Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-12-07

That custom reaches back far into
pagan days. And this reminds me that
the National Geographic Magazine. In
February. 1918. published a set OF col
ored plates Of American berries OF
hill. dale and wayside." showing
paintings Of twenty-nine species Of
American berries and their blossoms.
by the gifted artist-naturalist, Miss
Mary E. Eaton" There 10 sprig OF
American holly - lick opaca-in the
collection, and In connection with 1t Is
this: 1.-THE holly's use as q decora-
ton is thought to be q survival OF
the usages OF the Roman saturnalia.
1t was the custom, before that cele-
bration in commemoration of the
blessings Of agriculture degenerated
into q period Of unbridled license. to
send = 81 3 Of holly with gift al
token Of good wishes. The Christian
custom Of decorating houses at
Christmas seems to have come from
the pagans. The council of Bracara
forbade such decking OF houses with
all green things. alleging it to be
pagan observance"
Leaving the holly behind. the road
S.ss to low ground where there is more
wet ahS less wind, and where the cold
goes through the cotton Of your ALL
wool overcoat. There 500 will see
some scarlet berries that do not grow
on a holly tree. They sparkle on q
spice bush. The golden inflorescence
Of this bush is one of the earliest bud
dings Of spring, and when you were a
boy or girl you chewed the tender
.twigs Of this bush and relished their
pungency. Though unlike the sassa-
fras in appearance. 1t is kin-tree to
it. 1t Is called spice-bush because it
is a spice bush-that Is. 1t Is spicey
in the perfectly proper sense or scents.
Sometimes it is called "wild-allsptce,"
and two other names by which country
people call 1t are BENJAMIN bush" and
fever BUSH" During the American
revolution. when no allspice could be
obtained by the wives and daughters
Of the patriots. or. for that matter, by
the wives and daughters Of the To-
ries, the berries OF this plant were
pounded up and used as substitute.
During the civil war. when tea was an
expensive luxury. or not to be obtained
at all because Of the Union blockade.
the brave and capable women Of the
south made q drink by infusing the
leaves Of the spice bush, ana this drink
theS called "tea." -
2 But the road calls. and the home Of
Margaret Hunter is still ahead Of us.
We cross the electric line that leads to
Bluemont close to Wedderburn. and
near this crossing ia q Soodly frame
house with an apple orchard and with
some fall flowers still blooming de-
lance at Jack Frost Tho letter box
there is inscribed Mrs. f. 8. Williams.
Nearly another mile of woods and soft
clay road and you pass letter boz on
the left marked. ]. H. vawter and
Shoemaker. On the left is a wide ex-
panse Of carefully tended apple or
chard. All through the neighboring
counties OF Washington more atten-
tion is being paid to cider trees and
grape vines than the Rambler has
ever known before. Opposite the Vaw-
ter place lie a house. Two dead chest
nut trees stand where the gate might
be and where 1t used to be. and an old
giant Of hickory tree grows before
the house. That was the home Of
George Washington Hunter. OF whom
the Rambler told in the story Of. Ayr
Hill. 1t was his father, John Hunter,
who came from Ayrshire. Scotland,
and bought the tract ON which the VIII
lage OF Vienna stands. He called
that tract Ayr Hill. George Washing
ton was one Of his children ana he
built this house, which is about two
miles from the house Of Ayr Hill. His
daughter Margaret inherited the place.
n
On q little marble monument on a
knoll at Mooreield Is this, &c. w. Hun
ter. 1776-1856: Angelina Hunter, 1850;
Margaret Hunter" The youngest son
Of Col. George Washington Hunter and
Angelina Moore, daughter Of the pioneer
Methodist preacher jeremiah Moore,
was named after his father. George
Washington Hunter. ~He inherited the
old house at Ayr Hill and had a house
In Fairfax Court House. He practiced
law with profit and distinction. Before
the civil war he moved to place called