The national Republican., 1867-05-01
LOCAL DEPARTM EN- T.

MAY DAY.--Several Of the schools In this
city have arranged to have a pleasant time
weather not preyenting) In the woods and
bowers surrounding the capital but with these
exceptions, very little Of this time honored Gus.
tom will prevail.
The outbreak into beauty which Nature makes
at the end Of April and beginning Of May eIoites
90 joyful and admitting 4 feeling in the human
breast, that there 10 no wonder the event should
have at all times been celebrated In some way.
The hrst emotion Is desire TO seize some part
Of that profusion Of flower and blossom which
spreads around US, to set it up In decorative
fashion, pay II q sort Of homage, and lot the
pleasure II exoitss find expression In dance and
song A mad happinsss goes abroad over the
earth, that Nature, long dead and cold, lives and
smiles again. Doubtless there Is mingled with
this, too, in bosOms Of any reflection, a grateful
sense Of the Divine goodness, which makes the
promise Of seasons 90 stable and so sure.
Amongst tho Romans, the feeling Of tho time
found vent In their Floralia, or Floral Games,
which began on the 2Sth Of April, and lasted a
few days Nations taking more or less their
origin from Rome have settled upon the lst Of
May as the special time for fetcs Of tho same
kind With ancients and moderns alike It was
one instructive rush to the felds, to rsyol In the
bloom which was newly presented on the meadows
and the trees the moro city. pent the populn-
tion, the more eager apparently the desire to get
among the flowers, and bring away samples of
them tho more sordidly drudging the life the
more hearty the relish for this ono day Of
communion with things pure and beautiful
Among the barbarous Celtic populations Of Eu.
rope there was Q heather festival on the same
day, but II docs not seem to have been connected
with flowers. II was called Beltein, and found
expression in the kindlng Of fires on hill.tops by
night. Amongst the peasantry Of Ireland, OF the
Isle Of Man, and Of the Scottish Highlands, such
al. ban xutNh In tka
Of living people. Weean sec no identity Of char
aeter In the two festivals but tho subject Is an
obscure one, and We must not speak on this point
with too much confidence.
In England We have to 60 back several genera.
tions to fnd the observancss Of May. day in their
fullest Development. In the sixteenth century
II was still customary for the middle and humber
Glasses to 90 forth at an early hour of the morn.
Ing, In order to gather flowers and hawthorn
branches, which they brought home about sun
rise with accomplishments Of horn and tabor and
all possible signs Of Joy and merrimsnt. With
these spoils they would decorate every door and
window In the village. BY natural transition
name of the May they called this ceremony "ths
bringing homo the May" they spoke Of the eI.
pedition to the woods as "goiDg a-MAying." )"
Tho fairst maid Of the village was crowned with
flowers, as the "Queen Of the May" the lad;
and lssses met, danoed and sang together, with
4 freedom which we would faih think of as be
speaking eohparative Innocence as well as sim.
plioity. In somewhat earlier age ladies and
gentlemen were accustomed to Join In the Maylns
festivities. Even the King and Queen conde
scended to mingle on this occasion with theil
subjects. In Chauoer's Court Of LOvc We read
that early on May day Forth gosth all th,
court, both most and least, to fetch the flower
fresh, And We know as one illustrative fact
that, In the reign Of Henry VIII the heads q
tho eorppyationpf Londen went out into the higt
grounds Of Kent to gather the May, the Kini
and his Queen, Catherine Of Arragon, coming
from their palace Of Greenwich, and meeting thes,
respected dignitaries on Shooters Hill.
The May.pols, as IL was called had Its plac,
equally with the parish church or the parish
tstocksi OF, II anywhere one was wanting. the
people selected q suitable tree, fashioned 1t,
brought II In triumphantly, and erected 1t in th'
proper place, there from year to year to remain
The Puritans-those most respectable people
always so unpleasantly shown as the enemies o
mirth and good humOr, caused MAy-poles to b'
uprooted and q stop put to all their jollities bu
aftsr the restoration, they were evOrywher,
erected, and the appropriate rites recommended
Now, alas in tho oourte Of tho mere gradua
changes Of manners, the May.pole has agaii
vanished. They must now be pretty old peOpl
who remember ever seeing one. Washington
Irving, who visited England early In this cen
tuary, records in his Sksteh. Book, that he hat
seen one. "I shall never" he says, forget tn
delight felt on first seeing May pole. It wa
on the banks of the Dec, close by the pcturesqu
old bridge that stretches across the river from
the quaint little city of Chester. I had alread.
been carried back into former days by the IN
tiquitiss Of that venerable place, the examina
ton Of which Is equal to turning over the page
Of Q black letter volume, or gazing on the pic
lures In FroissArt. The May.pole on the margi
Of that poetic stream completed the Illusion
Ny fancy adorned 1t with wrsaths Of flowers, an
psoplsd the green bank with all the dancin
rsvelry Of May day. The mere sight OF thi
Msy.pols gave q glow to my feelings, ap
spread charm over tho county Ter the rel
Of tho dAyi sud ~ I traysrsed . part Of th
mir plains al Cheshire, and the beautiful bo
dsrs Of Wales, and looked from among swelllr
hills down a long green valley, through uhiC
the DeVa wound Its wizard stream my imagin
tion turned all into perfect Arcadia"
SOUTHERN RELIEF FAIR,-We hope tn
community will bear In mind that the southsl
Relief Fair commences on Monday evening mex
May Q, at odd Fellows Hall, on Seventh stree
As the ladies of the different churches are usiI
their best efforts to insure its success, We tru
that all who have 1t In their power to contribu
anything, either In the way Of fancy article
ao-.r. q. eor tha aunnAF tahIa W