Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1892-01-13
TWO FORGOTTEN HOLIDAYS.

81. Distaff and Plough Monday-How
the Christmas Time Used TO End
Some English Rustic Sports.
N. Y. Tribune Jan.2
There is probabl Y no corner OF the
world where St. Distatf's Day and
Plough Monday are still honored with
the rites that were due to them OF old.
Twelfth Night does net pass altogether
unobserved, and its name can never
be forgotten as long as Shakespeare is
remembered, but who cares any
longer for St. Distaf? Twelfth
Night was celebrated in the houses
of the rich an powerful, but St. Dis.
taft found his worshipers in the fields
and under humble roofs. St. Distaff's
Day falls next Thursday, and any
who love antiquities for their own
sake may, if they feel moved so to do,
revive its observance after the manner
to be hereafter described. 1t cannot
be done III town, however, and the
celebration might be attended with
discomforts that would deter an
effeminats generation from the at
tempt at revival.
Every body knows how hard it is to
90 back to work after a season Of
pleasure, and SO in the merry aud
leisurely old days of England it was
though. wise to relapse gradually into
everyday life after the enjoyments of
the Christmas season. 1t was the
good St. Distaff who found the way
to do this. But a depression NAY be
made here, for the sake of proper
chronological SUCCESSION, to speak OF a
little rustic ceremony of the eve Of
Twelfth Day, which was quite in keep
ing with the spirit of the time and
decidedly pretty in itself. This was
the practise of pouring out some Of
the wassail that was so freely and so
checriIy drunk all through the holt
days, around the roots of the fruit
trees. TO insure their bearing for the
coming season. Cider would answer
the purpose as we'll as wassail, and
was the liquor in favor in Deyonshre,
where the farmer ami his men wen,
into the orchard in the evening with
a Jug of the clear fruit juice and
drank to the health Of the trees with
this toast:
Here's to thee, old apple tree!
Whence thou mnyst bud and whence thou mayst
And whence thou mayst bear apples enow
Hats full! caps full!
Bushel bushel sacks full!
And my pockets full, too-Huzza!
While the men were in the orchard,
the women, who stayed in the house.
bolted tho doors, and the men could
not come in again till some one
among them had guessed what had
been placed on the spit in their ab-
sence. OF course it was something to
eat, and it could not DO anything
common, or it would be too easy TO
guess. The one who guessed it had
it as his reward and the doors were
opened to all. This game was played
in all seriousness, AMI it was fully be.
lieved that no apples could be
expected IN the following autumn
without it. Ills is surely a simple
exl e.iment and it might be worth the
while of any one who has an orchard
to try it. The present is the "of"
year of the apple trees aud the ir Gus
tomary barrenness might be averted
in this way. Tuesday evening Of
this week is the time to try it, as
"Wednesday is Twelfth Day.
Then after Twelfth Dav came St.
Di>taff's. Herrick has told how it
should be celebrated in his poem called
Saint Dis'af's Day, or the Morrow
alter Twelfth Day.
Partly work and partly play
Ye must on 8. Distaff Dsv;
From the plough soon free the te ame
Then come home al fother them;
II the msides sspinning goe.
Eurne the fax and fire the tow.
Bring in pailes of water then,
Let the maides bewssh the mem
Give S. Dlstaff all the right.
Then bid Christmas Sport good night
And next morrow, every one
To his own vocation.
These were exactly the ceremonies
The men went to the field with the
oxen and the plough-a mere formal
observance, it would seem, for the
ground mist often have been too hare
at this time Of the wear for such work
to 60 on-while the women begar
their spinning. But the plough wa.
Railroad Men and Athletes