The Lee County journal. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1904-19??, 1906-06-29

NJ
1 ' A of purely English descent,
who brought with them not
only a distinctly English pronuncia-
ton of the language, but many of the
games and pastimes of old England.
Among these was the custom of going
Annoying every spring although very
often scarcely a flower had appeared,
and snowdrifts We're still lingering in
the hollows and in the lee of the fences
and thickets.
Rarely, indeed, were we able to find
more than a few hepaticas and stone
crops. Wakerobins were never in
bloom, or violets, or even the arbutus,
or mayfower.
Spring there was really too back
ward for May-day fetes. Only once,
in my youngest remembrance, was
May-pole raised, and pretty Selma
Eastman crowned queen of the May.
Going a-maying had already begun
to give place to the more American
and liyelier pastime of hanging May
baskets on May-day night - custom
less ancient but far more froIicsome.
Hard running and much wild excite
ment often attended the hanging of
May-baskets.
Ridicule fell to the boy who was
caught in the act. The boy setting off
to hang a May-basket must approach
the house door, affix his offering to it,
and knock three times; and it might
happen that the girls within, or their
unfeeling brothers, were lying in wait,
peeping out, maybe, at some dark win
dow. Then hardly would the first
knock be given when out would rush
the whole ambuscade, shouting exult-
antly. Here was where the hard run
ming came in, with frantic lodging
and doubling about yard fences, wood
piles and corn-cribs.
Selma Eastman was a slim, quiet,
wiid-rose of a girl, with shy eyes and a
wealth Of Wayy brown hair; and she
seemed never to realize how pretty
she was, or to take note of the adj
miratiOn that was showered upon her,
For there was not a boy round there
who did not worship her in his heart.
OF all these youthful admirers, none,
/ think, was more fond or devoted than
my brother Policy. This may explain
why he set off one evening-and took
me along with him-to hang a May
basket.
1t was a rather fine basket and well
Of oh
lates, a little volume of LongfelIows
poems, a game of authors, and other
little things which he thought would
please Selma. 1 did not feel any great
interest in it myself; but brother must
stand by brother, particularly when he
is twin brother, so l went along to
help him out.
1t was not altogether safe place to
go to by night on such an errand. Mr..
Eastman, the father, was not well dis
posed toward visiting boys. Moreover,
he had a big Newfoundland dog, old
Scoge, who had a reputation for biting
at night. So Policy coaxed me to go
along, with a club for the dog, in case
he was set upon us. Poley's own
hands were too full of the May-basket,
which, with its long, crinkled paper
streamers. was about the worst thing
possible to transport two miles across
country by night
There was no moon. The night was
little moist and misty, but not very
dark; and the looms were calling to one
another on the lake down the valley.
We proceeded by a lumber road,
through wood-lots till within half a
mile of the Eastman farm; then we
followed a cart road across the fields.
In a general way we knew the place;
and Policy had driven past two or
three days previously, and observed all
the surroundings carefully. The East
mans had built new house the pre-
yious season, and had moved into it at
New Years, but the old house had not
yet been taken down; it stood about
fifty yards down the road from the
new one, on the other side.
This old house, now empty, had what
is called a bulkhead door, leading into
the cellar from the outside at the south
end. The bulkhead door was open, and
Poley's scheme was-after hanging his
ay-basket-to hide in the old cellar.
I did not like the idea very we'll my
self at first; but on going down there
and striking matches, we discovered
under an old bin a good hiding place
even if any one came looking in the
cellar with a lamp. For what we most
desired was some secure covert hard
by, where we could hear our pursuers
searching for Us and listen to what
they said, so as to tell them of it
afterWard.