VILLAGE LIFE
BANDA BELA found life with the pigs rather quiet in spite of the noise
his four-footed friends made, but he soon learned to know all the pigs
by name and to like them, dirty as they were, but he never grew fond of
them as Marushka did of the village geese. These followed her like a
great white army, as she led them beside the river. They seemed to
understand every word she said and would squawk in answer to her call,
and come with flapping wings across the field, whenever she spoke to
them.
So, too, would the storks who nested in the eaves of the houses, and it
was a funny sight to see the long-legged, top-heavy birds stalking
around after Marushka, until she gave them bits of her black bread, when
they would spread their great wings and fly off contentedly to their
nestlings in the eaves.
Marushka's hours at home were quite as busy as those she spent with the
geese, for Aszszony Semeyer was a noted housekeeper and did not intend
that any little girl under her care should grow up without learning to
do housework. Marushka learned to embroider, to sew, to mend, to clean
the floors and to cook. She was an apt pupil and it was not long before
she could cook even _turoscsusza_ as well as her teacher. _Turoscsusza_
is not easy to make. First one mixes a paste of rye and barley meal,
stirred up with salt and water. This is rolled out thin and cut into
little squares which are dropped quickly into boiling water, then taken
out, drained and put into a hot frying pan, with some curds and fried
bacon, and cooked over a hot fire. It takes practice to know just how
long it must be cooked to make it to perfection, and Marushka felt very
much encouraged when Aszszony Semeyer said to her at last:
"You can make it just as well as I can, child." The little girl knew
that no higher compliment could be paid her.
At Christmas time she learned to make the hazel-nut cakes which are so
deliciously good, and she and Banda Bela enjoyed the Christmas tree, the
first they had ever seen, and which is found in every peasant household
in Hungary. In the poorer cottages it is often but a little fir branch
decorated with bits of coloured tissue paper and a few candles, but
Aszszony Semeyer had a large tree, with all sorts of decorations and
presents for the children, who got up at five o'clock to see them,
though Marushka was very sleepy, for she had stayed up for the midnight
Mass on Christmas Eve. Banda Bela had first helped Aszszony Semeyer
"strew the straw," one of the quaint Christmas customs in this part of
Hungary, where the peasants strew fresh straw upon the floor and sit
upon it to insure their hens laying plenty of eggs during the coming
year. He also made up the "plenty brush," taking an onion for Aszszony
Semeyer, Marushka, and himself, with little bundles of hay and barley
ears tied with scarlet ribbon and laid upon the table. This will be sure
to bring plenty of onions, hay, and barley to the house during the year.
In order to keep off fire Banda Bela and Marushka had each taken some
beans on a plate and raced all around the _szvoba_,[10] touching the
wall with the plate, and they had given the pigs and the geese bits of
salt to bring them good luck.
Thus the winter passed busily and pleasantly for the two children. They
lived on simple but hearty fare. For breakfast there was _czibere_, made
by steeping black bread in water for three weeks until it soured, and
making this into soup by adding beaten eggs and sheep's milk. For dinner
they had often _goulash_ or _turoscsusza_ with vegetables or bread.
Marushka learned also to boil soap, to make candles, dry prunes, and
smoke sausages. She helped to cure the hams, crying bitterly over the
death of Banda Bela's little piggies. She churned and made cheese, much
of which was stored up for winter use, as were also many of the
vegetables from the little garden, which Banda Bela weeded and cared
for.
Both children helped to make the _slivovitza_, or plum brandy, of which
every Hungarian household must have some, and which is very good to
drink.
Right after Easter the children were invited to a wedding, and as Banda
Bela was to play for the _czardas_, Marushka was delighted.
One of the neighbours, just at the end of the village, had several
_élado leanyök_,[11] called this because in Hungary a bridegroom must
pay his father-in-law a good price if he wishes a wife. Sometimes a
peasant pays only twenty florins for his wife, but sometimes he has to
pay as much as two hundred florins.
The day before Irma's marriage, Lajos, the best man, came to the door of
Aszszony Semeyer's cottage. Bowing and taking off his hat, he said:
"Most humbly do I beg your pardon for my intrusion under your roof, but
I am deputed to politely invite you and your family to partake of a
morsel of food and drink a glass of wine, and to dance a measure
thereafter on the occasion of the wedding feast of the seed that has
grown up under their wings. Please bring with you knives, forks, and
plates."
Aszszony Semeyer accepted the invitation, and as Sömögyi Irma was a
Slövak girl, the marriage ceremonies were very different from those
which a Magyar maiden would have had.
The Slövak wedding is all arranged for by the best man. Of course the
young people have been lovers for some time and have plighted their
troth through the window on a moonlight night, but no one is supposed to
know about that. The lover and his friend, who is called the _staro
sta_, on a Saturday night go to the door of the lady's cottage and say:
"Good friends, we have lost our way. In the king's behalf we seek a
star." At this the girl hastily leaves the room and the _staro sta_
exclaims:
"Behold! There is the star for which we seek. May we go and seek her? We
have flowers with us to deck her, flowers fair as those which Adam bound
upon the brow of Eve in the Garden."
"I will call her back," says the bride's father, and the girl returns to
smilingly accept the _staro sta's_ flowers, and his offer of marriage
for his friend. The flowers are distributed, speeches are made, and
everybody drinks the health of the betrothed pair in _slivovitza_,
binding their hands together with a handkerchief.
The night before the wedding there is a cake dance, when the _czardas_
is danced, the wedding cake is displayed, and everybody cries, laughs,
and puts a bit of money into a plate to help toward the wedding
expenses, for the wedding feast must last two days, and it costs a great
deal of money.
Irma's feast was very fine, for her father was village magistrate and
could afford to make her marriage quite a social event. Even the
High-Born Baron and Baroness from the great house came, and Marushka was
delighted to see them, for she had heard the little peasant girls tell
how kind the Baron was, and how beautiful his wife.
The High-Born Baron danced the _czardas_ with the bride and the
High-Born Baroness trod the measures with the bridegroom, and Marushka
could hardly keep her eyes off the Baroness. Her eyes were soft and
brown, her teeth white as little pearls, her complexion a soft olive
with rose-hued cheeks, her hair blue-black, soft and fine, waving about
her face and piled high with roses at each side above her ears. Her
dress was of brocaded silk, the bodice trimmed with pearls, the large
sleeves filmy with laces almost as fine as those she might have worn to
court. Hungarian women love fine clothes and dress beautifully and the
High-Born Baroness wished to pay honor to Sömögyi Vazul, for he had
served the Baron's house and his father's before him.
The Baron wore his handsomest uniform, top boots, embroidered coat and
magnificent cloak, trimmed in gold braid and buttons, and it was a proud
moment in Irma's life when he put his hand upon her elbow and led her
out to dance the quaint dance of the Hungarians, with its slow movement
gradually growing faster and faster until it ends in a regular whirl.
Banda Bela played his best and the _czardas_ of Irma's wedding was long
talked of in the village as the most beautiful which had ever been
danced. Then the High-Born Baron spoke to his wife and she smiled and
nodded her head and asked Banda Bela if he could play the accompaniment
to any of the folk-songs.
"Yes, Your Graciousness," he answered, "to any one of them."
"Then I will sing for you," said the Baroness, and a rustle of
expectancy went round the _'szvoba_, for it was well known in the
village that the High-Born Graciousness was a famous singer and had
often been asked to sing to the King. She sang the little folk-song
which every Hungarian knows.
"How late the summer stars arise!
My love for thee was late in rising too.
But what of that, or aught, to me?
Why is thy glance so icy cold?
My heart burns hot with love for thee!"
Her voice was tender and sad like that of all the Magyar women, and
Marushka thought she had never heard anything so beautiful as the song
to which Banda Bela's notes added a perfect accompaniment.
Then the wedding cakes were passed about, and the little girl had her
full share. Banda Bela rejoiced in the present of a silver piece from
the Baron.
"Who is this child?" demanded the Baroness, attracted by Marushka's fair
hair amidst the dark-haired little Magyars and Slövaks.
"A little one adopted by Aszszony Semeyer," replied the magistrate, "as
is also the Gypsy boy who played for you."
"She does not look like a Gypsy child," said the Baroness, knitting her
brows a little. "She reminds me of some one I have seen--" as Marushka
smiled up at her and made her a quaint little peasant's courtesy with
more than peasant's grace.
[Illustration: "'WHO IS THIS CHILD?' DEMANDED THE BARONESS"]
FOOTNOTES:
[10] Room.
[11] Salable daughters.