The Literary echo, and Pawcatuck advertiser. [volume] (Westerly, R.I.) 1851-1854, 1851-11-20
Apple-CutS.


Reader, did you ever attend an Apple.
cut one of the regular old-fashioned
mass convention apple-cuts' If you have
ever lived in new country, you are post
ed up on these matters How much of fun
and frollc-how many of right happy
hours There is something worth remem-
bering about the times we speak of. They
speak of youthful days and pleasures when
lads and lassies ran wild with unfettered
sport. "Snap 'em and catch 'em was
not minced in those days, of laughter and
kissing done by rule. And then what lots
OF 'em Every house and cabin gave up
its young until rude tenements were stuff
ed to the very punkin-poles. On horse
back and on foot they came; by singles
and by dozens Old bachelors and old
maids, stalwart young men, and beauteous
gentle ones with forms of real flesh and
blood of no childish dimensions. Nor
these alone. Even younger strata of lit
tie folks flooded in until every corner and
'' cubby hole was filled to it's utmost.
And then the wagging of tongues and the
ross-firing of tender glances commenced.
But We have no time to write history
of details now. The last tub-full was par
ed, pans, knives and pcalings quickly gath
cred up, all seated that could be after a
wash in the yard, and the pie was handed
around. And then a calm. All shrunk
from starting play. At last some wide
awake girl makes a bold attack upon fel-
low, and the next moment couple are
circling around them as they stand up on
the middle of the floor. The ring fills up.
From stairway bedside and chimney cor
ner they are snapped out, and round and
round they 60, over chairs, across the
hearth, pulling calico away, and tearing
coats from the boys, down on the floor and
again on the canter, until the whole scene
was one of glorious, joyous hubbub. How
some of those girls would run 1t was
neck's risk to catch 'em, but when they
did turn at bay, the way they surrendered
it makes our mouth water to think of it
it does. Then the ring was made and
strange matches were then made. "The
needles eye," sister Phebe," 4" old win
ter" " "scorn," "hunt the thimble,"
" blind mans buff" and thousand and
one good old pastimes, were entered into
with an energy and buoyancy of feeling
which wore the night swiftly on. They
even pressed the lady of the house into
the sport, and her matronly cheek was
calamity remembered by her young guests.
Little fellows reached eagerly up after the
hard-won reward of long chase after
some tall but light-footed girl, and long
legged gents stopped down upon plump
and painting specimens of sweetness not
{" long drawn out" But even apple-cuts
must come to an end, Things " " are
hustled IN, while bashful gallants stand in
ludicrous embarrassment with their hats
twirling in their hands. Trying times
Some are lucky and some unlucky There
is peeping under bonnets and an awk- {
ward crooking of elbows where tongues
cannot falter word. Hearts are broken
but to heal and be broken again. Others |
beat with strange and mysterious extacy,
at the sight of a familiar shawl or hood
while yet others older and more hardened
in the process of dreaming, breaking and
healing, 60 cozily home in the moonlight,
and by some open window in the home {
stead, append a second scene to tee mig hts
and talk and listen and {
and continue to talk and listen with {
heads SO near together, until shrill voice f
from the barn puts an end to dreams tn at i
are not all dreams. Younger fry mount J
the barwosts and make themselves merry|
over the conduct of the elder and more
advanced.
Commend us to an old-fas hioned, mass '
apple-cut for uproarous fun,
md healthy, unstinted kissing, in the t
good old days of yore. y Cayuga Chief /
'WHAT WE NK.'-One effect of the /