Western High School - Concept Yearbook (Auburn, MI)

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is also, in many places in Germany, the large May tree, the village May pole. Here we have a real German custom. It also is, as a rule, a birch or hemlock, only an especially large one is chosen for this purpose. By common consent of the whole parish, it is brought out of the woods and placed in the center of the village or in the market place of the city. The tree must be carefully guarded since the neighboring village seeks to carry it away. If they succeed in this, then it must be redeemed and then be brought back in solemn proces- sion. Almost always this tree is robbed of its branches, only it retains its top. ln these upper branches, ribbons, handkerchiefs, cakes, sausages, and other things are hung which the boys try to get down by climbing the tree. Around the Maytree a festal dance is also performed, in which no maiden of doubtful character is allowed to participate. Frequently this dance takes place under the village linden. In many districts of Germany, the May king plays a prominent part on Whitsunday. He is generally chosen by the Village youths or by the young men from out of their own circle, he is covered with fresh green, or dry foliage and is brought in solemn procession to the village. At his side stand the different servants of the king. Two of the most prominent young fellows in stately garb with white staffs lead the procession, music accompanies them. So they march into the village where they halt at the appointed place or before the village inn, During the procession, gifts have been everywhere collected for the king, which consist mostly of fruits, eggs, and mealp There are con- sumed in the evening by those present, for here, too, a dance and a banquet end the festivities. Besides the Mayking, the German people also have a Mayqueen. VVhile the customs which prevail in connection with the Mayking are somewhat coarse the delicate poetry of the German people is seen in the processions of the May queen. The maidens choose out of their midst the most beautiful one to be the queen, they adorn her with flowers and carry her through the streets of the village as they sing. Before every house they stop, the maidens form a circle around the queen, sing time-honored songs, and receive gifts. So the whole day passes with singing and music. In other localities, the Mayking and May- queen appear together, they are then called the bridal couple, and are con- ducted likewise in festive processions through the village. The Mayking who has been chosen by the young fellows, chooses his lviayqueen to whom he must devote himself for a whole year. Then in solemn assembly, the other marriage- able maidens are given away to honorable youths. Each one has to provide for his maiden the whole year, he has to take her to and bring her back from all fastivities. That is the cucstom everywhere in Thuringia, Hessen, West- phalia, and in the Rhine country. There is another custom according to which the maidens are united for a year with the boys who are the biggest bidders around the glowing May fire. ln the evening a dance takes place under a linden, the funds raised at the auction just mentioned are spent in drink. The maiden can refuse her purchaser during the first dance by means of a curtsy, but if she fastens a flower on his hat, she accepts him for the year. Here, too, much is made of the honor and purity of youths and maidens. The least stain on their honor excludes them from the festivities. This the German people even in their days of rejoicing never forget what they owe to their time honored chastity. fTranslated from German.l MARGARET MOLYNEAUX. 'U

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pepper box of'a VVidow Perkins? You didn't say that, now did you, Hull Parsons? and the widow's eyes and voice snapped fire all at once. The caller turned several different shades of red as he realized that he had struck the biggest snag he'd ever struck in any courting he had done, past or present. He laughed violently for a second or two, ran his hand through his hair, pulled his necktie, and tried to hang his hat on both knees at once, and finally lowering his voice to a confidential tone, he said: Now, Widdy, that's the Woman's way 0' puttin' it, you see. They've been jealous o' you all long, fur they knew where my mind wassot. I wouldn't married one o' them women for nothin, added the widower, with another hitch towards the ironing board. Huh! responded the widow, losing some of her anger. Spose all them women hadn't refused you, Hull Parsons, what then? They didn't refuse me, widdy, returned the widower trying to look sheepish, and dropping his voice an octave lower. Spose I hadn't oughter tell on 'em, but-er-can you keep a secret, widdy? Well, I ain't like the woman who can't, replied the widow shortly. Well, then I was the one who did the refusing-the hull gang went fer me right heavy, guess 'cause 'twas leap year, or thay was tryin' on me some o' their new women's ways, or somethin' like that. But my mind was so sot all along, ye see, widdy? And the Widow Perkins invited the Widower Parsons to stay to dinner because she thought she saw, AMMI KING. .3 .99 al May Day INTER is overg Nature has awakened and shines forth in fresh green, everywhere sounds the song of gay birds, paths and roads are again pass- able: May has come. No time is greeted so joyously as is May by the Germans who keep in very close touch with nature. They give expression to their joy in various amuse- ments, usages, and customs, which we find very much alike in all districts of Germany, and which, even today, live on and stir the hearts of the people as they stirred them in the early Middle Ages. One does not always find them occurring on the first of May. They have been connected, under the influence of the church, with a church feast-Whitsunday, which has, consequently, in many parts of the country, come to be a popular festival in the open air, the ecclesiastical nature of which is forgotten altogether. The most common of the May day customs is the bringing in and setting up of the May trees, a cus- tom which we find everywhere in the thirteenth century. On the first of May, or on Whitsunday, the members of a parish, the citizens of a city, or the mem- bers of a guild march into the woods to find May. Here they pull up young trees, mostly birchor hemlock, carry them home and plant them in front of the house or the stable. Frequently the May trees are carried from house to house with the singing of songs. The carriers, the so-called servants of May or Whitsuntide, ask for gifts such as sausage, bacon, eggs and the like in the different homes. In many parts of the country the young fellows set up the trees for the maidens. The devotion of the nation to the sense of honor and right comes to view here: a maiden who shows lickleness in love, or has been unchaste, or quarrelsome has a straw man or a dry tree set up before her door. This punishment for misconduct which is 'connected with the May tree, is found only among the Germans while the setting up of the May tree can also be found among the Latins and West Slavic people. Besides these May trees which are to this day brought by the traders to the city, and which are set up in front of the houses on Whitsunday eve, there

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v. A Letter from Germany Regina-Palast-Hotel, Maximiliansplatz, Munchen, July 23, 1912. My dear Folks all:- We have just arrived in Munchen and we are in a hotel that is really a Palast. Now the news since I wrote on Sunday. We did not go out that evening tSunday, July 213, because it rai11ed so hard. This gave us a chance to rest and write some. The next morning we left Mannheim at 9:12 for Heidelberg where we were to stay until one o'clock. This gave us a chance to see the old town of Heidelberg with its old castle ruins in particular. We took the street car from the station and after a while transferred to a. cog wheel car. This is built in the form of a stairway and is meant for carrying people up hills. At the top of the hill we got out and walked through the Schloss garden. Most of this is fallen down in ruins. In other places there are only the walls left. Again some parts are still unbroken. This is all covered with ivy and looks like a beautiful picture. The walls are very lovely and there could be no better place in the world to go for a walk. At one side there is a platform, and from this we looked down on the city as it lay on the bank of the Neckar River. There is a song: Alt Heidelberg du feine Du Stadt on Ehren reich, Vom Neckar und vom Rheine Kein andre ist dir gleichf' We think we would like to spend a long time here. At one o'clock on Monday we left Heidelberg for Nurnberg, the city famous for the cheapest toys and for the sweetest Lebkuchen. When we saw this town We thought we were living no more in the year 1912 but far back in 1200 or so. This is due to the fact that there are so many houses and churches still standing and in use that were built at that time. ln the early days, when one city was always at war with another, the cities had to protect themselves by walls and towers. Here in Nurmberg, perhaps one of the three oldest cities in Germany, we still see the wall. It is very thickg I don't know how thick. On this wall at perhaps each of the four corners, were four large watch towers. At different places on the wall there were 365 small towers. Through the wall there were 12 gateways. Then, no doubt, there was a drawbridge teine Zug- brucke.J We still cacn see the moat or ditch that used to be filled with water to still further protect the city. It is old, old, and one feels like staying many days instead of just a little more than half a day. We went to dinner today in a little bit of a place built up against a church, called the Bratwurst Glockle. Here people have come to eat Bratwurst and Sauerkraut for many hundred years. The sausages were just about the size of my little finger. They were very good. In addition, we had buns and beer. We spent most all the morning shopping and were very happy in doing it. Our hotel was a first class one. In fact, they have all been that with the exception of the on in Mannheim. There are always two single beds in our room, and a large marble- top wash stand with two bowls and pitchers. Mirrors galore! We are very well taken care of, indeed.. We get tired occasionally from seeing so many things, but we are learning so much and are so glad to see all we can. We left Nurnberg at 1:24 for Munchen today, and arrived at 4:42. If one wishes to learn the geography of a country, he must travel and see it with his own eyes. I told you in my last letter we had been following the Rhine- the landof grapes and wine. Today we left Nurnberg, the largest hop market in the world. We could see on the railroad trip to Munchen that we would no longer be offeded wine by the waiters who would say to us, Trinken die Damen etwas? All around us were fields of hops in orderly patches. So finally we arrived in Munchen, the land of beer. I am sorry to say that it does not taste very good to me. I still have to shiver when I take a swallow of beer as well as wine. Tonight we go to the Hofbrau for supper. Wednesday, July 24. This is Wednesday. I wrote the last sentence last night. We went tg 9,