The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1901-11-22

We have reaped, we have moved,
We have brought home every load
Hip. hip, hip, harvest homel
So they sang or shouted. In Lincoln
shire AMI 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 menily comes our harvest in,
Our harvest in our harvest in,
SO merriy comes our harvest in.
Hurrah
Troops Of village children, who had
contributed In various ways 10 the
great labor, joined the throng, solaced
with plum cake in requital of their lit
tie services. Sometimes the image on
the cart instead of being mere dress
cd 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 ballad
of Bloomheld's
Home came 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
Buckinghamshre-it was a favorite
practical joke to lay an ambuscade at
some place where a high bank or a tree
gave opportunity and drench the hook
81, no
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 q 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 bust
ness to have a contention for superiori-
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 a striving. In
the north of England ii was a nell,
which, / suspect, means the same thing
(from French melee. AS the reapers
/ 4, Ing Il
care TO leave a good handful of the
grain uncut, but laid down flat 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 a doll, and hailed
as a corn baby. 1t 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
Sdlut CuSNOLll VI d
full, but it was tied up and erected I'M
der the name of n mare, and the reap
ers then one after another threw their
sickles at ii to cut it down. The sue
cessful individual called out, Il have
her!' what have your cried the
rest. "a mare, mare, a mare!' he re-
piled. what will you do with herT'
was then asked. well send her to
John Snooks," or 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" 1t is very
curious to learn that there used to be a
similar practice in SO remote a 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 the cripple
| goat, to the next farmer who was still
at work upon his crops, 1t 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.