The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-11-25

Of jollits in every country from time I'M
memorial.
The corn husking festival is peculiar to
New England. Great yellow and red ears
Of corn are piled in a heap in the barn,
which is gaily decorated with fruits and
Autumn flowers. Festoons of apple parings
decorate doors and windows, aud there are
plenty OF ja~ck1o-lanterns. After the hus1-
ing follows a supper and dance, or possibly
a straw ride by the light OF the hunters
moon. Sometimes THE load Of corn is
brought to the barn by oxen with gilded
horns.
Crack Nut Night is the name OF a harvest
festival peculiar to some old towns in Con
n~ecticut. Quantities of nuts of all kinds,
with apples and cider, are consumed. Games
wind up the evening.
In California the vintage festival takes
the place of the harvest home. The occasion
is often celebrated by tho presentation of a
Greek drama. the stage settings, costumes
and environments being all classed Some
spot is chosen for the festival, which pres
ents a natural amphitheatre. The Olympic
games are represented with javein and
discus throwing, and running and wrestling
The lihations at the affairs of the gois are OF
pure wine.
Many quaint old customs survive in Old
England. One which is connected with the
feast of in-gathering, or harvest home, is
the "kern supper" which is given to the
laborers by the farmer IN the completion OF
the cutting of the corn.
Tho gtY,aI s,r,xrarr Is o,ot5,ar ON for
this festival. When the sickle is laid dow
and the last sheaf set on end it is said that
they nave sgot the kern, = the fact being an
nounced by loud shouting on the part OF the
reapers, and an image, crowned with wheat
and dressed in a white frock of colored rib
bons, is hoisted on a pole by the tallest and
strongest men of the party. All circle
the .skern baby, or harvest queen, and pro
coed to the barn, whore they set the image
on high and proceed to do justice to the har-
vest supper.
In Scotland the dressed sheaf is called
ssthe maiden and is fixed up like a doll.
Tee youngest girl in the harvest field has the
privilege of cutting 'sthe maiden" It's head
is formed Of ears of oats; a broad blue rib
bon is tied in a bow around the neck. and a
skirt of Paper completes the costume. In
some parts of Scotland the last sheaf is
known as the "clyack,n or s'cailleach'' told
woman. II has a white cap, a dress, a lit
tie shawl over the shoulders, fastened with
a sprig of heather. an apron turned up to
form a pocket, which is stuck in the string Of
the apron at the back. At the harvest feast
the '.cailleachs is placed at the head of the
table. the conn any drink to her, and in the
evening the ads dance with her.
In Cornwall the last sheaf is called the
neck, . and is gaily decked with ribbons. In
Devonshire a small quantity Of the ears Of
the last corn is tied together into a curious
kind of figure. which is brough home with
great reclamation, hung up over the table
and kept till the next year. It is called a
sknacx, . and bad luck betide the household
which parts with it.
When the summer is fairly over and
women have entered upon the ordinary
home life again, says Harper's Bazaar"
their thoughts turn instinctively to charity.
Among the first ideas which present them
selves are those which concern the raising of
money. Fairs, festivals, concerts and sup
pers of one kind or other naturally occur to
women as feasible means for procuring the
money they need to carry on various
schemes of philanthropy. How very hard
they work over these Entertainments only
themselves and their families know.
It is no light matter to organize and carry
through from start TO finish a successful
affair, whether a church, an association or
the great pubic be called upon to make it a
final success. A great many people must be
enlisted, III the first place, to furnish the
articles which ara to be sold. halls or other
places must be hired: there must be variety
in the way of flowers, flags and music, and
if the cause presented be a popular one the
probability is that a good sum viii be netted
in the end for the heneft of the bene6ciaries.
Doubtless it would be an Improvement on
present methods ii al money donated for
any charitable purpose were given outright.
On the other hand, many women can give
their time and labor and artistic IDEAS wi ca
they cannot give ready money. Then
women are brought very pleasantly into
connection with one another while working
for a given object. Ia the several meetings
Of committees and in the necessary endeavor
which goes before such an affair, women
have opportunity for an agreeable chat, and
are often drawn very a~aectionately CO.
gether.
A fair or fete should be carried on with
reference to business principles. Women
should not admit to any Of these enter
t~ainnents any feature Of the lottery or
any other Objectionable form of raising
money. That which is questionable or ille-
gal should by no means be allowed to mar
what women are doing in good faith and
self-denial. Another thing about which
women should think when raising money
for charity is this: An author is frequent
II solicited for copies Of his books to be
used alta fair. The persons who ask him
evidently forget that after a half-dozen
copies OF so arc given him an author has
no more ownership Of his books than has
anybody else. and every copy he gives
away must be paid for By himself. Equally,
women 60 confidently to an orator, OF an
artist, or a singer, asking for an address,
a picture, a song, or an evening Of music, !
aslite forgetting that they are putting