Year: 1879

A husking glorious


The schoolmarm had many a time
heard old people tell of huskings in
their younger days, and she read of the
one at which


'Mable Martin sat apart,


And let the hay-mow's shadow fall


Upon the loveliest face of ALL


but having spent all her twenty harvest
moons in, the city, she had never had
the good fortune to attend one of those
right up-and-down good times with
which persons in the country are so fa-
miliar. Indeed, until she came down
into the pine woods of Maine, to be
country schoomarm, she had thought
this happy manner of combining work
and pleasure, if not "a custom laid
aside with breeches and cooked hats"
still belonging to "the old days." and
now rather fallen into disfavor. But
here she has had opportunities to see,
and can testify not only that huskings
are, but that they are all they have
been painted by poet or grandma's mem
ories.


For some time she had been watching
the cornfelds with interest, in expecta-
tion of the time when, the ears being
filed out and dry to the critical eyes of
the farmers, the stalks should be cut
down and hauled to, the barns. And
she had sounded every farmers inten-
tions in regard to the husking of corn
whether he was going to take his boys
away from the institution of learning,
to keep them and himself prisoners at
hard labor in the barn for number of
days, or whether it wouldn't be much
better to call in the neighbors and have
it all done up in one jolly evening. At
last, one day, stout, good-natured
farmer, who lived up on the main road,
on his way from the post-ofice, stopped
his horse before the school-house, to ask
her to tell the folks on her road that he
had gotten his corn in and wanted ev-
erybody to come to his husking. AS
soon as school was done she hurried
home to array herself for spending an
evening away, but was restrained by
the initiated. who assured her that it
would be an unheard-of thing to dress
up to 60 to a husking, and she wisely
kept on the plain walking dress that
was rather the worse for having been
worn SO many times over the dusty road,
through pastures where grew burrs,
thistles and blackberry vines tenacious,
in the woods where pitch trickled down
the trunks of the pine trees, and out
= stretching boughs had SO often attempt
. ed to retard her movements.


2 1t was merry party that filled the
stout, capacious wagon which started
e from this house in the early evening
3 when the great red moon was just show
ing over the hilltops. The old white
) horse was urged or startled into stiff
legged gallop that vas even more mirth-
; provoking than his proverbial slow gait,
+ and, riding over the hills and hollows
of the uneven road. the clear air spread
4 the sound of their songs and laughter
D till those whose husking days were over


peered from their lighted windows tc
s nod, smile and wonder. With cheer
full, though not astonishingly brilliant


chorus they drew rein before the jolly
h farmers door and were heartily welcom
e ed by him and his motherly wife. Then
z with his lantern, he led the way to the


barn, where the husking was already il
n progress.


J Such picture, as the schoolmarm look


ed in at the door 1t was one of thos,
q immense, long barns, with all the win
y ter's hay heaped up clear to the roof OF
t either side hanging over the scaffolds il
$ generous fringe. To make room for thu


huskers, the hay-rack had been hoistec
. to place beside the old sleigh on tn,
q scafold built across from side to side
# down at the farther end And there
e on low, temporary seat which extend


ed through the length of the barn, il
+ the centre, they were seated, engaged il
= lessening the huge pile of corn whicl
l. met the mows before them, while th
er husks and butts, thrown back over tn


shoulder, were rapidly forming anothe
le long pile behind. At intervals, on th
D. pile in front, were placed large basket
IL to receive the husked corn, and these
i when filled, were shouldered by one o


another of the workers, borne away t
in the corn house and emptied. Just a
D. she stepped inside, young Hercules
h who was returning with his empty bas
W ket. dropped it at sight of her. an
~ before she had time to demonstrate ha


seated her therein, and, taking it u
:, again with its new burden, bore bot
n over the pile of butts down the lon
ne line of huskers, each of whom had
a merry word of greeting, to place b
X his side.


IT.


,d She went to work at once, graspin


the corn and stripping down the husk
bs to disclose the rich, yellow ears. She wa