Lewistown gazette. [volume] (Lewistown, Pa.) 1843-1944, 1852-10-08
Vol xxxvH-WhoIe No. 1895.

troop of young men and maidens, strip
ping from the bright ears of grain their
leafy covering, amid laughter, music and
the mingling of sweet voices as of old,
mere labor comes in too often to perform
the service, and silently and coldly does
the work. Yet, here and there, farmer.
who cannot forget the pleasant times when
he was young, sends forth his annual
summons after the maize harvest is gather
ed, and then comes merrymaking for old
and young that is enjoyed in way never
TO be forgotten.
Old Ephraim Bradley was man ofthis
school. If his head grew white under the
falling SHOWS of many winters, the grass
was fresh and green, and the flowers ever
blooming on his heart. With him, the
annual 'husking' was never omitted. 1t
was, like Christmas and Thanksgiving al
most a sacred thing, half involving sin in
its omisson.
Kate Mayflower,} a wild romp of girl
from Boston-at least some in the city
regarded her as such-was spending few
weeks in D, when invitations came TO
attend husking party at Ephraim Brad
ley's. The old man lived some three miles
from the village. Kate had heard about
husking parties, and her young spirits
leaped up when the announcement was
made that one was TO be held in the neigh
borhood, and that she was invited 10 be
present. Ii was a trolic that from all she
had heard, would just suit her tempera-
ment, and she set off, when the time camel
TO make one of the party, in the merrest
possible mood.
Evening had closed in on the arrival
of the party from D, who quickly
Joined some score or two of Young people
in the large kitchen, where lay heaped up
in the centre huge pile of Indian corn.
'All that to be husked" whispered Kate,
as she entered the room.
'Oh, yes all that and more perhaps
was the smiling reply. = We have come to
work you know
Now, gals said old Mr.. Bradley, who
stood looking on as the young folks gather
ed, with bright faces, around the golden
gram. now for good old-lashioned time
II there are not half dozen weddings be-
tween This and christmas, shall say there
is no yirtue in red ears ?
As he ceased, down dropped, amid gay
voices and laughter, the whole company
upon the floor in all graceful and ungraceiul
positions. III a circle around the pile of
corn. Kate alone remained standing, for
the movement was SO sudden that she
could moi act with it,
Here's room for YOU, Kate cried one
of the girls who had come with her, ma
king a place by her side and down sank
Kate, feeling for the filst time, a little awk-
ward and confused. Beside her was
stout, rough, country youth whose face
was all merrment, and whose eyes were
dancing with anticipated pleasure. The
city girl eyed his rough brown hands,
coarse garments, and unpublished face, with
Il slight feeling of repulsion, and drew a
little from him towards her friend.
oh, plenty of room, Miss Plenty Of
room,' said he, turning broadly around,
and addressing her with familiar leer.
The tighter we fit in, the better. Lay
the brands close if YOU want good fire.
Kate could not help laughing at thls. As
she laughed he added
All free and easy here lie had
gra sped an ear of corn. a red ear, by
jingo !! suddenly burst from his lips, in
tone of triumph and, as he spoke, he
sprang towards, Or rather upon Kate, with
the grace of young bear, and kissed her
with smack that might have been
heard 4 dozen rooms off, Ere she had
time to recover from the surprise, and, it
must be admitted, Indignation, occasioned
by this unexpected assault upon her lips,
the hero of the first red ear was half
around the circle of struggling girls, kissing
both right and left with skill and hearth
ness that awoke shouts OF applause from
young lellers,' who envied his good for
tune,
That was phase of life to Kate She
had heard of kissing as an amusement
among young folks, and had often thought
that the custom was too good to have be-
come obsolete; but a particular view, and
a personal participation like this, was a
thing that her Imagination had, in none of
It's vagarles, conceived. An ole fashioned,
straightforward, flag bottomed chair stood
near, and, unwilling to trust herself again
upon the floor, Kate drew that into the
circle, and seated herself close to the Pile
of corn just as the young man had COM
pleted his task of kissing every one in the
room.
First rate, that!' said he, smackiRg
his lips as he threw himself at her feet,
Wasn't luckv!'
Kate's Indignation had, by this time, all
melted away under lively sense of the
ludicrous, and she could not help laughing
| with the merriest, Soon another red ear
| was announced. and then the kissing COM