The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-04-30
I'M Az D A 2"
Ths sylvan Glory Of May-The Lesson Of Rejuve
nanon-AncientC Customs Romans, the
Ceits, the French, Germans English
and Irish-What It Means to Us.

The month OF Covers, the period when nature
hlnes ASIDE the last vestige OF winters withered
raiment and stands forth clothed In All tho
beauteous majesty oi spring. Hackneyed o.d and
trlte are the songs or May. hundred thousand
/ times In thousand years nave Its plories been
sung. Yet, even In It's ballads, there is something
which breathes OF perfume, something which speaks
OF resurrection, something which is holy pure and
sweet-the Word OF God. The Old year lay down
under Its load or SORROWS. The storm gust, the
hlnderb0t ana the mountain wave rolleI their
anger above It, TO quench at last ITS lingering FIRE in
their chill bosoms.
Darkly the young year was born. A shower OF
cannon-haii ratified over the Earth and the waBrr
blood OF tine victims was frozen 10 crimson ice.
Another month, with chill, hungry breech, fol-
lowed, and the Scourge walked on undated. Next
the OF storms, hurrying under clouded,
leaden skies The ram month followed Ike tears
Tor the wrea9ngs OF the storm. ana at last
LIFE SHOWS ITSELF
IN nature. We prone think lightly or May.
"A fine spring day. SIR good day for stroll IN the
country; good day, sir, Tor yachting"
IL that enoughr When We read the Raven 4
line strikes U.s. man ponders on the mere sug-
gestveness Of
Ia there, is there balm in Glead?
IL has the ring of heart-angulsh in 1t. When the
storm god Is AT his worst man asks the ques-
ton OF his heart. But he asks IN other words and
saya:-
ARE THERE FLOWERS IN May
Man plunged in the heart OF city life may not feel
txs 10 the ecstatic extent, yet when ne catches q
glimpse o. Nature budding into life again hts heart
cannot refuse to be glad. Let him shut his eyes for
moment and gaze through the soul vista. lie Will
see there widespread fields, with the daisy and the
primrose, the violet and the bIttercup wing In
fragrance and beauty. But ne VIII see more The
budding and blooming are but rs types wherein ia
figured the
REJuvENEscENCE OF THE HEART.
with all its blossoms OF empellished youth. we do
not think renectvey IN these moments. The heart
is carried forward ecstacy whose thoughts are
instincts and whose goa Is perfection. Goal alas
seldom TO be reached.
IL Is out OF this realm OF entnusasms built on the
reality OF the thrilling sense OF springtide that all
our notions OF SMay honorings arise. The Romans
Ieed the petal-crowned goddess OF blossoms their
FlOraia. The garden god was decked and the baser
histories OF MS nature forgotten. The Celts Int their
sacred fires upon their highest hills IN thankrulness
TO their san-god that his face again would gieam
upon
THE YEARNING EARTH
Far over the world these Hres Of BaaI and Bel
were lighted Oil IN honor OF the vernal nue. that
brought such promise OF heart and body to the
world-prOmiae Of q renewed life TO the death OF
trees and flowers here, ana promise OF new life 10
the soul IN the world beyond the grave.
LANDMARKS which represented the appearance OF
this hope and Joy In past ages Old English poetry
Is Isl. lull Of t. Chancer sings In a. LANGUAGE which
There Is, however, IN him all the feeling which tho
simpler pleasures awaken In an almost pastoral aga
In perfection. He sings OF ssmall fOwies macnen
mclOdye,' and we know that
THE IINNET, LARK AND THRUSH.
all the blithesOmeness Of their tide OF song are In
his soul. Sweet Spencer's "Faerfe Queen, Is ma.
turally filled with this. IN France neither was this
trOubadOurs where The ladies Of the poets songs
were likened TO the flowers OF May.
OF MAYDAY CUSTOMS
the Oldest ls the decking Of the village madens in
tributary flowers. The May pole came next, Of
COW So lar back az Inc fourteenth, century can
these May poles be traced The peasant GIRL crowned
Queen OF the May, Is AN institution which parallels
the Queen Of Beauty at the Journeys OF the mobiles
OF the land. She was at once queen and goddess.
In her, virgin fresh in the nameless grace or girl,
hood, must be recognized the portrayal OF the
ancient goddess OF the Pagans toned down by the
asthetical beauties OF the Christian For hei
THE FAiI,ESr FLOWERS WERE GATHERED;
at her feet the most fragrant branches laid.
The Hawthorn, with it, bloom Of snow; the
violet, the primrose and the virgin lily, were her
throne and crown. The village lads ana lassea
danced and sung their chans, and the May Queen,
through 4 life or matronhood to her oldest days.
preserved rs fresh the day OF their gathering
the perfume OF these sprlngdc flowers, which had
faded to all else but herself. In France, Holland
and Germany this practice was observed until
shortly after the Reformation In the two last and To
the days OF the first great revolution In the former
In England the custom died under the iron rule oil
the Puritans, who rooted out so much OF tho
beautiful
THEIR GRIM TRYISGs
10 reach the severely good, as II goodness had any
severity IN its comDositon. England's May Day
cannot he recalled without reference IennysOn's
exquisite poem IL II the sum or all others on tho
same key
You must wake aud call me-
Call me early mother dear
For Tomorrow win be the happest day
9. &. II lh sss sl si's ss Ssy yaal mother
For I'm 70 be queen Of the May, mother,
I'm to be queen OF the May.
Of late years the London sweeps appear TO have
m ~ Ia tp1ftv fiegi Enula ralG
bower ofivy leaves, with Il crown Of MOWERS NJ the
top, Is formed inside this "Jack In the Greenn
and girl clad IN costume "a Vatican, dance 70 the
music OF a pan, pipes and drum.
This Ia The .onth OF May,
When the lark sings out his Law,
And Jack In the Green may be sen
Dancing around all day.
In Ireland the children carry around the May
bushn decorated with buds and blossoms ana dance
before the houses of the few wellto-do people left
THAT UNFoRTuNATE COUNTRY
The IRISH are sentimental 10 high degree, and IL
is not strange TO ind one OF their most loved songs
chanting the mlseries OF a forlorn condition In tns
The daisy pied and all the
The dawn Of Nature YIELDS
The primrose palc ana violet bus
Such fragrance In the bosom Lea
Nv hearts fair lcvc, my cherished maid
In the religious aspect OF May II was certainty q
beautiful idea that led 10 the dedication or this
month among Catholics 10 the Virgin Mary. An nj.
legged mirac uous appearance Of the Virgin little
shepherd boy and ms sister at Lorello was the NOV
ing cause tins. Gut where the original mother OF
q faith to be honored, in what more appropriate
time could 1t he done than in the crystal-dewed
month OF May And so III Catholic countries 1t is
happily called
rHE MONTH OF MARY.
Unfortunately for Gotham little better than the
memory of ,nese poeuc recolleclions steal In on
us. In seIn-ArcadIan tunes IL may have meant May
and merry making; now it is
MAY AND MOVING MISERY.
BY terrible antlclImax the sweetest day OF the
calendar Is emblttered with the tumbling OF furni-
tre down stairs and the rolling OF chatteis mp stairs
with the agonies OF mirrors and crocKery and the
pangs OF dissolution III furniture Joints generally.
We are a republican people, taking no pride I'm an-
cestry, and lest even
THE wAsHSrAND OF OUR SIRE
should become OF vamglory To us, MAY.
day comes IN with ts iconoclast wagon drivers and
carborne terrors once year, till America becomes
a land OF drabs. No wonder things occasionally get
mixed In the poetic mind disturbed as It Is by this
visitation Of perlpatetlc undomesticty. No won