Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1890-06-18
Nav Ba SketS.

Would that the quaint fancy of hang
ing May baskets at tie doors of our
friends on May morning were more
general. Then the residents of dusty
cities might find on "'the maddest, mer-
riest day of all the glad new year" that
| spring fairies had been tripping up to
their doors. leaving behind them dainty
reminders of the arrival of May. May
is the month of growth, as the name
signifies from Sanskrit, "mah," to
grow. And how everything growsi
! Thoreau used to lament that, watch
with what argus eyes he would, he could
never detect the first signs of springs
arrival. In MAY, plant growth defies
the keenest vision, leaping forward,
amazing by its miracles. Different
nations, III their Joy at Mays arrival,
! spontaneously usher her IN with DIFF
! fereut customs.
| Until the time of the Puritans all
England on the first day of the month
/ turned out a-Maying. Chaucer and
Shakespeare tell Of the custom. Henry
/ VIII. and Catherine of Arragon fol
lowed 1t. The gay Maypole was adorn-
ed and fair young queen chosen, while
all
''Ianced about the Maypole and in the hazel
white chimney tops"
Still III Denmark the peasants turn
ont early in the morning to see 1.-The
sun dance. ns they say. We have not
Euglaud's genial climate. Neuralgia
and rheumatism would be too apt to
follow day wholly spent from morn
to dewy eve III Maying and dancing
al oaud poles. We are not up with the
! sun like the Danish villnge folk. But
! giving is always dressed. And one thing
we can do to celebrate Mays coming.
! BY little eXertion We can ill baskets
with spring blossoms to hang at the
doors of nt least few of our friends.
and 10y this thoughtful celebration of
the day establish Il custom more Joy
giving than ole-dancIng or watching
the sun IN his gymnastics.
May baskets filed with fragrant flow
ers, blue und red and gold, would make
gay sight, giving pleasure to the re
celver. But to us who gathered the
blossoms, brighter pictures would arise.
Blue and red ami gold of flower would
recall like tluts in bird and sky.
Each flower would recall a bright
country scene. Green fields, a fresh
air blowing, birds singing, flowers
glowing and trees budding would all be
remembered. Wind flowers waving to
and fro in the centre of the bask ct
would be seen growing IN their shady
hooks, blown upon by their own loved
wind, blush:ng Mt hls woOing; shy hepa-
! ticas near by would seem to be longing
/ for their accustomed shield of dry
| leaves from which to peer in their mod-
esty, pare bloc iroot, now with wide
| open eyes, wou,d be recalled as buds
she Gthed in their own hoodlike leaves
lsl l..lx 4 f,,1 1
/ low violets would seem to reflect their
/ loved suns bright hue, while their sis
/ tiers in blue reflect the radiance of the
/ sky, ''their little hearts with love grown
! colored like the sky above" cowslips
would bring back the picture of the
/ swamp and the red-winged black bird s
/ gay 80 -ka-lce" as he hovered round us,
/ IA brisk cavalier with scarlet epaulets !;
l sayIfrage, the '.rock-breaker, would
! bring back the ledgy country guard
/ ed by a tall wild-cherry tree and
the golden-wingel woodpecker's infor-
NAL introduction as he called "Pick it,
/ pick it, I'm Harry Wickitl | dare
! vou pick itr' and then few away if
he were n coward. for all his brave talk
! Adder's tongue dandelIons and butter
| cups would all be there IN their harm
less gold glitter, and puffy little knobs
Of Terms wrapped and colled IN their
fuzzy covering. All the spring flowers
would be there TO gladden. the shut-in
city people with a glimpse Of country
glories. ''All would be there but the
best partial but the glory of the
skies, the fire hness of the air, the cool
green coverts, the shadowy wood paths,
the ripple of waters-all but our own
experience of those perfect days and
the seeing and the herring and know
ing for ourselves" All but the blue
birds and robins and silent ce-
dar birds pictures and happy
recollections-enough to fill countless
May baskets and last until another May
day comes to brighten us with its bless
ed teachings of faith and hope IN steady
growth of bird and flower BostOH
Transcript.
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