Page:The Granite Monthly Volume 10.djvu/35

 Early Manners and Customs. 25

dried apple are festooned oveihead ; story" was just as old then as now.

while groups of wooden candle-sticks At luiskings the blind god is impris-

nre nailed to the rafters. A huge oncd in the ear of red corn, the lirst

pile of corn extends the length of the fnuler being entitled thereby to kiss

kitchen ; and now the company Ix'gin whoever he chooses,

to arrive, on foot and on horseI)ack, l>ut the yellow corn lays bare of

the young man sitting in front, his girl iiusks now, and many hands make

behind him on a pillion. High tones liglit work of clearing the long

and merriment usher in eacii party, kitchen for the dance. Black Pelham

and jokes, making up in laughtei- mounts the stool on the table, tunes

what they lack in wit, fly about the his fiddle and rosins his bow, while

room. Homespun, that one year the cou[)les range themselves in long

covers the sheep, and the next, its lines down the kitclien : and then the

owner, sets well if not easily on the dance begins Agility and s[)eed

young man. His shirt collar, of took the place of grace in those days,

home-made linen, is uncomfortably and the ligiitest dancer was reckoned

high and stiff, as the red, tortured the best, — he who could spring

ears plainlv show (but what will one straiglit upward over a foot, keeping

not undergo to be well dressed !) ; time to the music, being a fine one iu-

a buff vest gleams in front, while a deed. It once happened that a young

swallow-tailed coat, from the pocket man sprang so high that he got en-

of which dangles a colored handker- tangled in the strings of dried apple,

chief, adorns the wearer; small-clothes and brought several yards of it on to

and buckled shoes complete the cos- the floor.

tume, — unless I speak of the hair, The husking ends early, and the

which is combed straight back to end young peo[)le go home none the worse

in a queue behind. Stout, honest, and for their frolic.

merry, the delicate beau of to-day can- The quilting was an afternoon not compare with these "sparks" of a festival for the matrons and maidens, bygone generation. And the girls, — ending by the men's coming to shake white-necked, rosy-cheeked, briglit- the quilt, to eat supper with them, eyed, and jolly, in their short-waist- and, sometimes, to dance awhile ed, scant-skirted, big-sleeved, linsey- afterwards. The quilt was pieced of woolsey gowns, with stout shoes, hair home-made flannel, dyed with indigo, braided high and with ornaments of mulberry, or madder, and stuffed gold beads or a silver comb ! What with wool. The writer of this chap- noble-hearted matrons they made, ter has an old quilt of this descrip- and how we honor these great-grand- tion, which has been handed down mothers of ours ! But the}' are not through several generations, taking a peep into futurity, nor at us. The apple-bee was another sober their unworthy descendants, but are festival ; but the junket was without sitting in couples around the heaped- work, and a more ambitious one, oc- up corn, singing old ditties, cracking casionally taking place at the " tav- jokes, sipping home-made cider, and ern stand." whispering love, — for the "old, old Training-day was a piece of mill-

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