The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1871-05-01
MAYnAY.

This day of all others has come and gone,
without the slightest tribute to the event IL
comings of age of the
new ysar-by the Son of Man. In former
DAVIS May was one of enjoyment and
Measure Hilarity reigned supreme Later
it became day of sadness to many From
strolling in the woods in search of flowers,
and enjoying games and pAstimes, to NOV
ing your household goods into some other
place of residence, was q transition that was
slow, but inevitable. Many OF
the laborinR class could secure holiday or
half holiday better st this season OF the year
or ON this day than at any other period and
being at liberty to enjoy himself, he must
perforce "move." The misery this custom
has eutailed, since its Inauguration, upon
poor, suffering humanity, has served to ex-
pei ell thoughts of pleasure, and the recur
renee of the day brings with it no pleasant
anheipations, but only Of dread and hatred.
Bot to 60 back to the olden times: The dru
ioo Adu iCbblFhiS Ia uOHtH Vi oHN N~N
Teutonio race kept her advent as general
season of rejoicing. The homage which was
paid to the month of love and flowers by the
reople of"Merry England" was of two kinds,
the general and the individual. On Mays
esrlv morn the youth of both sexes, rose q
little after midnight, walked in procession
TO some nsighboring wood, where they broke
branches from the trees and decorated
them with the early spring wild flowers.
They returned about sunrise and adorned
their doors and windows with the Floral
emblems. The day was spent in frolic
and dancing round the May pole, which like
the liberty pole of our own land, occupied
tie centre of the green sward square IN the
midst of the village. Archery, running, and
pitching the bar, dancing, singing and act
ing Robin Hood and masking vigorous on
slaughts upon the country dainties in sea
SOD, was the only employment, and the day
closed with an award of prizes before the
Queen of the May. 1t is to this custom that
Tennyson's beautiful poem slludes;
If you're waking, call me early. call me early,
mother dear,
To- morrow is the lnerres. day of ell the lad new
year;
Of all the glad new year, mother, the maddsst,
merriest day,
For I'm to be Queen Of May, mother, TN to be
! Queen Of the May.
| Individual homage was paid to the month
of May by pIucking flowers along and adorn'
| ing the chamber with them.
The maiden, in the morn betime,
Went forth when May was IN the prime,
To get sweet setywall,
| the honey suckle, the harlock,
The lily and the lady smOck,
| To deck her summer hall.
| Queen Elzsbeths tavcrite song, by Ole
Nicholas Breton, which she used to have
sung before her when she opened the case
ment of her gallery window in the early
morning, shy three excellent musicians dis
guised in ancient country attire was Ma
disty, beginning:
In the merry month of May,
! In q morn by break of day,
| With q groupe of dam sels playing,
Forth went forsooth a Maying.
Darwin, the botsnist poet, thus eulogize
the commencement of this month:
Born in your blaze Of orient sky,
Sweet May thy radiant form unfold,
Enclose thy blue, vouptuous eye,
And wave thy shAdowy locks of gold.
As far back as 1895, Morley dissppointe,
in his affections, thus reproached the merry
month:
May never was the month of love,
For May Ia full of hpwers;
But rather April, wet by kind,
For love is full Of showers.
Allthis worship of May is among tn,
aromatic memories of the past. In thes,
money-grub bling matter of fact times, there
/ is no Issuing forth OF glad co mpanies tc
gather boughs no adjoining of houses with
the howery spoil, no songs, no dance, no vii
lage festival, 10 May queen, no joyful &C
knowledgement of the almighty presence 0
nature in grove or glade in fact, emphati
csllY and ungrGmmsticslly, no nothing
/ Even Jack in the Green has departed, snG
the may pole has rotted, fallen, and beer
4 gathered up in chips to make some ole
/ beldsmes binner pot boil.
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