Celebration of the Emperor's Birthday in St. Leonhard in Passeier

Tyrol and Vorarlberg.

St. Leonhard in Passeier, 13 Feb. Here in Passeier, too, people did not fail to celebrate the birthday of the best of emperors yesterday with dignity and the heartiest cheerfulness. An unusual hurricane, roaring as if it wished to shake the very foundations of the Jaufen, prevented the firing of the mortars; instead, however, the festively adorned school children marched with their flags through all the streets of the main village as early as the morning, proclaiming to the valley through their unanimous, continuous viva to whom this day was dedicated. At the solemn High Mass and the subsequent Te Deum led by the dean, the church was filled with the personnel of the provincial court, all the local dignitaries, and pupils, alongside a large crowd of people; proof that the inhabitants of the valley, who distinguished themselves in times of struggle for sovereign and fatherland, also remember their mildest ruler with blessings in days of peace. The rest of the day passed amidst everyone's daily affairs, but in the evening a gathering of Imperial-Royal officials, clergy from the immediate surroundings, and several dignitaries—among them worthy comrades-in-arms of the Passeier martyr, Andreas Hofer—formed in his inn at the Sand. Concord and lively spirits, heartfelt toasts offered to the most illustrious imperial house amidst blasts of trumpets, and folk songs dedicated to the memory of past days seasoned the rustic feast; only one person was missed—the honest innkeeper, and beneath many an eyelash a tear of remembrance was secretly wiped away.