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Mrs. Harrington first got the idea of dressing up and decorating eggs from a dressed up egg which someone gave her son as an Easter gift about twenty-one years ago. It was a nice egg, just that and nothing more. After looking it over carefully Mrs. Harrington decided that she could do better. So she set about at once to prove to herself that she was right. She was quite successful, for immediately her eggs attracted attention. Almost before she realized it they were sold and she had orders for others.

The very first order Mrs. Harrington got was from a woman who, after seeing her eggs, wanted an Amish (a religious sect whose members dress distinctively) family—a mother, father and a boy and girl. So Mrs. Harrington got to work and by the trial and error method worked until she got what she considered satisfactory results. Since then the Amish eggs have been her specialty although she makes a variety of other types.

So far the egg-dressing hobby has been a seasonal one, although Mrs. Harrington says she is considering working at it the year 'round since her Amish eggs are becoming so very popular. However, for the last twenty-one years she has pursued it only for the Easter season, just filling a few special orders in between. But having eggs ready for the Easter season means beginning several months before, because of the large quantities required. Over the twenty-one-year period of seasonal marketing Alice Harrington has decorated over 25,000 eggs. A few years ago she had a very big season, adorning 3,000 eggs for the Easter trade. Last year, a normal one, she decorated over 1,200. Most of Mrs. Harrington's eggs go to market—they are sold at stalls in two of the city's farmers markets. Others are sold to Mrs. Harrington's friends who, being delighted with them, send other customers to her. So it goes on and on, one sale brings another either at the markets or at her home.

GOING AS we did to Alice Harrington's home to see her eggs we were overwhelmed. In her living room, everywhere we looked there were finished eggs waiting to go to market. A large drop leaf table was loaded to capacity; a smaller table was covered with them. Books had been removed from the bookcase and replaced with eggs. As if that wasn't enough Mrs. Harrington opened the door to a bedroom. Yes, every available space was covered with eggs, ready for the markets. We saw so many different types of eggs that we felt a choice would be difficult to make. We say "eggs" but after seeing them, it is hard to think of the Amish and flappers as eggs; they look more like dolls.

Besides these two kinds there are bunnies, with their big ears; babies, with their bonnets made of lace doilies with bows of either blue or pink ribbons; Indians with their feathered headdresses; clowns, dogs, cats, etc. The dogs, cats, ducks and peep eggs are really decorated eggs made especially for children. The "dressed" eggs are bought with many different uses in mind. Some will be used for party favors, some as card prizes, some as gifts for adults or children and many are used to decorate what-not shelves.

All the faces are drawn free-hand and are original. The expressions on the faces are taken from people as Mrs. Harrington sees them. Expressions on the faces of the flappers vary; some are coy, some are flippant. Some of the Amish are cheerful, some downcast and some from behind spectacles have eyes that twinkle with a hint of calculation or bit of the "old Nick."

The hair-dos of the flappers are smart and modern. Their hats are gay, saucy affairs, some with flowers, some with feathers and ribbons, some with nose-tip veils. The hats are made of the cup-like parts of papier-mache egg cartons. After separating these "cups" from the carrier, Mrs. Harrington paints them in assorted colors. Then while they are still wet from the paint she shapes them into many different styles.

GETTING READY to work on a production basis involves a great deal of preparation. One day Alice Harrington will make a carton full of flapper hats. On the next she may work on Amish hats or bonnets. Another it may be collars, black ones for the Amish, colored ones for the others. By making this advance preparation she is then able to work in assembly line fashion as the Easter season draws near. When she has things all lined up, she begins boiling eggs. This is done in large quantities. We saw eggs heaped up in huge pans and by the basketful in her kitchen. She never buys her eggs in less than ten or twelve dozen lots, buying brown and white ones. The brown ones are used for the Indians and the Amish men, since they produce a bronzed look. After the eggs are hard boiled the faces are painted on them, the hair is added, then the hat and, last of all, the collar is put on. The collar is made of stout construction paper and acts as a stand to hold the egg. However, in the case of the Amish woman the collar is made of crepe paper and is more elaborate.

When Mrs. Harrington was first asked to make an Amish family she was in a quandary. She wondered how on earth she could do it and where she should begin. She got out her shears and began cutting patterns of the Amish woman's bonnet, which gave her much concern. Finally, by trial and error she achieved what she wanted. The Amishman's hat had her puzzled too for a time. She just didn't know what to use for the crown. Then suddenly she got an idea; a toilet paper roll would be just the proper diameter, and she could cut it the desired width. This she did, using construction paper for the brim and to cover the top and sides of the crown.

The hair created quite a problem too. At first Mrs. Harrington used human hair from an old switch she had on hand. This proved to be most unsatisfactory. It slipped around and was very hard to handle. Not being a person who was easily discouraged, Alice Harrington went to a doll hospital and got some goat's hair, which is used in the making of doll's wigs. This was just the thing; natural looking, with a lovely wave. So one by one the little problems were solved.

THE SUPPLIES needed to make these egg people are neither hard to get nor expensive. Eggs are naturally the basic need.

The other necessary materials are: A, good glue, library paste, show card paints—in assorted colors, brushes in various sizes, from medium to very, very fine, scissors, crepe paper, lace doilies, ribbons, odds and ends of beads and small flowers, little feathers, construction—black and assorted colors, old egg cartons, toilet paper rolls (which her friends save for her) goat's hair—blonde, brown, black, red, iron grey and white.

Although no one egg is ever complete at a time, let us pretend it is and do an egg, step by step, with Mrs. Harrington. Suppose we do an Amishman, since these eggs are so popular. The first thing to do, of course, is to get the egg. For the Amishman the egg should be a nice brownish one; it's important that he have a weathered look. Next the egg must be hard boiled, starting it in cold water to insure against "crackage."

When the egg is boiled and cooled it must be given a face. That's not as difficult as it sounds and with a bit of practice, as Mrs. Harrington says, one gets better and better at it. A very fine brush is used for this work and show card paints are used. Holding the egg with the pointed part down (for the chin), Mrs. Harrington puts two dabs of pink paint just about where the eyes and cheek bones should be. This gives our Amishman nice rosy cheeks and makes his eyes look very natural, the pinkish tinge giving them a bit of depth. Now at the upper part of each "dab" Mrs. Harrington makes an eye. She first outlines the eye with black paint, using an extra fine brush, then she fills in the outlined part with white. She next does the iris, either brown or blue, adding a dot of black for the pupil. Eye lashes and brows are added next. And, since our Amishman is not so young any more, a few strokes—done lightly, so that they barely show—are applied on the forehead, giving him wrinkles which will make him look his age. Now while she still has black paint on her brush Mrs. Harrington gives the Amishman a pair of steel-rimmed glasses (he wouldn't dare wear gold ones). Next a couple of strokes of red paint for nostrils and a pair of lips. This particular Amishman has a happy mouth although Mrs. Harrington makes some with unhappy ones.

At this point he is ready for some hair, and his is to be white. A little bit will do for a beard which will reach almost from one imaginary ear to the other, but not quite. The glue pot comes to the fore now to make his hair secure. The hair is arranged on his head so that he has a bang and a "Dutch cut," His traditional hat, the making of which we have already explained, is now pasted in place on his hair. Now he is ready for his collar. This collar, which is made of black construction paper, is cut so that when the ends are pasted together the diameter of the upper part is smaller than that of the bottom. This collar acts as a holder for the egg since the pointed end of the egg fits into the top of it. The flaired bottom makes it stand in a good substantial fashion. All other dressed eggs are made in this manner, except of course their hair-dos and hats.

ALICE HARRINGTON'S Amish families, which are typical of the Pennsylvania Dutch country where she lives, have been sent to all parts of America. They have even been sent across the oceans by people who purchased them for gifts to friends.

And the price of these unusual creations? Not at all what one would expect. The children's eggs—the bunnies, Indians, clowns, peeps, dogs, cats, etc. are 25 cents each. The babies, flappers and the Amish are 50 cents each.