Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1858-10-22
Tum the Maine Farmer
The HnskinE.

We notice, by our exchanges, tha, "husk'
inr lrolics" are getting TO he cquitc common.
That is an old New England " institution"
handed down from the Puritan fathers, who
considered it perfectly legitimate on such
occasions 70 make love " behind n dough-
nut. " will be seen BY the following extract
from L" Ellio,'s History Of New England"
when the corn wa. gathered, the hcav-
lest work was done. and auSiou. fear was
post. Then in every neighb1rhood, the
custom was for the young men aud the
blooming girls to gather troops, and under
the root tree. on the broad barn 1,0rs, 20
strip ,hs husks from the ripcncd ears.
Many hand, make lish, work, was thcir
prO,crb; and their hearts were as light as
their work both were in harmony with the
glorious autumn world. In the clear, crisp,
November days, tins wen, on from houss 10
bouse. Does the reader Of to-day suppose
that /, was done with long faces, sad eyes,
,trnish,enci and distressed conscience. ?
That they began with prayer, and sitting
stiG and straight on the barn A)or-, they
then enliyenei the monotony Of their work
with texts Of Scripture, and mutual eNhor.
ations to godlincs,2 That these deiermiu.
Cd purit,ns were. indeed, "a, longer human1
Such was not the cas,-by M means.
JOKES. broad and rich, won't round the com.
pauy and the du,ky lish, in the old barn.
roof. was PARTED with peil' Of laughter,
and il,shcs Of Wit; there the hay could not
grow mu,iy. bu, was sweet, and carried It's
sweetness through the rich ujisrs, It'll at
last It camc home again, aud clustered
around the hearts Of tho., boys and girl,
to keep their 'ymPA,hios aud memories
young.
\, ,hi, distance along the way Of time,
1t will do no harm to mention a fact, which
some -'cm 10 have forgotten, IN thinking or
writing Of the Puritaus-iI Is this
Most Of these young people were in love
with one another! Startling as this may
seem 10 Who considered the puriiaus as
made OF oak aud iron. strung together with
sinews drawn from CALVIN. Institutes, it Is
nevertheless true. and researches into the
past prove to me, that Cupid 'ho, his shafts
rieh, and lei, in New EngIlud, and iha,
they quiycrcd in hearts a. soft and true as
IT they had bsa, ia " Merry Old England"
Hero and there. one more awkward. or more
ugly , or more shy than the rest, stood alone;
but every bIrd finds its maio, and there ey-
cry ono found hi, fellow. Every one-lor
land was plenty, and marriage easy.
When the work was done, and the supper
table, sprcaI by clean aud industrious hands,
lOadel with loavcs Of bread and cake, with
,ccd-cakes anu doush.nuts, with pies and
with ar,s-sustaincd with pitchers Of milk
and nhgons OF beer-whcn this table needed
their presence. then they went 10 DO justice
10 il and many a sweet ihing was whisper
ed behind dough.nui, and many 'scn,i-
mynt" lurked IN pie. Good. round,
rompins games" closed up the Ilu.king and
the evening. and then the sweetheart. wend-
cd their way homeward, in the soit lieh, OF
the autumn moon. To tell the whispered
words. and explain the singular sounds
made in the shadows of those old Puritan
"s,,ols,' is not the province Of the llis,o-
ran he mus, dwell upon Politics and War,
and leave such things TO the imagina,ions
Of the yodng and the memories Of the old" ="