(1865)
In the old days, when grandpapa was quite a little boy, and ran about in
little red breeches and a red coat, and a feather in his cap-for that’s the
costume the little boys wore in his time when they were dressed in their
best-many things were very different from what they are now. There was
often a good deal of show in the streets-show that we don’t see nowadays,
because it has been abolished as too old-fashioned. Still, it is very
interesting to hear grandfather tell about it.
It must really have been a gorgeous sight to behold, in those days, when
the shoemaker brought over the shield, when the court-house was changed.
The silken flag waved to and fro, on the shield itself a double eagle was
displayed, and a big boot; the youngest lads carried the “welcome,” and the
chest of the workmen’s guild, and their shirt-sleeves were adorned with red
and white ribbons; the elder ones carried drawn swords, each with a lemon
stuck on its point. There was a full band of music, and the most splendid of
all the instruments was the “bird,” as grandfather called the big stick with
the crescent on the top, and all manner of dingle-dangles hanging to it-a
perfect Turkish clatter of music. The stick was lifted high in the air, and
swung up and down till it jingled again, and quite dazzled one’s eyes when
the sun shone on all its glory of gold, and silver, and brass.
In front of the procession ran the Harlequin, dressed in clothes made of
all kinds of colored patches artfully sewn together, with a black face, and
bells on his head like a sledge horse. He beat the people with his bat, which
made a great clattering without hurting them, and the people would crowd
together and fall back, only to advance again the next moment. Little boys
and girls fell over their own toes into the gutter, old women dispensed digs
with their elbows, and looked sour, and took snuff. One laughed, another
chatted; the people thronged the windows and door-steps, and even all the
