The Portland daily press., 1895-06-22
A New England Superstition.

dear meP' said Mrs Brown, my next
door neighbor, last evening, as leaned
over her fence to inquire how her sweet
peas were coming on. "It's time I was
getting out my pans for June water.
Now some of Mrs. Browns ways are
past finding out, but they are always in
teresting and worth the effort at least.
So l ventured, in the submissive tone of
the city man when he talks to his rural
neighbors to repeat "June water?''
"LandP' CALCULATED Mrs. Brown, r.
found compassion evident in her vole.
Don't your folks set for June water?"
"No, I'm afraid they DON'T respond
ed, meekly. "To tell the truth, Mrs.
Brown, don't even know what you
mean.
Mrs Brown regarded me with look in
which pity was thinly veiled by the polite
resignation my ignorance had frequently
prod duced in her friendly SOUL 1t seemed
difficult for her to begin far enough back
to assure herself of my comprehension
81 suppose you know" she said doubt
fully, that rainwater when it's ketched
in hogsheads Off roofs and cutters amt
fit to drink. -
"Oh, yesp' I said, with cheerful
promptnss II knew that!''
We'll, then, she went on, encouraged
by this sub-stratum of rational knowledge
on m part, you have to set your pans
for june water clear off in the open field
somewheres, don't you sees" "But June
water?" I persisted
why, it's the first rain that falls in
June of course. Didn't you know that
June water never spoils or gets foul or
bad? Well, it don't. Why my mother
bottled it for years, and the shiftless folks
in the neighborhood who forgot to put
out their pans Or to take 'em in when
the first rain was over used to depend on
us for all they he'd. y
'The first rain?" repeated "Wouldn't
any June rain do'?'
(, "Bless you, noP' Mrs. Browns yigor-
GUS tone of protest is difficult to repro
duce. cit must be the very first shower
after twelve O'Clock at night May 81.
Many a time I've got up at midnight
when we was short of June water.
mean to keep it a year or two ahead.
You never can tell what's goin' to hap
pen.''
"And if the first rain doesn't fall till
June 30?" inquired respectfully.
sit don't make no difference how late
it comes, SO long as it's the first shower, .
said Mrs. Brown 81 don't remember it
ever was SO late as that, though some
times I've had to lay awake to catch the
first sprinkle, 'twould come SO gentle,
and other folks would declare it hadn t
rained at all. Some years you can't get
more'n pint all told !"
"And what do you use it for?'' asked
ooh, for sick folks mostly. You ought
MT to give 'em medicine in ordinary wa
ter, didn't you know? Why, I've had my
sons wife send up from Boston for bot
tie or two when the boys was sick Then
if feel as if I can spare it use it for
preserves They'd never spoil done in
June water if you KEEP 'em numbered
years. Why, there amt speck or
mite of dirt in it. It's real different from
other water when you come to look
The clouds were piling in the north
west. Mrs. Brown looked at them with
satisfaction. "We can get a plenty to-
night / guess" she said ''You tell
your wife to try it. :"
Four hours later, when put out the
lamps, the fitful CLEAN of lantern be-
yond my orchard assured me that Mrs
Brown was on her rounds, and the steady
downpour an hour later brought an added
joy to my heart for her sake. Boston
Transcript.