Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1910-09-03
She Ate 1t
By SHEELA ESTHER DUNN
Copyright, 1910 by American Press
Association.

III belgium lUe llOutD Ol May Is
known as the Virgins month and con
sccrated to the Virgin Mary. In the
province Of Liege during May young
girls have n pretty way Of learning
whom they shall marry. A group Of
maidens arrange to meet at sunrise,
walk through the fields until they come
to a hedge, and, selecting a spot I'M
exposed to the highway. they choose
q honeysuckle bush beneath which to
perform their mystic rites. Each girl
selects three blades Of grass, cuts the
tops to equal lengths and to each ties
q colored thread of silk. Black rep
resents a bachelor, red an unknown
lover and green the person the girl in
her heart wishes to marry. Ten days
afterward they return to the spot
where they left the blades growing,
and that blade Of the three which has
grown highest represents the lover
that is destined for the maiden's hus-
band.
There lived In this province a poor
girl named Anna DeWindt. She was
an adopted daughter of an old couple
who worked a small farm. Anna was
fair complexioncd, fair haired blue
eyed maiden, her pure heart being
plainly manifest In her countenance
The adjoining farm on the east was
much larger one and owned by farm
er named DeRoade. with one son,
Ia lt
the university when Anna DeWindt
came to live at the adjoining farm
When he returned for his spring vaca
ton he saw her busy about the ad
Joining premises, but she WAS so far
from him that he could not tell wheth-
er she was comely or ugly. Taking
glass, he brought the image nearer and
discovered what he was pleased to
call his Madonna"
From that time when he would see
Anna on the porch of the house or
back in the kitchen garden he would
watch her through his glass and long
ed to go out and chat with her.
His vacation came to an end, and he
experienced q pang at leaving his Ma
donna, whom he had been used to
bringing so near to him by means OF
his glass. On the morning of his de
parture he was obliged to rise early.
Going out on to the porch, he shifted
the delicious spring air. The sun was
Just rising. He walked about, present
ly going under a tree with overhanS-
ing branches. A door opened In the
next house, and Anna and another girl
came out and walked directly toward
him They advanced to the hedge
that separated the two places and
were screened from him by its twigs
and leaves.
Stealing out OF his retreat, STOPPING
that he might not be seen, he went
treading on the soft grass to the hedge
On reaching it he heard coming from
a few yards distant on the other side
their soft voices. Annals companion
was speaking.
This Is the bachelor" she said, ty-
ing thread on spear of grass
This is the unknown" tying another,
land this" tying third. lis my dear
love-"
"And who is your dear lover" asked
Anna, who was herself tying threads
on blades of grass.
John Ten Eyck. Who is yours"
II can't tell you; 1t is so foolish of
me-"
"You needn't. l know already. 1t
is the handsome student In the De
Roade place"
Anna made no reply, but Heileger,
having found an opening just big
enough to give him view of her face
saw blush overspread her features.
He was astonished girl whom
he had not suspected of having been
aware of his existence had indicated
with the green thread that she had
taken him into her innocent heart.
Having tied the blades Of grass and
cut them to a uniform length the two
girls went back to the house and the
student departed for the university.
At Amsterdam several years later
Heileger and his Madonna met. Her
people had received small legacy and
had come to Amsterdam to claim it.
Heileger DeRoade did not betray the
fact that he had seen Anna before;
certainly did not mention that he had
looked at her through a fieldglass
Nevertheless he yielded to an irresist
ible impulse to make her his wife.
In Holland II young man wishes to
ask the hand of girl In marriage he
buys sweet cake, takes 1t to her
house and in presence of her family
places it on table before her. The
family affect not to notice the gift,
while the girl, II she accepts him, eats
the cake. If she refuses him she leaves
the cake on the table.
DeRoade took a cake and laid 1t
before Anna. A blush came to her
cheek. and she put out her lRnd to
ward 1t. but did not take it. Nps she
yielding to a natural coquetry or had
she some reason for hesitating? Heile-
ger said to her:
Am l not he of the green thread?"
The blush on her cheek deepened to
scarlet she had her face in her hands.
At last she said:
Tell me how you learned about the
green thread"
II will II you will tell me about how
you came to know anything about me-"
"You must first tell me how you
knew about me-" she replied
He shrank from telling her that he
had been looking at her through spy,