The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1845-10-17
ENGLISH HARVEST sUsyOu.
BY PROFESSOR WILSON.

hand, called the Rush bearing, Tor
which all the maidenS in the parish
about Lucy and Rutl's age, and in
deed much younger, had been ma
king preparations. The origin of
this rite, evidently of religious ma
ture, is not distinctly known, but its
celebration is, with good reason,
supposed to be Thanksgiving for
the hay harvest.--It takes place in
most districts fWeStmoreland, near
the end of July, when the hay fields
are beginning to get green again
with the after grass, and a season al
most of comparative inactivity inter-
venes between it and the first week
of September, when the corn fields
are yellow for the sickle. Being a
sacred institution, the Rush Bearing,
beautiful sight as it is, partakes Of a
somewhat solemn character; and
although no prayers are said, no
hymns are sung, but all is silent, and
the very meaning ofthe rite obscure,
yet at its close, nothing like amuse-
ment or recreation occurs-nothing
to break the spirit of a ceremonial
which piously regards the gratitude
of the creature, and the bounty of
the Creator.
In the parish Of EIlesmere, the
Rush Bearing had, from time imme-
mortal, been observed with more
than ordinary attention.. The good
vicar-which is not usual in other
places-always took upon himself
the arrangement Of the procession.
The children all met at the vicarage,
each provided with her Aower-gar-
land, dressed in white, and adorned
with ribbands, whose colors gay, and
sometimes even garish, were, not
outstanding, pleasant to behold in
that infant band. Nothing whatever
was worn OH the head, but every
ringlet flowed free and unconfned.
Ranked according to their height,
the innocent creatures walked two
by two, with their -garlands
in their hands and thus the process
sion moved, silent as a dream, to-
wards the solitary chapel.-Lucy
and her cousin Martha walked side
by side; and it was upon this day
that they might be said to have be-
gun to love one another with a sis
terly afecticn.-Evcry heart was
happy, it knew not why, for every
child that walked in that fair array
felt the beauty of that whole of
which itself made part; and one
spirit Of harmonious feeling prevail
ed the living chain, from the two
leading maidcnS now on the verge
Of woman, to the last two small crea-
lures of FIVE summers, who were Of
ten scarcely able to keep up with
the slow pace of the procession.
The birds kept flying from bough to
bough as the Rush Bearing passed
through the coppice woods, and in
every quiet pasture the lambs frisk-
ed among their knobs. The chapel
door was open, and in went the
quiet SiSterhood to deposit their
ilower-garlands on the pews, the
pulpit, and the altar.
In few minutes, the interior Of
the chapel, which, with its dark oak
furniture, stained walls, and low
RATED roof, was perhaps somewhat
gloomy, glowed with thousand
bright and gorgeous colorS. Many
Of the garlands had been framed
with much taste, Of garden flowers
both rich and rare, but indeed it is
not possible to join together a multi
tude of blossoms and buds, and flow
ers and leaves, without the aggre-
gate being most beautiful. The
Rush Bearers themsclvcs-a name
originating in another custom, now
disused-could not help cycling, with
delighted wouder, the splendid show
of their distributed garlands; and
then arranged as before, they reye-
rently left the chapel, and returned
to the vicarage. There, beneath the
solemn shadow Of that ancient yew-
tree, the wears wife had set our ia
bles Of simple viands-thc same ia
bles at which merry haymakers had
taken their meals. The vicar blees-
ed the bread and fruit; and when
the repast was over, some Of the ell
der maidens sung a hymn. Ruth
Colinson whispered TO her father
that Lucy would sing one of the
psalms used at the kirk of Ilolylee ;
and leaf would have been heard TO
fall willie she warbled---
'rhiu,vc martyrs. worthy # lhcramc.'
The sun was setting in all his
glory; and Agnes, who was now
strong enough sometimes to leave
her bed, had been for a short time
sitting at the window, of which
Charles ventured to open a few
panes, just as Lucy began to sing by
herself
sI'be l,eri's nv shepheul IN moi want.