Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 2.djvu/41

 THE SWISS AND THEIR POLITICS 27

of the things that has impressed me most in Switzerland is the deep seriousness of their sentimental patriotism. In America we think we do well if we spend a part of one day in the celebration of our Independence. And those whom we call our more serious people are inclined to the opinion that even so much is a waste of time. During the two months of my stay in Geneva, six days and six nights, that is, one-tenth of the entire time, was devoted to patriotic celebration, and that too not on the part of the light and frivolous members of society, but of the most serious members of the community. In 1602, on the night of the 1 2th of December, a poor washerwoman who lived on the wall of the city was making soup when she discovered some soldiers of the Duke of Savoy in the act of scaling the wall. She hurled her soup upon them and raised the alarm, and the city was successfully defended. This gave rise to the three days' Festival of the Escalade, beginning December n. For days preceding the date there began to appear in the shop windows soup kettles done in chocolate and wood and all sorts of material bearing the date " 1602." Shop windows were filled with masks of all imaginable shapes. Cos- tumes were displayed, some of them very elegant and expensive, others cheap and fantastic. On the evening of the eleventh I went to the Circus, where with about eight thousand other peo- ple I sat for three hours in a freezing atmosphere witness- ing patriotic performances. I paid 60 cents for my seat, and I think it was an average price. Leading citizens of Geneva took part in the exercises, which consisted in short addresses, songs, marches, dances, while some of it resembled an Iowa College "winter gym." In one scene certain Austrians appeared and strutted up and down the stage in full armor. An equal number of Frenchmen also appeared in shining array. A little later the Swiss came in, whose stalwart muscles were covered only by natural skin and armed only by real war clubs. All performed together d LJ Indian clubs. By a str.mge coincidence the Austrians and French were sur- rounded by the Swiss, thrown upon their backs, their arms