The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1903-10-05
OLD.TIHE YANKEE SUNDAYS
THE Posi-, THE MEETIN' SEED
AND THE NOON-HOUSE.
The Puritan Boys and Girls In Early
New England.

ing Sunday posy was universal. This
little bunch of sweet flowers and leaves
was carried by old and young. Some
times the men wore it as buttonhole
posy, more frequently they carried the
little bunch in the hand, just as did the
women. The first rose of the season or
the delicious cabbage rose in its bios
soming was carefully gathered for the
mistress of the house; while her daugh-
tiers carried a little bunch of the sweet
scented, opaI-tinted little grass pinks or
snow-pinks, so dear to all New Eng
landers. Sweet Williamson a sprig of
mignonette or Lavender. would grow,
were favorites. But there should al
ways be with every true "Sabbath-day
posy" some sweet-scented green leaf.
It must not be a wild, growing thing,
even OF SO sweet a leaf as the pure,
clean. bayberry which grows wild in
such profusion all along our coast; nor
must it be the sweet fern; for its pun
gent fragrance allied it to mock cigar
smoking rather than to church-going.
Nor could the sabbath posy show leaves
of the strong minis of varieties which
grow SO freely by New England brook
sides; those We're too rank flavor; and
all were too common. The posy might
have few leaves of sweet brier; for
sweet brier had been brought from Eng
land and wasn't really common like the
native sweet fern and bayberry; and in
the springtime it might have the leaves
and flowers of the strawberry bush. or
calycanthus, whose strange, fruity odor
is unlike any other flower. But pre-
ferably there were two sweet-leaved
things dear to the heart of all church.
going New England housewives-the
two were flowers of English history, an
Gent flowers full of dignity in old Eng
land, ere they had crossed the sea with
other treasures from English homes.
One of these was the old plant costmafy,
named by Palsgrave as early as lS0.
The original form of the name is said
to be costus. a plant. and amarus, bit
ter. The root cost or kust. is found in
the same meaning in Arabic and Hin
dostanee. Since the plant has been
much discussed Of late / give the boz
tanical name for exactness, Tanacetum
Balsamita 1t is a plant Of old English
verse, Spencer's fresh costmarie."
The Leaf of this plant has fresh,
pure, distinctive fragrance unlike any
other herb, though slightly suggesting
Rosemary. 1t was known throughout
New England not only by its English
name, but as beaver tongue" or
tstongue plant" name given it in the
new world, / am sure, from the tongue
shape of it's leaves. Another clean
sounding title for this old posy-plant is
Patagonian mint. 1t is sad to record
that this plant is almost unknown now
evenifl old gardens: it has vanished
within twenty or thirty years, though
it's fragrance and history should make
it everywhere cherished. ..s%:.,. !.
The sister plant. even more popular
sssasuauaosy, still is constantly seen in ev-
s.s ksHfifFFSSfrss afcoryard; 1t is southern
wood--the botanical name, Artemisia
Abronatum. This, too, has pleasant
folk-names, which always indicate init
macy and close association. They are
old man. Lad's-love, boys love. meet
irlf-spice-this last from its use in the
Sunday posy. 1t is little heard Of in
poetry. In the translation of Du Bar
tas Weeks" envy's hood Is described
as being made of peacock's feathers
mixed with southernwood. Its little
finely dissected, sage green, curiously
scented leaves are loved by all New
Englanders; and it has had such a part
in the romance and sentiment Of many
coi1rtship that It used ever to be the
first shrub planted by country door
side. when this doorside marked new
home. Southernwood has been used In
medicine to some extent, and also
played It's part In love spells, being
deemed potent OF charm. Sprigs of it
had to be worn in the shoe or down the
back Of the neck or in some such who'll
" Irrelevant olace to make one dream
OF a lover. Folded into thes freshly
ironed handkerchief and borne with the
small Bible, the sprg of southernwood
was carried by so many hands to meet
ing, that often the little country meet
ing house was pervaded with its aroma.
There were other vegetable church at
PENDANTS, known under the general
name of .'meetin' -seed"--they were dill,
ferrel and caraway, three plants SINH
lar In growth. with spicy seds, all said
to induce sharpness Of mental powers
and wakefulness. Fennel was a plant
of ais much historic interest in folk med
icine and folk magic as was southern
wood. All three of these plants Of aro-
matte unnbels OF seeds are stimulative
to, the digestion, and in ancient days
were much employed. Fennel was es-
pecially surrounded by a reputation of
magic power. Our own poet, Longfel-
low, wrote: ..r -
Above the lowly plant it towers,
The Fennel with its yellow flowers.
And in an earlier age than ours
Was gifted with the wondrous powers
Lost vision to restore.
Dill had puower over witches, while
caraway was more social in reputation,
"A Dish of Caraways' being much
favored relish of strong drink widely
approved in English old-time life.
Caraway is the only one of the three
plants much grown to-day, or used.
Caraway seed-cakes are still made, but
are not as beloved by children as they
were thirty years ago. They were then
a fayorite Sunday repast at the meeting
house. For in those days of loving de-
votion to the New England church and
desire for church attendance, and
days, too, of long distances, it was a
custom for all families to carry mid
day luncheon to church. This repast
Sauetirnes was eaten IN a rude little