St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-11-27
A CORN HUSKING.
Husking for Red Ears and Dane
ing in Connecticut.

Husking for Red Ears and Dane
ing in Connecticut.
New York Sun.
A letter from Ansonia, Conn.,. to the
New York Sun gives the following
account of recent affair in that state:
Next to camp meetin', the COnnecti-
cut young people love the annual corn
euskin': SO when Farmer Elijah
Woodward. of Torringford. sent out in
vltations for two miles around last week
for the young men 10 bring their girls to
his place for an old-fashioned corn
huskin', the acceptance was very
general. The evening was a beautiful
moonlight one, and the air was just
chilly enough to make it braclng.
Farmer Woodward had worked all day
with his hired men cleaning up the barn
floor and making a big pile OF unShucked
corn in the center.
Around this fresh, clean straw was
spread. on which the huskerS were to
sit, Turk fashion. Fastened to the
beams overhead, and to the sides of the
barn, were several lanterns, furnishing
light enough to see to husk the corn and
to distinguish the red ears, while the
gloom was sufficient to hide the bushes
OF the girls who had to be kissed, i'll
spite of screams and frantic flights for
other parts. Mrs. Woodward had also
been busy. Numerous cart-Wheel
pumpkin pics. piles of old-faShiOned
doughnuts, snow white with powdered
sugar, plates of tempting boiled ham
and smoked tongue, and pitchers Of
rich cider were all spread out on long
tables in tue carriage house, ready for
=. l,f.- l. hn cl l,n
"shucked."
1t was o'clock when the work began.
Hundreds of busy hands pulled the ears
from the heap in the middle of the cir
Gle, and practiced fingers ripped the
husks off in jitfy. Eager, yet bashful
young men looked for the red ears. and
demure, but suspicious maidens Kept
their eyes on their partners hands to
be ready to run when the first glimpse
of carmine appeared under the husks.
The first red ear was found by Charles
Battel Loomis, we'll known humoriSt
and newspaper writer of New York.
He showed his ignorance of country
customs by fiinging it on the pile with
the other corn. 1t was seen by half a
dozen country SWANS, and each one
dove for it with momentum that
brought stars to their eyes when their
heads came together, as they graSped
the ear.
But this was not fair and that ear did
not count Pretty soon another red ear
came 10 light, and reSounding smack
made every other man in the barn
shiver with envy. As the work went
on the red ears became more numerous,
and the fun grew fast and furious.
Jonathan seized Maria and tried to kiss
her; Maria wiggled away and ran
about the barn, eluding his grasp until
they reached dark corner. where she
submitted to the chaste salute with a
readiness which showed that her un-
willingness was feigned. and only done
to lead her lover out of the sight OF the
others. And so it went on until the call
to supper came. While the party were
eating Farmer Woodward and his help
cleared away Is bushels of corn. cleaned
up the floor, and made ready for the
after entertainment. The country fid-
dlers got out their Stradivarlu ses
roslned up their bows. mounted an i'm
proviSed platform made of three plank:
supported by cider barrels, and then the
fun broke out again.
A country dance on the barn floor is
not so stately as the Old Patriarchs
ball. Sir Roger de Coverly is unknown
in Torringford. but money Musk.
"The Devils Dream" the Virginia
Reel and the Caledonians are danced by
everybody. and there is more innocent
hilarity in barn dance than was ever
known at Sherry's. The huskin' broke
up at All early hour in the morning, but
Farmer Woodward was satisfied. He
got his corn husked, he gave the young
folks an evening of fun. and even If the
hired men oversight couple OF hours
IN the morning, he found no fault.