CHRISTMAS EVERY DAY
197
structed to undertake a quiet dismantling operation, but as soon
as he stretched out his hand and took the cork hammer from
one of the gnomes my aunt broke into such violent screaming that
the gnome was immediately given back his implement, the candles
were lighted and somewhat hastily but very loudly everyone began
to sing "Silent Night."
But the nights were no longer silent; groups of singing, youth–
ful revelers streamed through the city with trumpets and drums,
everything was covered with streamers and confetti, masked children
crowded the streets, fired guns, screamed, some sang as well, and a
private investigation showed that there were at least sixty thousand
cowboys and forty thousand gypsy princesses in our city : in short
it was Carnival, a holiday that is celebrated in our neighborhood
with as much enthusiasm as Christmas or even more. But my aunt
seemed blind and deaf: she deplored the carnival costumes that
inevitably appeared at this time in the wardrobes of our house–
hold; in a sad voice she lamented the decline of morals that caused
people even at Christmas to indulge in such disgraceful practices,
and when she discovered a toy balloon in Lucie's bedroom, a balloon
that had, to
be
sure, collapsed but nevertheless clearly showed a
white fool's cap painted on it, she broke into tears and besought
my uncle to put an end to these unholy activities.
They were forced to realize with horror that my aunt actually
believed it was still Christmas Eve. My uncle called a family council,
requested consideration for
his
wife in view of her extraordinary
state of mind, and at once got together an expedition to insure that
at least the evening celebration would be peacefully maintained.
While my aunt slept the decorations were taken down from the
old tree and placed on a new one, and her state of health continued
to be satisfactory.
Carnival, too, went by, spring came for fair; instead of "Come
Lovely May" one might properly have sung "Lovely M.ay, Thou
Art Here." June arrived. Four Christmas trees had already been
discarded and none of the newly summoned doctors could hold out
hope of improvement. My aunt remained firm. Even that inter–
nationally famous authority, Doctor Bless, had returned to his study,
shrugging his shoulders, after having pocketed an honorarium in the
