
i . f J . v .. j -;-.. f r ; A j- .
BEAUTIFUL EASTER DISPLAY IN THE WINDOWS OF THE NEBRASKA CLOTHING COM PANT.
"HHH MOST nnsppreclatlve and
prosaic Individual is always im
.. pressed with the good cheer of
the Eastertide, when nature
and humanity emerge from the
gloomy habiliments of winter into those
of the youdg spring time, with its beauty
of flowers and freshness, the Joyous carols
of the returning birds and good nature is
rampant. The eye loves to feast on na
ture's prodigality of beauty, and art im
pressed with its example outvies itself
to give to human, and especially feminine,
adornment that quality which thrills and
enthuses. Hence the Easter displays are
always' watched with eager eyes and
artists of costumery are at their best, and
nowhere has these efforts found a greater
perfection than in the display windows of
the Nebraska Clothing company, at the
corner of Farnam and Fifteenth streets.
At the background of the display windows
are numerous mirrors framed in harmonious
coloring with the general artistic effect of
the charming costumes, and other window
adornments, thus reflecting and re-reflecting
them into a confusion of bewildering
beauty that Is indescribable other tbnu tn
aee and admire. Beautiful au.1 symmetrical
wax figures of women In artistic and grace
ful poses are costumed with royal elegance,
and stand in front of an exceedingly pretty
and artistic series of framework in white,
delicate and graceful, over which is en
twined roses, lilies and apple blossoms,
with a sufficient coloring of fresh green
leaves to make the general effect a most
delljhtful one.
The costumes are imported ones and are
the acme of the modiste's art. One, a
black French voile, trimmed with cluny
lace, with French blouse, postillion back,
la a most charming creation. Another Is a
tunic skirt of French voile, blouse Jacket
with coat and skirt trimmed with cluny
lace.
Another beautiful fancy in ladles' cos
tumery a black lace costume over white
silk, which Is extremely rich and elegant
In Its conception and design. All of these
costumes are imported sample garments
and are not excelled in their elegant beauty
by any ever rhown In the west, and cer
tainly not in Omaha. Then there are other'
costumes of equal beauty, but less expen
rive elaboration that are most attractive'
and aro in receipt of constant admiration.
There Is also an . extremely fine display
of Imported samples of waists of crepe de
chine that are unequaled by any shown
in the city.
The display Is in all respects a most
charming one and reflects the highest
credit upon the Nebraska Clothing com
pany, and especially to Mr. H. II. Hawlcy,
the trimmer of the Nebraska Clothing com
pany, under whose direction and artlstlo
supervision the work of decoration was
accomplished.
at length detected and acknowledged. Only
In recent years has it been learned that
the pronoun "its" occurs but two or three
times in the acknowledged works of
Shakespeare. Had this fact been known
in Ireland's time his frequent use of he
word would have exposed him. New York
Press.
Out of His Sphere
Ireland's Forgeries
I hear that a millionaire In this city Is
negotiating for a copy of the Ireland for
geries, those famous documents, alleged to
be the writings of Shakespeare, put forth
by a youth of 19 of the name of W.
II. Ireland. The chief forgery was en
titled "M'scellaneous Papers and Instru
ments, under the hand end seal of WUUsm
Ehakespearc; Including the 'Tragedy of
King Lear,' and a small fragment rf 'Ham
let.' from the original." His p!ey. "Vortl
gern and Rowena," was palmed eff as
Ehskespcsre'e, snd actually p-odue'd at t'.e
Drury Lane theater in 1716. The fraud was
A lonely malo stood on the floor of a
great dry goods bazaar when a female
crowd came surging up, gathered from near
end far. These fslr ones gazed at hint
scornfully with looks that wither and
Rlifig. till the poor male despised himself
for a base, superfluous thing. He was
called wise by other men and reckoned
among the great; homage they had laid at
his foet as governor of tbo etat?. But there
alone Sn that female crowd he stood like
a trembling slave a focus for eyes that
pierced the soul and longed for the peace
ful grave. Oh, a male may acquire great
renown and such honors as men can give,
hut if caught In a feicai shopping crowd he
will feel too small '.o live. Chlcuga News.
