Year: 1879




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 familiar. Indeed, until
she came down into the pine woods of Maine,
to be a country schoolmarm, 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
1.-THE old days" and now rather fallen into
disfavor. But here she has had opportuni-
ties to see, and can testify not only that husk-
ings are, but that they are all they have been
painted by poet or grandma's memories.


For some time she had been watching the
cornfelds with interest, in expectation of the
time when, the ears being filled 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 his 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 a number of days, or whether it





bors 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-office, stop
ped his horse before the school house, to ask
her to tell the folks on her road that lie had
gotten his corn in and wanted everybody to
come to his husking. As soon as school was
1pna she burriaI bppa fo hargalf for
spending an evening away, but was restrain
ed by the initiated, who assured her that it
would be an unheard-of thing to dress up to
go 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 outstretching
boughs had so often attempted to retard her
movements.


1t was n merry party that filled the stout,
capacous wagon which started from this
house in the early evening when the great
red moon was just showing over the hilltops.
The old white horse was urged or startled in
to a stitf-legged gallop that was even more
mirth- provoking than his proverba slow
gait and, riding over the hills and hollows of
the uneven road, the clear air spread the
sound of their songs and laughter till those
whose husking days were over peered from
their lighted windows to nod, smile and won
der. With a cheerful, though not astonish-
ingly brilliant, chorus they drew rein before
the Jolly farmers door and were heartily
welcomed by him and his motherly wife
Then, with his lantern, he led the way to the
barn, where the husking was already in prog
ress.


Such picture, as the schoolmarm looked
in at the door 1t was one of those immense,
long barns, with all the winters hay heaped
up clear to the roof on either side and hang
ing over the scaffolds in generous fringe. To
make room for the huskers, the hay-rack had
been hoisted to place beside the old sleigh
on the scaffold built across from side to side,
down at the farther end. And there, on a
low temporary seat which extended through
the length of the barn, in the centre, they
We're seated, engaged in lessening the huge
pile of corn which met the mows before
them, while the husks and butts, thrown
back over the shoulder, were rapidly form
ing another long pile behind. At intervals,
on the pile in front, were placed large bas-
kets to receive the husked corn, and these,
when filed, were shouldered by one or anoth-
er of the workers, borne away to the corn
house and emptied. Just as she stepped in
| side, young Hercules, who was returning
with his empty basket dropped it at sight of
her, and before she had time to demonstrate
had seated her therein, and, taking it up
again with its new burden, bore both over
the pile of butts down the long line of husk-
ers, each of whom had merry word of greet
ing, to a place by his side.


She went to work at once, grasping the
corn and stripping down the husks to dis
close the rich, yellow ears. She was instruct
| ed TO leave a few of the inner husks on the
largest and best ears (and some of them were
truly splendid), that they might be braided
up as trace ears the nubbins or ''pig cars
were to be thrown into the pig basket,
which was placed halfway down on the butts
1t was a tempta ton for the schoolmarm tC
neglect her work and Just sit still and lool
about her. The light was from lanterns hang
| ing on pitchforks, which were stuck into the
mows and gave to all the scene the very pret
| ty effect of deep shadows and bright light il
spots. 1t fell on laughing, bright-eyed girls
and broad-shouldered young men, in various
unoonsciously picturesque attitudes; on the
steady workers, whose hands we're busy a
the husking even while they watched will
interest the flight and effect of those soft bit
| broken from the corn ends, projected will
sure aim from one end of the barn to the 9th
| er: and on the faces of the sober cows tina
stretched their necks over to feed on thu
husks and stopped to look, with mild-eyet
wonder, on this interruption of the quie
they usually know.


She was mechanically pulling off the husk
from an ear in her hand while admiring thu
picture, when suddenly the two stalwar
young farmers beside her threw down theii
corn simultaneously, and each placed on Tho
one of her cheeks nearest him rousin(
smack. She arose, Swelling wisibly" will
mingled indignation and astOnishment; bu
when she understood that she had only pait
the penalty of having uncovered red ear,
it was impossible to keep from joining in tn
laugh at her confusion which followed, max
ing the old barn ring. And however muol
she may have rebelled in her own hear
against this total overlooking of her school
marin dignity, she dared not frown upon thi
ancient custom which is incorporated int
the very being of the husking. To be sure
she observed it to be a rule for the girls h
make lively show of resisting the paymen
of their penalties, adding to their musoula
resistance the very efficient aid of lung pow
err; but this only enlivened the scene, with
out diminishing in any degree the determine
tion of the gallant boys to see the law cal
ried into effect.


And there is another feature of husking