Page:Journal of American Folklore vol. 12.djvu/160

 1 48 Journal of A merican Folk-Lore.

Johns Hopkins University. At this meeting the President, Dr. Henry Wood, who had been present at the meeting of the American Folk-Lore Society at Columbia College, gave an interesting report of that meeting, with a brief resume or thought from each paper presented, to which he added a word of his own. The second paper of the evening was presented by Dr. Charles C. Bombaugh on " Christmas Observances," in which he touched on the historical side of the question, besides bringing out many of the quaint and curious customs connected with the season. This was followed by a contribution from Mrs. John D. Early touching the same subject.

The January meeting was held on the 27th in the usual place. At this, an animal folk-tale was given in negro dialect by Miss Anne Virginia Cul- berthson, after which Dr. Henry Wood presented a most thoughtful and suggestive paper on " The Folk-Lore and the Literary Motive in Poe's House of Usher." Mrs. Robert M. Wylie followed him with a paper on " Street Cries of London."

At the February meeting, Mrs. Waller R. Bullock gave a paper on " The Onion in Folk-Lore " which was suggestive, and led up to discussion of the place of the onion and kindred subjects in folk-lore.

At the March meeting, a paper showing profound thought and careful study was presented by Rev. Charles James Wood, of York, Pa., the title being " Primitive Culture in the Mysteries of Eleusis."

There were three meetings in April. The first, which was held at the home of Mrs. John D. Early, was called for the election of officers for the ensuing year. Those already in office were reelected, after which a com- mittee was appointed to formulate plans for future work, these plans to be presented at a later meeting of the society. A paper was then read by Mrs. Waller R. Bullock, written by Miss Marion V. Dorsey, which she called " A Trace of the Taghairm." It gave the account of how an aged negro, by the use of the hide or skin, was believed to be able to foretell certain things.

The second meeting in April was held in McCoy Hall, Johns Hopkins University, and was an open meeting largely attended. The first paper was read by Prof. Paul Haupt on "The Cherubim and Seraphim," and was listened to with profound attention by an appreciative audience. Professor Haupt was followed by Dr. J. Walter Fewkes, who presented a most inter- esting paper on " The Altar of the Hopi Indians." This paper was illus- trated by stereopticon views and the graphophone.

The third meeting of the month was held at the home of Mrs. Waller R. Bullock, and was purely a business meeting, at which certain subjects were chosen for general discussion at the different meetings of the coming win- ter. Besides this, subjects were chosen to be studied in "groups " or com- mittees, while individual members pledged themselves to certain lines of work in connection with the collection of Maryland folk-lore now in hand. Arrangements are being made by which prizes may be offered in the schools for more folk-lore material, much interesting matter having already been collected through that source. Printed slips are also being prepared

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