New Ulm review., 1901-11-27
THE HARVEST HOME.
THANKSGIVING IN OLD ENGLAND IN
THE LONG AGO.

q scene as Horace's friends might have
expected to see at his Sabine farm or
Theocritus described in his "Idyls."
says the Montreal Star. Perhaps it
really was the very same scene which
was presented in ancient times. The
grain last cut was brought home in it's
wagon, called the hook cart, surmount-
ed by a figure formed Of a sheaf with
gay dressing, a presumable representa-
ton of the goddess Ceres, while a pipe
and tabor went merrily sounding in
front and the reapers tripped around
in a hand in hand ring, singing appro-
pirate songs or simply by shouts and
cries giving vent to the excitement of
the day.
Harvest home, harvest home
We have plowed, we have sowed
We have reaped, we have moved,
We have brought home every load.
Hip, hip, hip, harvest home!
So they sang or shouted. In Lincoln
shire and other districts hand bells
were carried by those riding on the
last load, and the following rhymes
were sung:
The boughs do shake and the bells do ring,
So merrily comes our harvest in,
Our harvest in, harvest in,
So merrily comes harvest in.
Hurrah!
Troops of village children, who had
contributed in various ways to the
great labor, joined the throng, solaced
h ,,1,1 -,
tie services. Sometimes the image on
the cart instead of being a mere dress
ed up bundle Of grain was a pretty girl
of the reaping band, crowned with
flowers and hailed as the maiden Of
this we have a description in a ballad
Of Bloomfelds:
Home the jovial hockey load,
Last of the whole years crop,
And Grace among the green boughs rode,
Right plump upon the top.
This way and that the wagon reeled,
And never queen rode higher;
Her cheeks were colored in the field
And ours before the fire.
. In some provinces-we may instance
Buckinghamshire-i was a favorite
practical joke to lay an ambuscade at
some place where high bank or tree
gave opportunity and drench the hook
cart party with water. Great was the
merriment when this was cleverly and
effectively done, the riders laughing
while they shook themselves as merrily
as the rest. Under all the rustic jocosi-
ties of the occasion there seemed ba-
sis of pagan custom. but it was such as
not to exclude Christian sympathy.
Indeed the harvest home of old Eng
land was obviously and beyond ques-
ton piece of natural religion, an ebul-
lition of jocund gratitude to the divine
source of all earthly blessings
In the north there seemed to have
been some differences in the observ-
ance. 1t was common there for the
reapers on the last day of their busi-
ness to have a contention for superiori-
ty in quickness of dispatch, groups of
three or four taking each a ridge and
striving which should soonest get to
it's termination.
In Scotland this was called kemp
ing, which simply means striving. In
the north Of England it was a NELL.
which, l suspect, means the same thing
from French melee). AS the reapers
went on during the last day they took
care to leave a good handful of the
grain uncut, but laid down fiat and COW
cred over, and when the field was done
the "bonniest LASS was allowed to cut
this handful, which was presently
dressed up with various servings, tyings
and trimmings, like doll, and hailed
as corn baby. It was brought home
in triumph, with music of fiddles and
bagpipes, was set up conspicuously that
night at supper and was usually pre-
served in the farmers parlor for the re-
mainder of the year.
The bonny lass who cut this handful
Of grain was deemed the harvest queen.
In Hertfordshire and probably other
districts of England there was the
same custom of reserving a final hand
full, but it was tied up and erected un-
der the name Of a mare, and the reap
ers then one after another threw their
sickles at it to cut it down. The sue
cessful individual called out, 81 have
her!' What have you?" cried the
rest. "A mare, mare, mare!'' he re-
piled. What will you do with herr"
was then asked. 'sWe'Il send her to
John Snooks," OF whatever other name,
referring to some neighboring farmer
who had not yet. got all his grain cut
down.
This piece of rustic pleasantly was
called crying the mare" It is very
curious to learn that there used to be a
similar practice in so remote district
as the Isle of Skye. A farmer having
there got his harvest completed, the
last cut handful was sent, under the
name of goabbir bhacagh fhe cripple
goat, to the next farmer who was still
at work upon his crops, it being, of
course, necessary for the bearer to take
some care that on delivery he should be
able instantly to take to his heels and
escape the punishment otherwise sure
to befall him.
VIZ n 81 -