The Democratic advocate., 1874-06-27

they would In the matter; while the fact
that every race, as IL becomes more en-
lightened, seems to lose something Of that
spirit of unthinking reyelry and childish
merriment which characterizes its earlier
years is, perhaps, answerable for the final
extinguishment of the general holiday
keeping inclination Still, now that the
day, except for here and there a region
that retains it, has abandoned all preordain-
ed recognition, it is none the less day
Of mark with the young, who celebrate it
after the same ia shion as that in which
they celebrate Halloween, allowing for the
different season of the year, and probably
as satisfactorily as if after the elder fash :.
ions, for superstition still claims it for its
own.
On the eve of this day, it is held by
certain Of the wise, the souls Of all sleep
ers leave their bodies, and resort to the
place where, by land or sea, death shall
finally give them enduring release. If
you want to keep soul aud body together,
kind reader, beware how you suffer your
self to fall asleep between dark and dawn
Of Midsummer-ove and you must, more
over, for that time, avoid the water, for
there the fairies have for day and night
absolute power; but if in search Of an en-
tertainment that would be very certain to
keep your eyes open, you can go, fasting,
to the church porch, and there, as you
watch all night, you will see the spirits of
those who are to die the next year come
knocking at the door-as ghastly knock
ing as that at Macbeth's door, where mur-
der waited on the sound
But less awful practices than such as
this are those to which the majority Of
people who regard St. Johns Day as a
thing Of pleasure, now resort. They are
the simple efforts of maidens, not to see
any body's soul leave its body-phantoms
concerning which they have no curiosity
but to conjure up phantoms among which
they shall find the possible lovers of the
future. Would you know the formulas by
which in green Ireland or in merry Eng
land the young girls proceed to find this
unknown quantity? There are many Of
them, but few will answer all purposes ;
and they are so simple that they would
need the help Of little witehcraft but that
Of rosy dimpled checks, bright eyes and
laughter for IL two make a cake, two bake
it, two break it, and all silently place it
under the pillows, the coming man will
appear in the still watches of the night
and could anything be easier, and does it
need the old witch Of Endor at all? Or,
if you like better, you have nothing to do
but to throw hemp seed over your shoul.
dcrs, singing,
Hemp seed | throw,
Hemp seed l SOW,
And he that is my true love
Come after me and hoe ~
And that is sure to fetch the fetch. Or
else you may lay cloth upon the table,
with bread and cheese, and sit down to a
repast, leaving the door open, aud the lov.
er will enter, will bow, and break bread
and retire again. Or, perhaps you have a
lover, and the question is not of his exis.
tence, but of his faith then plant flower
in clay, and accordingly as 1t inclines to
left or right he is true or false-far be il
from US to indicate which Still another
charm to be tried, and prettier than any,
if you have time enough, is that which re-
quires you to go backward, silent and un-
der the moon, and pluck rose shut it up
In white paper till Christmas-day-it viii
be as fresh as on the night you pulled it,
pin it on your breast, and he that is to be
your love will come and take it off.
But, in seriousness, there is something
to be regretted in the circumstance that
so beautiful time as Midsummer's, one
when all days are "bridals of the earth and
sky" should be left to such meagre cele-
bration. 1t seems as if we should rejoice
sufficiently in this perfection of the year
to greet it gayly; and we advise all our
readers who love summer, and feel June
in their veins, to make their own celebra-
tion of the season, not with wizardry and
riot indeed, but by reading the Midsum-
mer Nights Dream, and RECALLING them
selves with Mendelsson's Midsummer
Nights music, and, that accomplished, they
will have made festival where the geni-
us of poetry and of music, the elves Of
England and the gods of Greece, have been
down and made merry with them
EMBALMING.-A London journal, dis