Washington sentinel. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1855, 1853-11-17
Masbington SentineI.
From the waverley Magazine.
The Husking.

On bright and beautiful afternoon in early
October, as / was walking along the streets OF
Providence, ! met friend, who told me he had
an invitation to attend husking on the following
evening, with the privilege of bringing friend
with him He wished me to accompany him.
/ gladly accepted his kind invitation. Having
never attended anything Of the kind, | antici-
pated much pleasure, nor was ! mistaken.
/ met him by appointment on the following
evening, at six o'clock and we proceeded to
the house of friend Of his, where we found all
the company assembled, and ready to start
Four large omnibuses, each drawn by four
horses, were before the door. We all crowded
into them; cannot say seated ourselves; for
where an omnibus is constructed" to hold
twelve persons, and made to hold from seven
teen to twenty-five, its occupants can scarcely
be said to be seated. However, seventeen OF
us did manage to get into one, and ride that
way for nearly twelve miles, over one of the
roughest and most hilly roads in all New Eng
land. When the gentleman who superintended
the arrangements thought our omnibus was
full, when seventeen of US had fixed ourselves
upon the bottom, on the seat, and in each
others laps, we started. / had been previous
| ly introduced to each one of the party; but
now, for the first time, was ! able to look
| around me, and see who we're to be my COM
| almost equally represented On counting noses,
to be accurate, found they stood nine to eight,
! the ladies having majority of one. BY the
aid of the light in the front of the coach, soon
found that I should have pleasant time for
the ladies were all young and handsome, the
company all lively; all feeling free from the re-
restraint of the city, all going into the country,
determined to enjoy themselves prodigiously.
While the witty Jest and the quick reply went
round, and the loud laugh rang out on the
night air, and the sweet music from our own
and the accompanying parties seemed to min
gle their melody, and foat away in the dis
tance, until, like fairy music, it sounded soft
and low, ere it was lost forever; could not
but turn my thoughts from the scene within
to the calm beauty of the scene without. 1t
was heavenly evening, the full fair orb of
night had risen in all her beauty, and now
bathed in liquid light the whole face Of ma
ture. a
| aThe busy world still, the solemn moon
Smiled forth her sivery beauty; and the stars,
/ Like living diamonds in n sea Of glass, II
| Danced in the sapphire canopy Of heaven"
About nine o'clock we reached our place of
destination, and added our large number to the
company already assembled. While the ladies
went into the house to make those little toilet
| preparations which are always 80 necessary on
| such occasions three or four of us made gen.
| eral tour of the cellar, to see if we could find
any cider; as that delightful beverage is usually
| found at every husking. In this search we were
| unsuccessful but one of our number happened
to stumble by accident upon barrel Of most
excellent apples, with which we filled our
| pockets, and then made our exit from the sub
terranean premises, as we had entered, without
being perceived; as the attention of all was di.
rected to the mirth and merriment in the yard
1 L xho 1nu1 nd ha fron apt
! laugh told us that the sport had already COM
/ menced, so we passed around the house and the
view first burst upon our astonished senses, it
was q scene worthy of a painter. We saw lot
| about one hundred feet square as full Of corn
as it conveniently could be, and in that lot and
among that corn about one hundred and fifty
persons, young and old, male and female, all
laughing, talking, and tearing the ripe corn
| from the husks.
Being a stranger to such scenes, and not per-
sonally acquainted with any present save our
own party, stood aside for time a silent
though attentive spectator Of the sport. At
length, at the solicitation ofmy friend, who knew
many that were there, joined the crowd and
took took nv place at the heap. Whether there is
some kind spirit that watches over and directs
mans steps ] know not, but do know that
found myself by the side of one of the most
beautiful young ladies ever saw in New Eng
land, at least she looked so to me there in the
moonlight, and as
| night
| Shows stars and women in q better light"
perhaps may be prejudiced in her favor from
| the singular acquaintanceship that followed;
but that night only saw
aarace in her step, heaven in her eyes,
| In every gesture dignity and love-"
| They all stood closely around the heap, and
she made place for me to stand beside her,
and smiled as | picked up my first ear, and
| pulling down the husk, saw the grains were
red. Now here was pretty situation for
modest young man to be in; standing bty the
| side of a beautiful young girl, that five minutes
before / had never seen in my life, red ear of
corn in my hand, and bound by the laws of the
husking to kiss those ruby lips turned so in
| yitingly to mine. The path ofsmy duty was
| plain before me. could pursue but the one
course; turned hesitatingly, aud looking at
| her with one eye, and glancing at the red ear
with the other, / trembGngly asked her if she
saw "that ear of corn" She said she did,
and that it was very nice one. To this, of
course, thinking Of the happiness that was
| awaiting me, assented and again plucking
up courage enough to address her, asked her
if, in her opinion, that was cred ear" She
said she thought it was. Feeling like John
John Rogers at Smith6eld, suffering martyr
in good cause, put my arm around her del,
icate waist, and gently drew her to me, until
her head pressed against my shoulder; For
getting all else, for moment ! gazed en-
chanted upon the beautiful creature at my
side
tresses loose behind
Played on her neck, and wantoned In the wind;
And the rising bushes which her cheeks oerspread
Were as opening roses in the lilys bed" :.
But the time, the place, the circumstance,
the loud laugh, and the "noise and confusion
of those around claiming similar forfeit, re-
called me to sense Of my situation. l
pressed upon her lips one long lingering kiss,
and left her to claim from others the due and
forfeit of nv bond" In the past have no
doubt she has enjoyed "siaildr tarors," and
in the future there may be many an embrace
in store for her. but none more warm, wild,
and passionate than that first kiss of a stran.
ger, there at that farmhouse on that beautiful
night at that Yankee husking
Shortly after this / was introduced to this