The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1875-05-08
0Men customs.
An oED.HnoIIsH MAY-DAY,
Fisn Ne ssr aaa.sass II ''Iloa 1iisian IsEnsy"

Nf@A 1870 "@~ f1@NtfN ~ AA-AfA t~"~Af sNtsff
which, for at least one day, made happy
nineteen-twentieths Of those who partici-
pated IN them, leaving the remaining small
proportion to be the victims Of worse jeal-
ousies and notifications than all the other
days Of The year could furnish. When
the gay old reffain, Come 70 the May
pole, was soothing in the brain Of the
rural poet, % make its appearance only
nine years later, with the enc descriptive
Invocation
Come, lasses and lads, getleave Of your dads,
And away 10 the May pole HE
For every fair has sweetheart there,
And the fiddler standing by.
For Willy shall dance with Jane.
And Johnny has got his Joan,
To trip il, tripit, "Trip ii, tripit
Trip it up and down.
Strike up, says Wat; agreed, says Matt,
And prithee, fiddler, play;
Content, says Hodge, and so says Madge.
For this is a holiday.
1t was, then, at the close Of the May
day Of 1863, that scene was presented,
in the pleasaunee or chase Of fine old
tresidenee in Essex, not far from the Hert-
ford border, demanding and deserving such
description as could only have been given
by one Of those witty pens making amuse-
ment at the court Of the HMerrie Mon
arch"-a description impossible, to-day,
when the figures can only move before the
eye Of imagination with the dimness and
unreality gathered around them through
the mists Of more than two centuries Of
esentfal change.
The scene of these May-day festivities
was one more than ordinarily notable,
apast from anything in the gathering or
the events Of the time,--thoush so much,
unsupported even by the actors in the
drama, was involved in few words and
a few minor actions Of that day. The
May-pole, tall shaft that would have been
a mast if found in one Of the maritime
sections, stood wreathed with flowers and
with lsng streamers Of bright-colored stuifs
suggesting the ribbons Of Brobdignag, at
the top Of gentle turfed rise not far from
the southern edge Of the pleasaunce,-th
turf within some distance destitute Of
shade, except for the presence of one
grand old oak, low and broad-limbed, with
the branches sweeping halfway to the
ground, standing at some twenty yards
northward from tho pole, toward the thick
wood Of the park,-and one great cedar
of-Lebanon, SCARED and broken by cen
tnries, but still vigorous, and throwing out
il palm-like branches horizontally, in lit
cral strata Of clustering spikes, Ms il had
no doubt done any time during the pre-
vious Eve hundred years, since the shoot or
It's seed was brought from Syria BY one Of
the returning Crusaders. From this cedar
the rise swept away gently toward the
little river running at the foot, in unbrok-
en- turf, bright with the fresh green Of the
young season, and dotted with buttercups
and daisies suggesting sweet.breathed cows,
rosy milkmaiis, and all the romance Of the
old pastoral Bright under a westering
May sun that had scarcely known cloud
during the day, the little Lea, not more
than fifty or sixty feet in width at that
point, flowed gently down between its low
green banks; rustic bridge, showing more
strength than grace. spanning il but few
rods above; while on the opposite side of
the river a stately mansion, turreted and
gabled, Of red brick, and showing blend
ing or the Tudor with style centuries
preceding it, as well as indefnable mould
mess and symptoms of decay from neglect
in the late past,-looked over the little
river which ran almost under its rear
windows, and gave its own name Of Braey's
Hope to the grounds Immediately adjoin-
ing il and the noble pleasaupce on the
other side Of the Lea. No mansion of
the nobility, then or at any previous time
so much was evident but quite as GER
tainly one belonging to some member Of
the landed gentry Of England, whose de-
scents and quarterings. as simple and IN
titled squires, are to-day held BY many Of
them as far beyond the reach Of feigning
dynasties. Some member Of the landed
gentry probably careless aud impover-
ished one, imbibing, again, that indcfna-
BE impression Of the ilEkept aud the half
tumble-down, which had, fortunately, not
communicated itself to the park, through
the Telling Of any Of the noble trees within
the line If vision. or even through any
apparent neglect in the keeping.
Here il was, around tho May pole, on
which some Of the wreathed flowers already
proclaimed the length Of a long and bright
day BY their uithered eondition---that the
tenants Of Bneys Hope, the neighborine
villagers, their wives, daughters, the low
ers, lads and lasscs Of the near section, had
been gathered since long before noon
enaeting their parts in that play Of rustic
joIIity which had seemed, until lately
never to grow old, and blending sexes and
ages in greater freedom than any other
day Of the year could either have witness.
"a Or permitted. short-gowaed and kir,
tied, IN the saSest coIors sttainable, nearly
al the girls and most Of the women IN
the gathering; though here and ilcre a
vision Of greater grace aud beauty flashed
out in that spotIsss white necessary 20 give
relief to the brighter colors af the Assem-