Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1916-06-30
CHAPTER XVI.
THE HUSKING BEE.

Coin to the huskin'?"
Sartin; sartin; I'd go to husk-
in if | had stone bruise on every
toe; I'd get off bed O. sickness to
go. It'll be a roncher. Ben Bing-
ham has the biggest crop, nigh on
to twenty acres o. the gol-rippinest
corn We ever sot eyes on. 1t cared
big and thick and ripened a goldy
yaller. It's regular mint. That's
what it's. He's drawed in the
shocks and sot up a big winrow in
the middle O. the big barn floor, So t
the huskers can set on one side and
throw the ears over on t'other; and
the winrow O. shocks-two or three
on 'em-run out the yard, way out
into the medder. The old folks can
set in the barn and husk by light o
lantern and the youngsters can set
out o. doors and husk by moon
light"
The above dialogue between two
farm lads refers to custom much
in vogue in the Vermont valleys in
that day more than now. Where
there's corn there's plenty" No
famine arter a good corn CROP"
were sayings of homely truth.
The night appointed had been
chosen by wisdom that no weather
bureau can attain to. 1t was a late
September evening in the full of the
harvest moon. The air was redo
lent with the smell O. harvest and
tuneful with the cricket's song in
fields and fattened barns. The night
was warm; no breezes blew; no
dews descended; no chill lurked in
the air. Jack O. lanterns of large,
fiery red pumpkins were set upon
the barn-yard posts, with blazing
eyes and noses, and mouths shining
out with broad grin from candles
set within The sentinels of the
husking." The merry party sat in
long row. The elderly men in the
barn in chairs. Out of doors the
young people sat in the rich moon
light, each girl upon a throne which
her admirer had made with an in
verified sap bucket and an impro.
vised cushion of corn husks. The
beans sat upon large, ripe pumpkins
or bundles of stalks of the husked
corn. The huskers delve for the
bundles, and what a merry chatter
Uncle Riley Chilson is there with his
fife, Sam Barker with his fiddle
Jake Gunter with his drum, each
giving an exhibition of his musica
talent. In the barn the elderly mer
talked of the political situation ther
acute, as John Tyler, elected vice
president, had become president OF
the death of General Harrison, anC
had disappointed his party. Hi
veto of the bill for establishing ;
United States bank, followed by
second veto Of a second bill framed
to obviate his objections to the first
had angered the wings. His cab
met had mostly resigned and Their,
was much comment in the countr,
on the subject. The president wa
: denounced by the wings as traitor
and by the democrats his Treason
l was gloried in, but the traitor b.
: no means admired. The "perfidy'
| of a president elected as a whig an
S going back" on wing principles
filled the talk of the day with acr
j monious comment. In Vernon
t there were a few sturdy democrat
, of the type who were all the bolde
4 and more outspoken because in
e hopeless minority. They simply mad
Il life miserable for the more numel
d Gus wings by their derisive praise
l. Of the president, at whoses conduC
e all wings were "gritting thei
n teeth"
d The political conversation dive
n largely on Tyler's perfidy, and ais
IS upon the great debate in congres
= by John Quincy Adams on the rigt
). of petition, That argument Wa
It irresistible and sharper than a two
q edged sword - declared Judo