The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1872-06-01
THE MONTH OF MAY.

THE MONTH OF MAY.
Ancient and Modern Observance
Legends, tAc.
Ply SOPHIE SPARKLE.
n. Y. Mail.
Cup, up, let us greet
he season sweet,
For Winter is gone
And the flowers sprlnglng,
And little birds singing.
Their soft notes ringing,
And bright is the SUM-"
The many anniversaries which occur
during the month of May recall to
mind the very different manner In
which the comming of the flowers was
celebrated in the olden time. The
question of woman's rights or wrongs
then occupied but a small portion OF
the feminine mind, as for voting the
gentler sex seem to have had no wish
to contaminate themselves with poll
tics, but maintained, it is quite pro-
bable, a quiet sway over mankind III
general, without saying anything about
it. At this season of the year, instead
of mounting the platform, fair maidens
were busily engaged III wearing gar
lands of flowers, and decking their
holiday tinery for gay dances on the
green, and sly fiirt2tions under the
trees:
"Many green gowne has been given,
Many kiss both odd and even;
Many a glance, too, has been sent
From out the eye loves armament
Many jest told of the key, betrayiDg,
When lads and lassles went a-Maying."
"The Maypole is Up,
Now give me the cup,
I'll drink to the garlands around il
But first unto those
Whose hands did compose
The glory of flowers that crowned it,"
Then the village Maypole stood upon
the green the whole year round, always
a gentle reminder of the May Day
sports, and through the long dreary
winter pointing upward as harblnGeI
of hope which promised the return OF
the flowers.
The bringing of the Maypole from
the greenwood was always an import
ant event and attended with much cere-
mony.
From twenty to forty yoke of oxen
were gayly decorated with bright rib
bons and garlands of blossoms, with
bouquets fastened to the tops of theil
horns and little flags placed behind
their ears. These drew home from the
forest the tall Maypole, which was also
ornamented in the gayest manner, be
ing painted II various colors and
wound with wreaths of wild flowers and
sweet scented herbs, tied with gay rib.
bons. Then followed a merry process
sion OF men, women, and children, al
clad In their best attire and loaded
with the Towering May boughs they
gathered while the dew still glistened
upon them.
Handkerchiefs and streaming flags
were tied to the Maypole, and then il
was lifted aloft amid loud huzzas, and
the sound of the pi pc and tabor. The
green was ornamented with fresh May
boughs, aud rustic arbors and leafy
bowers were erected. But the choic.
est flowers and the greenest boughs
were reserved for the fairy throne con
structed for the beautiful Queen of the
May
And horn with ivory mouth, and buckle bright, -
And arrows winged with peacocks feathers light
And trusty bow well gathered of the yew
And at his side was seated the sweet
maid Marian, crowned as the Lady OF
the May.
q With eyes of blue
SHINING through dusk hair, like the stars of night
And habited in pretty forest plight
his greenwood beauty sits young as the dew.
Above every door were placed bunch.
es OF the May, and every lad wore q
sprig of hawthorn in his hat.
Once upon a May Day in the CITY OF
London the famous Robin Hood, re.
nowned III song and story, ruled over
the sports as Lord of the May.
g With coat of Lincoln green, and Mantle too.
Friar Tuck also joined merrily in the
sports and the morris-dancers, with
their fantastic dless and gingling bells
added greatly to the merriment. And
there were Robin Hoods trusty COM
panions of the forest also,
:, :, The archer men in green, with belt and bow.
teasting on pheasant, river-fowl. and swan
with robin at their head, and Marian"
Long after Robin Hood and his merry
men had passed from the busy world,
no May Day festival was considered
complete unless the popular bandit
was represented by some one, and some
fair maiden recalled by her attire sweet
Marian of the woods
Even monarchs used to go a-Mayinc,
Tor hing Henry WILL, with his Queen
katherine, and noble retinue of lords
and ladies, rode forth one bright Nav
morning, SO early that the boughs
above their heads showered Jewels upon
them as they passed along they
reached the place known as Shooters
Hill, where they were detained bv
Robin Hood and his archers. Being
invited to tarry and feast with this dar-
ing monarch of the woods, they COM
piled, and sat down to banquet plen-
tfully supplied with venison and wine,
after which their graceful entertainer
sought to amuse his royal guests by
displaying the skill of his men with
their arrows.
He whistled, and two hundred arrows
went singing through the air with but
one sound.
Another whistle, and two hundred
more followed with like precision.
which greatly delighted his noble visit
ors.
One of those amusing personages