The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1897-10-21

W. NOUN mo. tn,. s.,sa0 sn0
OF the year and the husking of the
corn as a simile. His text Is taken
from Job v, 26. "As a shock Of corn
cometh in In his season."
Going at the rate Of 40 miles the houi
q few days ago, caught this sermon
II you have recently been in the fields
OF Pennsylvania, or New Jersey, OF
New York. or New England, or any OF
the country districts. you know that
the corn is nearly all cut. The sharp
knife struck through the stalks and
left them all along the fields until a
man came with bundle of straw
and twisted few of these wisps OF
straw into a band, and then gathering
up as much Of the corn as he could
compass with his arms he bound II
with this wisp Of straw, and then
stood it in the field in what is called q
shock
1t is estimated that there are now
several billion bushels Of corn stand
ing in the shock, waiting to be husked.
Some time during the latter part OF
next month the farmers will gather,
one day on one farm, another day
on another farm, and they will put on
their rough husking apron, and they
will take the husking peg, which Is q
piece of iron with leather loop fas.
tened to the hand, and with 1t un.
sheath the corn from the husk and
toss 1t nto the golden heap. Then
the wagons will come along and take
1t to the corncrib.
How vividly to all those Of us who
were born in the country comes the
remembrance OF husking time! We
waited for 1t as for gala day Of the
year. 1t was called frolic. This
trees having for the most part shed
their foliage. the farmers waded
through the fallen leaves and came
through the keen morning air to the
gleeful company. The frOsts, which
had silvered everything during the
night, began to melt of OF the top OF
the corn shocks. While the farmers
were waiting for others, they stood
blowing their breath through their
fingers or thrashing their arms
around their bodies to keep up
warmth Of circulation.
Roaring mirth greeted the late far.
mer as he crawled over the fence.
Joke and repartee and rustic saluta-
tion abounded. All ready, now! The
men take hold the shock Of corn and
hurl 1t PROSTATE, while the moles and
mice which have secreted themselves
there for warmth attempt escape. The
withe OF straw is unwound from the
corn shock. and the stalks, heavy
with the wealth Of grain, are rolled
into two bundles, between which the
husker sits down. The husking peg
is thrust in until 1t strikes the corn,
and then the fingers rip off the
sheathing Of the ear and there Is a
crack as the root of the corn Is snap
ped off from the husk, and the grain,
disimprsoned, is hurled up into the
sunlight
The air Is 30 tonic, the work is SO
very exhilarating, the company is SO
blithe, that some laugh, and some
shout. and some sing. and some ban
ter, and some tease a neighbor for q
romantic ride along the edge of the
woods in an eventide. in a carriage
that holds but two, and some proph-
esy as to the number of bushels to
the field, and others go into competi.
tion as to which shall rife the most
corn shocks before sundown.
After awhile the dinner horn sounds
from the farmhouse, and the table Is
surrounded by a group of jolly and
hungry men. From all the pantries
and the cellars and the perches OF
fowl on the place the richest dainties
come, and there are carnival and
neighborhoOd reunion and scene
which fills our memory, part with
remember that the farm belongs now
to other owners, and other hands
gather in the fields, and many OF
those who mingled In that merry
husking scene have themselves been
reaped like as a shock of corn cometb
in in his season."
There Is difference of opinion as
to whether the orientals knew any.
thing about the corn as it stands In
our fields, but recent discoveries have
found out that the Hebrew knew all
about Indian maize. for there have
been grains Of the corn picked up ont
Of ancient crypts and exhumed from
hiding places where they were put
down many centuries ago, and they
have been planted in our time and
have come up just such Indian maize
as we raise in New York and Ohio.
So l am right when say that my text
may refer to a shock of corn just as
you and bound it, just as you and
threw 1t, just as you and husked it.
There may come some practical and
useful and comforting lessons to all
our souls while we think of coming in
la H. -