314 EAMBLES OP A NATUEALIST. [Oh. XIX. 



with packets of red-paper cards in their hands, which they 

 left at the houses of their masters' acquaintance with a com- 

 plimentary message. 



Every one makes a point of being dressed in his best on 

 this day; and the man must be poor indeed who cannot 

 raise, for this occasion only, a passable costume — usually a 

 long coat, reaching down to the heels — even if he leaves it 

 in pawn for the rest of the year. The barbers are in great 

 request immediately previous to the festival, for every one 

 to-day is clean shaven. The "great majority of the people in 

 the streets are family groups ; and the greatest pride ap- 

 pears to be taken in decking out the children, more par- 

 ticularly the little girls, in the most gay and often the most 

 grotesque manner. The children of both sexes are rigged 

 out in the brightest colours, the little caps of the boys being 

 miracles of kaleidoscopic brilliancy ; while the girls' elaborate 

 dresses, ornamented and embroidered in scarlet, yellow, and 

 other striking colours, attract general attention. These little 

 dolls are usually perched upon " golden lilies," encased in 

 pretty little embroidered shoes ; and their head-dresses were 

 most carefully attended to, the hair well oiled, and brushed 

 from the middle into tightly plaited knots on either side of 

 the head, in which are twined gaily coloured flowers. Not 

 unfrequently a fillet was tied round the temples, from which 

 descended a deep fringe hanging half over the face. The 

 child's features also had not escaped decoration — the eye- 

 brows pencilled, and the cheeks rouged as highly as though 

 the unfortunate was suffering from a severe attack of scarlet 

 fever. Sometimes the rouge was nicely tinted on all over 

 the cheeks, and had a roguish, coquettish look ; but not \m- 

 frequently want of sldll, or of care, had been fain to rest 

 satisfied with a mere shapeless red daub on either side, 



