A Prize Series for the Young People 
“ WHY I LOVE THE FARM.” 
“The Eldest 
Daughter.” 
HER RELATION TO THE HOME, 
HER INFLUENCE, 
HER AUTHORITY, 
HER DUTIES, 
HER PRIVILEGES. 
This competition is open to all the young people in 
the families of any of our subscribers, and to such 
only. We shall use three, possibly more, on each of 
the two topics, asking our readers to vote as to which 
is best. The best article thus selected on “ Why I 
Love the Farm,” will receive $5 ; the best on “The 
Eldest Daughter” will also receive $5 ; each of the 
others published, 82. 
CONDITIONS .—Writing must be with ink and dis¬ 
tinct; manuscripts not rolled, and limited to 800 words; 
name and address of sender at head of first page ; all 
manuscripts must be in our hands by April 29, 1893. 
Those accompanied by self-addressed, stamped envelopes 
will be returned, if unused. 
CHURCH DECORATION AT EASTER. 
I S it because flowers are in themselves a promise 
that they have come to typify resurrection to us ? 
We lay them in the hands of our dead as a type of our 
faith in future fruitage of our hopes in the garden of 
God; we twine them in the hair of the bride and 
smother the altar with them to show our joy in her 
joy, our hope in the glorious future to which the 
bright promise of her love testifies; we bank them 
about the chancel and twine green garlands of glad¬ 
ness at the Easter-tide because Christ is risen indeed 
and become the first-fruits of a promise. 
What a large part in the worship of Easter-day the 
fragrant blossoms and dainty or stately setting of 
greenery play 1 How many thousands are attracted 
to the churches by the flowers and the music, who 
perchance never enter a church on any other day of 
the year. Contrast the throngs that fill our churches 
on Easter-day with the worshipers but here and there 
at the time of Thanksgiving. There is by no means 
the effort put forth to brighten the life of the poor at 
the Easter-tide, which is so universal at the crowning 
of the year. Yet rich and poor throng to our churches 
now as they cannot be induced to then, is it only the 
flowers and the music that draw the multitude? Or is 
there a drawing power also in the pure Gospel of 
Christ, which is preached now as perhaps at no other 
season—aside from Christmas, of which Easter is but 
the flower ? Easter the perfect flower of Christmas ! 
He was born ; He died ; but He is risen indeed ! Let 
joy and gladness fill every heart ; let music and song 
and fragrance of flowers tell again and again the 
story. 
But there is necessarily a work-a day side to all 
this. In studying the elaborate decorative schemes 
evolved by modern professionals, one is often tempted 
to wonder why so much good material and work is 
wasted for such inartistic results. This, when tinsel 
and ribbon and oddities in basket-forms break in upon 
and injure the effect which flowers and greenery alone 
would give with half the effort. We are glad, there¬ 
fore, to see a better thought dominating the profes¬ 
sional mind, as indicated in a late number of the 
Florists’ Exchange. 
Especially in regard to Easter decorations, it says: 
“ At Easter time ribbons, fancy baskets and discord- 
ant-colored vases should not be used. We should con¬ 
fine ourselves to divine palms, graceful garlands and 
expressive flowers ; close attention should be paid to 
the style of architecture and permanent decorations 
of the church. It is only with a sense of humiliation 
and disgust that those who have the future of floral 
art at heart can witness its prostitution bj r the intro¬ 
ducing of monstrosities and miserable devices that are 
but subterfuges for ignorance or Shylockian motives.” 
“ Expressive flowers,” notice ! 
“ Beautiful flowers and graceful vines should ex¬ 
press our finer feelings, instead of dried and dyed 
expressionless designs.” 
Giving more definite ideas as to church decoration, 
the writer goes on to say : “ Flowers used in churches 
should be confined to the following colors : blue, pur¬ 
ple, yellow, red and white. If there is a gallery in tbe 
church, it affords a grand opportunity to create 
arcadic effects: along the front of the balcony arrange 
graceful garlands of wild smi'ax, allowing sprays to 
fall from the loops and hang two or three feet below 
the floor of the gallery. If short of wild smilax, loose 
sprays of hemlock can be introduced, small chamaerops 
palm plants may be placed at irregular, intervals along 
the top of the front of tbe balcony where the loops of 
garlands are caught up. Each side the sanctuary or 
main arch the finest Areca lutescens or other palms 
should be arranged as high as possible, placing a 
rhapis beneath ; here in wire stands, in the shape of 
steps, Lilium Harrisii plants may be massed, outlining 
the group and covering the pots with spiraea plants in 
bloom. 
“In the center of the altar and surrounding tbe 
tabernacle, vases of long-stemmed red roses or cannas 
could be arranged with garlands of the same inter- 
looped in front of the altar vases of lilies with fine 
sprays of asparagus arranged on each side, allowing 
some of the lilies to recline on the marble in front of 
the vase ; care should be taken not to have too much 
green on tbe altar, which should be decorated with 
flowers only. 
“ The sanctuary lamp affords an opportunity to 
create a pretty effect with some strings of asparagus 
and a few red roses. 
“The pulpit should be prettily draped with wild 
smilax, a broad, flat bunch of lilies in front, or droop¬ 
ing over the top. Another very effective design for 
pu!pit decoration is a square plaque of blue or purple 
cinerarias, with a broad cross of lilies in the center ; 
this should be placed in front of the pulpit on a back¬ 
ground of hemlock or wild smilax, no other flowers 
being near. The altar rail can be made very pretty 
wdth a little smilax and a few bunches of lilies. The 
choir gallery should be trimmed with wild smilax and 
a few dwarf palms. Church windows, with their fine 
purple stained glass, emphasize the beauty of a cluster 
of lilies and a little wild smilax reclining gracefully 
on the sill. Garlands of green should not be twisted 
round polished marble pillars, but where the marble 
and granite connect, or about thf» height of the pews, 
a neat band of hemlock garland could be placed. 
Another such band should encircle the top of the 
pillar immediately above the carving; from this small, 
delicate sprays of wild smilax should be suspended to 
make a loose and natural effect. The vestibule should 
be made cozy with a few nice conifer* in clean pots: 
the inner doorways can be made pretty with a frame 
of hemlock and wild smilax and a few Irish junipers.” 
Doubtless we have not quite done Mr. Dorian, the 
writer of the above, justice, in that we have not taken 
his elaborate scheme as a whole, but have selected, 
here and there, such points as may be especially help¬ 
ful to unprofessional decorators, and we are fully 
aware that in the greater number of churches outside 
the cities, the great mass of the stuff mentioned will 
be unobtainable. But we feel certain that the prin¬ 
ciples behind the plan may be adapted to almost 
any simple plan of decoration, without regard to 
the dearth of material. And it may be said also, that 
the principles apply not merely to the Easter season, 
but to church decoration at any and all times. 
EASTER FASHIONS. 
The Bonnets. —Since from time immemorial the mind 
of woman runneth in the direction of Easter bonnets 
and Easter gowning, some of the pr< sent offerings 
may be here noted : 
A long way back must tne mind of woman run in 
order to remember a season more lavish in variety, 
both of materials and styles. It is whispered that the 
summer hats w ill be more largely of chip than of any 
other material, and, indeed even now the shop win¬ 
dows are full of creations of every sort in this light 
and dainty material, as well as of the most int icate 
and bewildering variety of fancy straws. These last 
are more elaborate than even last year, which, it was 
thought, could not be surpassed, and nearly every bit 
of head-gear shows the preminent spring colors, not 
only in flowers and ribbons, but in itself. Many have 
black brims with colored crowns, and vice versa; many 
are composed of two colors of straw interwoven in 
fanciful styles; many are of a single shade, which may 
be pale green, or red, or pink, or heliotrope. One hat, 
of medium width of brim, showed pink and black fancy 
straw interwoven ; the trimming was mainly of pink 
flowers, with black lace in Alsacian style. The Alsa- 
cian bow may be said to be quite as prominent in 
spring hat and bonnet trimmings as it was throughout 
the winter, and its effect is achieved in ribbon, in 
lace, in fancy straw trimmings, and in bunches of 
foliage, such as grasses, etc.; even on the tiniest bon¬ 
nets it appears. Many more hats than usual are en 
tirely flat and crownless. These flat shapes are bent or 
cut until they take every fantastic or becoming shape, 
and the trimming is so disposed that one could never 
suspect them of lacking a crown. 
Pokes are not wanting, to accompany the 1830 
gowns; most of these have new touches which differ¬ 
entiate them from the pokes of our grandmothers. 
One, however, seen in one of the largest New York 
stores, might have been modeled after the old reed 
sun bonnet. If one of these were cut directly back¬ 
ward from just above the ears, and the cape and lower 
portion removed, the remnant would give the exact 
model of this new creation. It was of some delicate 
gauze or chiffon in old rose, shirred on reeds, with all 
the trimming massed low at the back, from beneath 
which sprang strings to pass under the chin of the 
fair wearer. She must be fair, for none other but a 
young and fair face would dare show itself under such 
an “overcoming” style. 
Easter Gowns. —Easter gowning, as showm in the 
shop windows, fully represents the chaotic state of 
the fashions. There are the soft and flowing Empire 
gowns, at which the sarcastic and unimpressionable 
man casts the epithet of “ Mother Hubbard.” And but 
for the soft sashes disposed in quaint styles, they might 
well merit the term. However, they are far the 
prettiest of anything now shown. 
In contrast to these is the big bell or umbrella skirt, 
5 to fij^yards around the bottom, lined with crinoline 
and trimmed with numberless rows of velvet ribbon, 
having the narrowest ribbon and the narrowest spaces 
at the bottom. A very large number of the women 
now getting new gowns are having at least one made 
with the crinoline, “just to try it.” Manufacturers 
of crinoline and newspapers which want to create a 
sensation are paying agents to patrol the streets in 
the crinoline garb ; and in spite of protest it looks as 
though the day of crinoline w r ere an assured thing. 
Hoops will naturally follow. Every dressmaker in 
and around New York asserts that crinoline it is to 
be. Yet the soft silks are still flooding the market, 
and a casual inquiry at a pattern store for the pattern 
of one or more Empire gowns, was met by a statement 
that the great call for these had taken all the stock 
laid in ! These will be almost entirely for home after¬ 
noon gowns and for evening wear. 
Wool materials are largely either of fancy weaves 
in self colors, or else shot or striped with silk in con¬ 
trasting shades. Needless to say that they are hand¬ 
some; and the prices per yard range in the dollars for 
most of the finest novelties. Yet, withal, there are 
the usual number of cheaper things, all exceedingly 
pretty. Heliotrope is combined with almost every 
shade, for early spring wear, the combination with 
green being especially ugly and also especially popu¬ 
lar. Green is seen everywhere, the very dark, and 
the pale sea-green being most attractive. Tinsel and 
ombre (shaded) effects are very common. 
Several dress patterns were seen in the ombre effect, 
the silk being woven of a width to suit the length of 
the skirt, and shading from a very pale tint at the 
waist, to very deep at the foot of the skirt, the last 
dark shading giving the effect of a border. 
A Frisky Easter Egg.—If not allowed to witness 
the evolution of this egg, the wee ones will be the 
more properly awed at its possibilities and perform¬ 
ances. Empty an egg shell by blowing out its con¬ 
tents ; in the larger end, holding your finger over the 
ho e in the small end meanwhile, pour a tablespoon¬ 
ful of fine shot; then clap your thumb over the hole 
the shot went in, reverse the egg, and pour in some 
melted wax or mutton suet, just enough to set the 
shot Baste a piece of paper over the hole in this end, 
and in the upper hole glue a little worsted tassel. 
Faint or ink a clownish head and body on the egg, 
and, when all is done, stand him on his head and he 
will do the rest. The performing- egg, if the clown 
behaves well, will be the success of the whole nestful 
of Easter tokens. 
One Easter Gift Of 1893.—One little woman has 
been casting about for a way to make Easter pleasant 
to an old lady with few friends Said old lady has to 
buy every fresh egg which graces her table. The 
simple scheme which presents itself is this: first, an 
inexpensive low basket; next, a lining of blood-red 
tissue paper heavily fringed: within, a dainty nest of 
creamy excelsior, in which nestle as many of the 
freshest, creamiest eggs (uncooked) as can be accom¬ 
modated. Each of these is to bear a message, w ise, 
thoughtful or witty, in gilding or harmonious color¬ 
ing; “ All Easter joy be yours!” “ List the music of 
the spheres; cut-a-cut!” “ I was laid to-day,” will be 
some of these Perhaps one will bear an etching of a 
downy chick just emerging from a goodly portion of 
shell, wdth the inscription—“Chick on th half-shell;” 
or “ Look for my Easter offering next year.” Others 
will suggest themselves later. A small bow of blood- 
red ribbon will brighten the basket handle and add to 
the festive air of the whole. The donor is sure to 
have a happy Easter, and the receiver of the little 
offering will have such a warm feeling about the heart, 
and will think everybody is so kind! It will pay. 
When Baby was sick, we gave her Castoria, 
When she was a Child, she cried for Castoria, 
When she became Miss, she clung to Castoria, 
When she had Children, she gave them Castoria. 
