4

BIRTH-DAYS IN GERMANY.

on the contrary, rather of a simple, bready nature, although stuffed with sweet-meat. It is called 'stolle,' and is of a curious oblong form, swelling towards the centre. It is the same as that which is used at the Christmas festival, so reverently celebrated by all Germans; and is said to have been originally in the exact form of a child in swaddlingclothes; and, of course, to have been a type of the infant Saviour, or, Christ-kind, that is, Christ-child.'

"The fond veneration for the ceremony of the tree-the Bescherung, or Weinachtsbaum, which means 'Christmastree' and the almost child-like attachment felt by the simple-minded Germans for the maintenance of these observances, has, I confess, always tonched me extremely, as forming a part of their affectionate natures. We e may smile, perhaps, at the homely use to which they are sometimes converted, and at the serious and formal way in which the romance is occasionally turned into a commonplace occurrence; but no one can read the tender yearnings of some of their greatest literary men towards the simple usages of their childhood-days, and not sympathise with the gentle feeling."

"What do you mean by 'smiling at the homely use they make of them,' Mamma ?" asked William.

"Why, these birth-day presents are always understood to be great surprises to the receiver; but, as his means, and those of the givers of them, sometimes render it advisable that they should be useful gifts, rather than mere ornaments or luxuries, a difficulty in the point of selection not unfrequently happens, in order that the existing wants of the receiver of the presents may be accommodated, and yet, that the consistency of the surprise may be preserved. I remember, when at Leipzig, hearing a young lady say: 'I wonder what Mamma will put under my tree on my birth

BIRTH-DAYS IN FRANCE AND ITALY.

5

day, next Tuesday; I hope she won't give me a shawl; I want a new bonnet; I hope she will recollect how shabby my present one is. Perhaps my sister will remind her.' And in Berlin, young Kauffmann's mother, on his birthday, was congratulating herself that his 'last set had lasted so nicely till now;' when, to my amusement, I beheld under his birthday-tree, not only a pair of boots, but a set of new shirts! I have even heard of hints, and, what is more, of a list being dropped, where it was sure to fall into the right hands; so that there should be no chance of a mistake as to what gifts would prove most acceptable. In some parts of Germany, to have chocolate handed about among the guests, on the occasion of a birth-day, is considered an appropriate attention on the part of the lady of the house, or Hausfrau."

“It is rather curious," observed Mr. Warden, "to notice the different ways in which birth-days are 'kept' in various countries; and that they are almost always characteristic of the dispositions of the people themselves, which, indeed, most national observances naturally are. In Germany, for instance, we see these half-mystic ceremonials suggestive, and appealing to the imagination; while, in lighter and gayer France and Italy, we see processions, garlands of flowers, music, dancing, and heaps of presented nosegays. I remember, when sent, quite a little boy, to a school in France, that I might acquire an early and perfect command of that prevalent language in Europe, seeing the way in which my old schoolmaster's birth-day, or rather his 'nameday,' was kept; for, in most Catholic countries it is usual to keep the day in the calendar devoted to the particular Saint whose name each person bears, instead of the day on which he himself was born. So it was with Mons.

Bontemps, my old master. His Christian name being

6

BIRTH-DAYS IN FRANCE.

Pierre, the festival of his 'name-day' occurred on that of St. Peter, the 29th of June. At this delightful season of the year, flowers being, of course, in profusion, I remember that we boys were busily engaged for two or three days previously to the fête, in collecting large baskets of fieldflowers, to make the garlands, with which we literally covered the walls of the school-room."

"But is the surprise a part of the pleasure in France, as well as in Germany, Papa ?" said William; "because, if so, how did you get leave to go into the fields for so long a time without your master knowing what it was for ?"

"Oh, yes; the surprise is there likewise of the utmost importance; and it was amusing to see the utter blindness which seemed wholly to possess the old man during these days of grand preparation. I should rather say, it is amusing to me, now, to look back to it; for, at the time, though I thought it extraordinarily fortunate, yet I firmly believed that his not noticing our preparations was quite accidental. And when the important day arrived, too, I remember we used to intercede with his wife, or eldest daughter, to contrive some ingenious device, by which to decoy him away from home during the forenoon, so that we might have convenient time to arrange our flowery decorations on the walls of the school-room. With a grave and carefully-preserved unconsciousness of face, therefore, he used to leave us with a strict charge to prepare our lessons against his return; first claiming attention by his loud and dignified ‘Silence, Messieurs!' and ending by an earnest exhortation to be 'bien sages, mes enfans!' Then, upon his return, the expectant smile which lurked on his lips, half quenched by a grave apprehension lest, perchance, he might not have returned just a little too soon for the effect of the affair. But, no! there was the boy whose duty

BIRTH-DAY KEEPING.

7

it was to place the crown on his head, duly perched on a chair behind the door, ready to drop the coronal of margueritelles, or ox-eyed daisies, dog-roses, and honeysuckles, just upon the old man's head; there was the band ready to strike up a lively air; there were the scholars, all drawn up in ranks, to march towards him as he entered, each with an enormous bouquet, their prize-medals on their breasts, and presents in their hands, in the shape of offerings from their parents, of wine, cake, fruit, books, &c."

"How nice it must have been," said little George; "I wish I had been there; I wonder whether Papa ever was the boy that got up behind the door, Mary," added he, turning to his sister; for the children had by this time left the summer-house, and were following their parents through the garden to the breakfast-room.

66

Aye; but I am sure he was one of those who wore a medal; shouldn't you think so?" replied she.

"We English may, in our fancied superiority of gravity, talk of these things as trivial and childish," said Mr. Warden to his wife, as they walked on; "and despise the frivolity (as we call it) of our French neighbours, in magnifying trifles into important affairs; but we, in our conceit of wisdom, should be very sure that we do not substitute austerity and gloom for seriousness; and imagine that we are more intellectual in our pleasures, only because we are more dull. The fact is, they are the wisest social people who can create to themselves the largest amount and variety of pleasure without molesting the comfort and innocence of their neighbours; and my experience tells me that the French peasants have acquired a greater stock of this wisdom, than our own beloved countrymen."

"And now," continued Mr. Warden, "while Mamma and Lucy are preparing breakfast, put on your hat,

8

THE EXPECTED BIRTH-DAY GUESTS.

William, and we will walk up the hill to the London road, where I hope we shall meet with our old friend, Mr. Singleton, who promised to be down by the first coach."

"Oh! is he coming? I'm so glad; you know, we used to call him 'the good-natured gentleman,' Lucy, don't you remember ?"

"Yes; and who else do you expect to-day, Papa ?" asked she.

"Why, I hope we shall have Mr. and Mrs. Rose, whom Mamma has christened 'Amiability,' and 'Constant-kindness;' and Mr. Alexius, who, with his fine head for business, can nevertheless quote you Wordsworth's sonnets by the half-dozen together; and Mr. Broughton, with his sweet, humane wisdom, and extraordinary talent in telling anecdotes, and mimicking character (here little George clapped his hands). Then there will be Mr. Gathergem, whom Mamma calls 'the good enjoyer;' and his daughter Griselda, with her blushing cheeks, who can make a shirt and read Homer in the Greek; and the beloved of every one, dear Mrs. Newton, with her young heart and grey locks, will all be with us at dinner. Your friend, too, sweet Bessie Mountain, with her simple manners and sound understanding, and lily-and-rose complexion, will be sure to come over from the farm; and your godmamma, too, Lucy-Lucy England, whom Papa calls 'Sincere-eyes,' told me she would be with us early."

The young Wardens skipped for joy at hearing of so many dear friends coming, who, with the condescension of really clever people, always made themselves as entertaining to the tastes and capacities of the children, as to those of their parents. The boys now accompanied their father out, little Mary petitioning to be of the party. Their way lay through a narrow green lane that wound up a short