Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-05-20

celebrated the wheeling back to earth Of their
god, the sun, by feasting and games and by
decking fir trees with candles and gifts as SYM
bolic of the weather Of light and greenery and
blossoms tina. would attend his coming-an act
which grated on to the Christian festival of
Christmas has resulted in the Christmas tree OF
medieval and modern times-while in May, the
flower month, the years fair prophet who pre-
diets the extent Of the coming harvest. they ex-
pressed their rejoicings over their deity's visi-
BILE presence by flower offerings, by dances
| around a garlanded and beribboned May pole
and many kindred merry markings.
But unlike the Christmas festivities, Of which
there yet remains good sized remnant.
scarcely anything exists today of the old time
May frolickings but dim memories, or perhaps
here and there some fancy connected with the
month ike the one regarding the magic efficacy
OF May dew a cosmetic.
MAY DEW AS COSMETIC
This belief in May dew as a complexion
beautlfer was regarded as seriously by woman
kind of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries
as are today recipes for improving the skin by
the steaming and massage processes by the girl
Of the period
Samuel Pepys. Charles the Seconds secretary
OF the navy, in his immortal diary thus quantity
records on Nav %. 1867, the fact of his wife
having departed that morning in quest Of May
dew:
MY wife away down with Jane and W. Hewer
to Woolwich. in order to little ayre and to lie
them tonight. and so to gather May dew to-
morrow morning, which Mrs. Turner hath
taught her Is the only thing In the world to
wash her face with; and l am contented with it."
The reason of his contentmenti is obvious upon
| reading the sentences that follow:
Il by water to Foxhall and then walked in
Spring Garden. A great deal of company,
among others two pretty women" &c.
To- h., n rxt
ercise the gallantries for which he was famous,
unrestricted by the well.known jcalousies of his
wife.
Two years later, on May 10. 1869. he chroni-
Giles in a less resigned vein Mrs Pepys May
dew expedition:
wife's calling her maid up. and rising herself
| to go with her coach abroad to gather May dew,
which she did, and troubled for it for fear
OF any hurt going abroad SO betimes, happen
ing to her; but l to sleep again and she came
home about c.
For having nothing more divertiug than
| sleep with which to beguile her absence he had
| time to reflect on the possible dangers that
| might threaten her at suth a lonely hour.
AN USLUCKY MONTH FOR MARRYING.
Another ancient May time belief, evidences of
which still linger in this nineteenth century, was
the idea that this particular division Of the year
was an unlucky time in which to marry. What
peculiar disaster threatened the May wed pair
or how, in a month crowded with sunshine
and innocent beauty there was place for even
SO immaterial thing ill foreboding are
points on which the oracles are silent, but that
the notion is still to some extent needed can be
discovered by any one who will take the trouble
to look over the marriage records OF year.
Brides will be found to abound In the inclem-
ent winter holiday season, to vie at Easter
time with its own flowers in number to exceed
In Jane the very strawberries and roses to
hutter in October as thick rs the red and vel
low leaves and to even spring profusey from
Lenten ashes. but May bridas in comparis on
with those OF the other months are scatter
ing as are Friday and Saturday weddings when
counted against those Of the other days Of the
week.
May. too, was the month Of love tests, one of
the oldest Of which Is embalmed in the follow
ing ancient stanza:
LAST May day fair searched to find snail,
That might my secret lovers name reveal;
Upon a gooseberry bush snail found,
For always snails near sweetest fruits abound
l seized the vermine, home quickly sped,
And on the hearth the milk-white ashes spread
Slow crawled the snail and il right can spell,
In the soft ashes marked a curious l..
Oh. may this wondrows omen lucky prove,
For l. is found in lubberkin and love"
A Shiny snail is looked upon as being almost
as distasteful TO the gentle sex a mouse but
when 1t turns Soothsayer, as in the magic month
OF May. that of course alters its aspect, and in
stead of being Stunned it is eagerly sought
This sixteenth century lass, though, whose ex-
perience these lines voice, couldn't quite con-
ceal her inbred horror since she awaited herself
of the feminine privilege of calling names but
at the same time, 1t will be noticed, she was al
most scientifically explicit in pointing out the
habitat of the creature, so tat even those Of
this year of grace 1898 may, if so minded, avail
themselves of her directions.
THE POWER OF THE FIRST DAY
Though throughout the month all sorts Of
spells held good and magic had full sway, yet
its very first twenty-four hours-May day
itself contained the essence of the whole sue
ceeding witching suns.
On that day, when the observances were at
their height, high and low city and rural
dweller, rose before daybreak to search the
country side for May bloom. the flower of the
white thorn. of which when found they brought
huge branches home to the accompaniment OF
blasts on horns and other jubilant expressions
the entire performance being characterized by
the name of bringing in the May" and that
much-married sovereign, Henry tho Eighth of
England, and the first Of his six matrimonial
ventures, Catherine of Arragon, are said with
their countries, to have yearly observed this
custom.
Upon reaching their dwellings branches of
the May bloom were fastened over the doors,
thus lnsurlnS the inmates of the houses SO
decorated immunity from the witches as long
as the boughs remained where they were placed
when the sun was little higher the Nav
pole was produced from its year long Judgment
under the caves of some high building raised
into position. decked with CAV ribbons and
flowers, when the dancing and games and
GROWING OF the prettiest maid as queen took
place.
WHAT THE PURITANs DID.
All this sounds innocent enough. but never
theless in 1864 those human wet blankets. the
PurItans. declared the May day frolicings to
be instigatlons of the devil. and. since their
power was at that time sufficient to effect il
ordered the entire program to be instantly cam
celled.
For seventeen years thereafter the people had
to content themselves in this month so dear to
them with the inconspcuous comfort to be
gotten out of gathering May dew and working
love charms. for the prohibition of Nav pole
dances and other public celebrations was suc-
cessfully carried out.
But in 1850 the May pole again triumphed
and in n certain London parish one Of the yery
largest OF all the poles of past and present Mavs
was erected. The church near which it was
put up was called 81. Andrews and since the
pole-so aver the chronices-was as hiyh "A
the mast OF a vessel of 100 tons, it conse-
quently overtopped the spire of the church
the sacred ediice and its parish, thereby gain
ing the name of ST. Andrew Undershaft. title
which cllngs to them to this day.
HISTORIC MAY POLE.