Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1885-05-08

which is peculiarly and specially
delightfuE There is an excitement
and zest of discovery in finding
the earliest and sweetest blossoms 1t is
no .mean joy when, after rambling for
hours over the shrubby and brambly hill
sides, one comes upon a warm, nook or
bank where, upon turning up the large
green, secretive leaves of the arbutus
plant, a wealth of pink and white modesty
comes to view, fragrant and fresh as the
very bosom of the earth upon which it
has been sleeping. Such a find as this, at
the opening of the Season, when
the blossoms are almost all, AS
yet, curled mp in their little cone
shaped buds, is like finding new lode of
gold in an exhausted claim. The freshest
and sweetest and largest blossoms are
almost sure to be the ones which are hid
den from sight under the leaves. One
might go past n bed of arbutus where
nothing but the leaves were in sight, and
miss the richest find of a ramble. A little
thrusting about in the leaves and moss,
would turn up great trailing sprays of
blossoms, still moist with the dampness
of the earth, and delicious with the I'M
wasted fragrance distilled from sun,
showers and soil
Much of the sentiment and pleasure of
arbutus gathering comes, of course, from
the way in which it is commonly conduct
ed. 1t might not be so fascinating, if each
seeker after this loveliest of spring flowers
were obliged to make his pilgrimage in
solitude to its shrine, or even if pilgrims
of the same sex were required to content
] . ln,,
gender But when to the pleasures of the
ramble we add the pleasure which young
people of opposite sexes always find in
each others company, it will be readily
understood that there is more or less ro-
nance connected with the search after
this innocent blossom. And all this, of
course, must go into the account while
summing up the pleasures of arbutus
gathering.
But, after all, it is the jolly family party
which gets the most enjoyment out of
"Mayhowering" 1t may not seem as ro-
mantle, nor look as picturesque, to see a
crowd of elders, youth and children
rumbling off in big wagon into the
country, or returning tired and non-com-
municative, with infants in full chorus, as
to see a party of well-paired young folks
coming from the woods, all decked out
with blossoms and sprays, and strings of
trailing pine about their hats-but never
theless, take it 'for all in all" the non
sentimental family party has the more
solid good time. Some pleasant
grove should be chosen beyond the
range of all foot-parties a substantial
and even elaborate lunch should be put
up, in picnic proportions, and plenty of
warm wraps and shawls, should be pro-
vided, for comfort and safety's sake. The
bright hours of the morning may be spent
in roaming after maytiowers; and then at
noon table cloth is spread on some dry
bank, and all gather around in old Roman
attitudes, and despatch the good things
with an appetite born only of light-heart-
edness and exercise in the open air.
These are the days when one feels that
to be out of doors is the very acme of ex-
istence. The skies are never so bright nor
the air so gladstone, nor all nature so in
viting, as in the sprngtime of the year.
If arbutuS came in June, or in October, 1T
would not be SO eagerly sought as 1t is in
April and May. But coming, as it does,
at "the mtrriest day of all the glad new
year. what wonder that it tempts us all
to the hillsides aud the woods