Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1873-08-07


sons alone, but Of daughters too, who,
in the grand future, shall, with
pride and joy, rise up and call her
blessed.
Queen E izabeth Going a Mayi1g.
! In her time, the first of May was a
festival-day. In the little hamlets the
rus.lcs danced around the traditional
May-pole, and the London citizens were
not far behind in their jollity. The
town almost emptied itself into the
country; not only prentice lads and
lasses went Mayins, but staid burgh-
ers and their DANES, and even my lord
and lady.
| In those days they had not far to 60,
for where Charing Cross is now was al
most open country; where are now
great thoroughfares, thronged with
equipages and lined with handsome ed
i6ces, We're narrow lanes or rough roads
running between meadows and pastures,
with hedges on either side and where
are fine villas, little way out, It was
only marsh or forest.
Not unfrequently these town folks
set out ct midnight, coming home just
as the sun was rising, weary, wet, be-
dragged and noisy, crowned with flow
ers, and dragging green bougls or car
rylng them alott, SO that it was as if
"Birnam wood" had come to London,
and singing old May songs. which were
queer jumbles Of the sentimental and
absurd, Of which these verses ale a
sample
"A branch of May we have brought you,
AMI at Y iur door Ii stands;
1t Is but SpTout,
Blu its weii bu lie oJt
BY the work 0i our Lords hands
The life Of m Id is but 3 snan,
1t lru fishes like a flower;
ne are mere to hay and gone tomorrow,
| An We are dea in an hour"
One May morning King Henry VIII.
and Queen Katherine, and many lords
and ladies, rode off Maying like any
common people, from Greenwich to
Shooters Hill, a fine height covered
with trees, and famous place for rob
bers, eight miles from London on the
road to Dover. That was when King
Henry was at his best, before he had
grown weary of his true first wife
"For stature, strength, AMI making,
ahd beauty, one Of the goodliest per-
sons Of his time" Katherine. six
years older, seaate and womanly, aul
always sweet tempered and gracious.
1t does not require a very Vivid mag
ination to picture the company.
But another May party, that it is
better worth our while to look at, per-
haps, We may see setting off from that
same palace Of Greenwich, many years
later Queen Bess and her ladies and
gentlemen of the court
The country is looking its greenest
and best the oaks, just putting out
their leaves, give an iniescribable soft
ness to the landscape, in their lovely
tint of grayish green elms are in more
advanced foliage wild apple and cher
rytrees have shed their snow of petals
on the earth white thorn is in flower
daniclions make the meadows golden
every field and pasture are yellow with
crow s-foot every hedge and bush is
burgeoning and blooming; dra a5on- flies
arc fitting in the air; swallows and
martins circling about; cuckoos.
thrushes, all the birds in full song On
this May morning it is a JOY to be alive.
England is beautiful country TO live
in, and surely it is "merry' England
now if ever:
Not quite so blessed . land under
Queen Bess, however. as we have been
taught to believe. There are iniivid-
ual wrongs, though the nation may be
we'll governed This woman, who was
a coquette and vixen, was selfish and
domineerln5, inconstant in her friend
ships, cruel in her enmities, ho;,1sless
towards her own sex, caprieious to-
wards the other. Yet she was wise in
craftsmanship, and vigorous in her ad-
ministration, and the kingdom Jared
better than under most reigns, and the
people at large we're proud of her and
shouted her praise.
The royal party, as they ride leisure
ly on, meet many jolsy company on
their homewsrd Way, crowned with vio-
lets and eowslps. and 1aaking the coun-
try ju6fant with song, ditties and catch
es, and ballads Of the woods:
'9unn-es i a coming in.
Lout oiIis cucnoo -
The Queen S gay gallants sing mad
sisalS, which forruei q part of a gentle
man accomplishments, anl the high
born pleasare-seekers are pes44ps IS
happy as the rus,ics; her ma )esty bows
gran lily, and 10 the cries ef "Lony live
Queen Elizabeth ~ responds In her
wonted speech. Il thank you. mshe
! good people"