THE HUSKING FROLIC.
There were busy hands in the rustling sheaves,
And the crash of corn in its golden fall,
With a cheerful stir of the dry husk-leaves,
And a spirit of gladness over all.
The barn was a vast rustic bower that night. One end was heaped with
corn ready for husking; the floor was neatly swept; and overhead the
rafters were concealed by heavy garlands of white pine, golden maple
leaves, and red oak branches, that swept from the roof downwards like
a tent. Butternut leaves wreathed their clustering gold among the dark
green hemlock, while, sumach cones, with flame-colored leaves, shot
through the gorgeous forest branches. The rustic chandelier was in
full blaze, while now and then a candle gleamed out through the
garlands, starring them to the roof. Still, the illumination was
neither broad nor bold, but shed a delicious starlight through the
barn, that left much to the imagination, and concealed a thousand
little signs of love-making that would have been ventured on more
slily had the light been broader.
But the candles were aided by a host of sparkling eyes. The air was
warm and rich with laughter and pleasant nonsense, bandied from group
to group amid the rustling of corn-husks and the dash of golden ears,
as they fell upon the heap that swelled larger and larger with every
passing minute.
Uncle Nathan's great arm-chair had been placed in the centre of the
barn, just beneath the hoop of lights. There he sat, ruddy and
smiling, the very impersonation of a ripe harvest, with an iron
fire-shovel fastened in some mysterious manner across his seat, a
large splint basket between his knees, working away with an energy
that brought the perspiration like rain to his forehead. Up and down
across the sharp edge of the shovel, he drew the slender corn, sending
a shower of golden kernels into the basket with every pull of his arm,
and stooping now and then with a well-pleased smile to even down the
corn as it rose higher and higher in his basket.
Our old friend Salina sat at a little distance, with her fiery tresses
rolled in upright puffs over each temple, and her great horn-comb
towering therein like a battlement. A calico gown with very gay colors
straggling over it, like honeysuckles and buttercups on a hill-side,
adorned her lathy person, leaving a trim foot visible upon a bundle of
stalks just within range of uncle Nat's eye. Not that Salina intended
it, or that uncle Nat had any particular regard for neatly clad feet,
but your strong-minded woman has an instinct which is sure to place
the few charms sparsely distributed to the class, in conspicuous
relief on all occasions.
As Salina sat perched on the base of the corn-stalk, tearing away
vigorously at the husks, she cast an admiring glance now and then on
the old man as his head rose and fell to the motion of his hands; but
that glance was directly withdrawn with a defiant toss of the head,
for uncle Nat's eyes never once turned on the trim foot with its
calf-skin shoe, much less on its owner, who began to be a little
exasperated, as maidens of her class will when their best points are
overlooked.
"Humph!" muttered the maiden, looking down at her calico, "one might
as well have come with a linsey-woolsey frock on for what any body
cares." In order to relieve these exasperated feelings Salina seized
an ear of corn by the dead silk and rent away the entire husk at once;
when lo! a long, plump red ear appeared, the very thing that half a
dozen of the prettiest girls on the stalk-heap had been searching and
wishing for all the evening.
This discovery was hailed with a shout. The possession of a red ear,
according to the established usage of all husking parties, entitled
every gentleman present to a kiss from the holder.
The barn rang again with a clamor of voices and shouts of merry
laughter. There was a general crashing down of ears upon the
corn-heap. The roguish girls that had failed in finding the red ear,
all abandoned work and began dancing over the stalk-heap, clapping
their hands like mad things, and sending shout after shout of mellow
laughter that went ringing cheerily among the starlit evergreens
overhead.
But the young men, after the first wild shout, remained unusually
silent, looking sheepishly on each other with a shy unwillingness to
commence duty. No one seemed urgent to be first, and this very
awkwardness set the girls off like mad again.
There sat Salina, amid the merry din, brandishing the red ear in her
hand, with a grim smile upon her mouth, prepared for a desperate
defence.
"What's the matter, why don't you begin?" cried a pretty, black-eyed
piece of mischief, from the top of the stalk-heap; "why, before this
time, I thought you would have been snatching kisses by handsful."
"I'd like to see them try, that's all!" said the strong-minded female,
sweeping a glance of scornful defiance over the young men.
"Now, Joseph Nash, are you agoing to stand that?" cried the pretty
piece of mischief to a handsome young fellow that had haunted her
neighborhood all the evening; "afraid to fight for a kiss, are you?"
"No, not exactly!" said Joseph, rolling back his wristbands and
settling himself in his clothes; "it's the after-clap, if I shouldn't
happen to please," he added, in a whisper, that brought his lips so
close to the cheek of his fair tormentor, that he absolutely gathered
toll from its peachy bloom before starting on his pilgrimage, a toll
that brought the glow still more richly to her face.
The maiden laughing, till the tears sparkled in her eyes, pushed him
toward Salina in revenge.
But Salina lost no time in placing herself on the defensive. She
started up, flung the bundle of stalks on which she had been seated at
the head of her assailant, kicked up a tornado of loose husks with her
trim foot, and stood brandishing her red ear furiously, as if it had
been a dagger in the hand of Lady Macbeth, rather than inoffensive
food for chickens.
"Keep your distance, Joe Nash; keep clear of me, now I tell you; I
ain't afraid of the face of man; so back out of this while you have a
chance, you can't kiss me, I tell you, without you are stronger than I
be, and I know you are!"
"I shan't--shan't I?" answered Joe, who was reinforced by half a dozen
laughing youngsters, all eager for a frolic; "well, I never did take a
stump from a gal in my life, so here goes for that kiss."
Joe bounded forward as he spoke, and made a snatch at Salina with his
great hands; but, with the quickness of a deer, she sprang aside,
leaving her black silk apron in his grasp. Another plunge, and down
came the ear of corn across his head, rolling a shower of red kernels
among his thick brown hair.
But Joe had secured his hold, and after another dash, that broke her
ear of corn in twain, Salina was left defenceless, with nothing but
her two hands to fight with; but she plied these with great vigor,
leaving long, crimson marks upon her assailant's cheeks with every
blow, till, in very self-defence, he was compelled to lessen the
distance between her face and his, thus receiving her assault upon his
shoulders.
To this day it is rather doubtful if Joe Nash really did gather the
fruits of his victory. If he did, no satisfactory report was made to
the eager ring of listeners; and Salina stalked away from him with an
air of ineffable disdain, as if her defeat had been deprived of its
just reward.
But the red ear gave rights to more than one, and, in her surprise,
Salina was taken unawares by some who had no roguish black eyed
lady-loves laughing behind them. There was no doubt in the matter now.
Salina paid her penalty more than once, and with a degree of
resignation that was really charming to behold. Once or twice she was
seen in the midst of the melee, to cast quick glances toward uncle
Nathan, who sat in his easy-chair laughing till the tears streamed
down his cheeks.
Then there rose a loud clamor of cries and laughter for uncle Nathan
to claim his share of the fun. Salina declared that "she gave up--that
she was out of breath--that she couldn't expect to hold her own with a
child of three years old." In truth, she made several strides toward
the centre of the barn, covering the movement with great generalship,
by an attempt to gather up her hair and fasten the comb in securely,
which was generous and womanly, considering how inconvenient it would
have been for uncle Nat, with all his weight, to have walked over the
mountain of corn-stalks.
"Come, hurry up, uncle Nat, before she catches breath again," cried
half a dozen voices, and the girls began to dance and clap their hands
like mad things once more. "Uncle Nat, uncle Nat, it's your turn--it's
your turn now!"
Uncle Nathan threw the half-shelled ear upon the loose corn in his
basket, placed a plump hand on each arm of his chair, and lifted
himself to a standing posture. He moved deliberately toward the
maiden, who was still busy with her lurid tresses. His brown eyes
glistened, a broad, bland smile spread and deepened over his face, and
stealing one heavy arm around Salina's waist--who gave a little shriek
as if quite taken by surprise--he decorously placed a firm and modest
salute upon the unresisting--I am not sure that it was not the
answering--lips of that strong-minded woman.
How unpleasant this duty may have been to uncle Nat I cannot pretend
to say; but there was a genial redness about his face when he turned
it to the light, as if it had caught a reflection from Salina's
tresses, and his brown eyes were flooded with sunshine, as if the
whole affair had been rather agreeable than otherwise.
In fact, considering that the old man had been very decidedly out of
practice in that kind of amusement, uncle Nat acquitted himself
famously.
When the troop of mischievous girls flocked around, tantalizing him
with fresh shouts of laughter and eyes full of glee, the dear old
fellow's face brightened with mischief akin to their own. His
twinkling eyes turned from face to face, as if puzzled which saucy
mouth to silence first. But the first stride forward brought him knee
deep into the corn-stalks, and provoked a burst of laughter that made
the garlands on the rafters tremble again. Away sprang the girls to
the very top of the heap, wild with glee and daring him to follow.
The tumult aroused Salina. She twisted up her hair with a quick sweep
of the hand, thrust the comb in as if it had been a pitch-fork, and
darting forward, seized uncle Nat by the arm just as he was about to
make a second plunge after his pretty tormentors.
Slowly and steadily, that strong-minded female wheeled the defenceless
man round till he faced the arm-chair. Then quietly insinuating that
"he had better not make an old fool of himself more than once a day,"
she cast a look of scornful triumph upon the crowd of naughty girls,
and moved back to her place again.
The youngsters now all fell to work more cheerfully for this burst of
fun. The stalks rustled, the corn flashed downward, the golden heap
grew and swelled to the light, slowly and surely, like a miser's gold.
All went merrily on. Among those who worked least and laughed loudest,
was the little constable that had taken so deep an interest in the
affair that morning. Never did two ferret eyes twinkle so brightly, or
peer more closely into every nook and corner.
Two or three times Mary Fuller entered the barn, whispered a few words
to uncle Nat or Salina, and retreated again. At last aunt Hannah
appeared, hushing the mirth as night shadows drink up the sunshine.
She made a telegraphic sign to Salina, who instantly proceeded to tie
on her apron, and communicate with uncle Nathan, who arose from his
seat, spreading his hands as if about to bestow a benediction upon the
whole company, and desired that the ladies would follow Salina into
the house, where they would find a barrel of new cider just tapped in
the stoop, and some ginger-cake and such things set out in the front
room.
As for the gentlemen, it was always manners for them to wait till the
fair sex was served, besides, all hands would be wanted to clear out
the barn for a frolic after supper. Moreover, uncle Nat modestly
hinted that something a little stronger than cider might be depended
on for the young men, after the barn was cleared, an announcement that
served to reconcile the sterner portion of the company to their fate
better than any argument the old man had used.
Down came the girls like a flock of birds, chatting, laughing, and
throwing coquettish glances behind, as they followed Salina from the
barn. Up sprang the young men, clearing away stalks, kicking the husks
before them in clouds, and carrying them off by armsful, till a
cow-house in the yard was choked up with them, and the barn was left
with nothing but its evergreen garlands, its starry lights, and a
golden heap of corn sloping down from each corner.
Meantime, the bevy of fair girls, full of harmless, frolicsome mirth,
and blooming like wild roses, had trooped gaily into the old house.
Aunt Hannah had allowed Mary Fuller to brighten up the rooms with a
profusion of autumn flowers, which, though common and coarse, half
served to light the table with their freshness and gorgeous colors. A
long table, loaded down with every domestic cake or pie known in the
country, was stretched the whole length of the out-room. Great plates
of doughnuts, darkly brown, contrasted with golden slices of
sponge-cake, gingerbread with its deeper yellow, and a rich variety of
seed cakes, each varying in form and tint, and arranged with such
natural taste that the effect was beautiful, though little glass and
no plate was there to lend a show of wealth.
Little old-fashioned glasses, sparkling with the cider that gave them
a deep amber tinge, were ranged down each side the board, and along
the centre ran a line of noble pies. These pies were aunt Hannah's
pride and glory. She always arranged them with her own hands in
sections, first of golden custard, then of ruby tart, then the dusky
yellow of the pumpkin, and then a piece of mince, alternating them
thus, till each pie gleamed out like a great mosaic star, beautiful to
look upon and delicious to eat.
Then there was warm short-cake and cold biscuit, the yellowest and
freshest butter, stamped in cakes, with a pair of doves cooing in the
centre, and a thousand pretty contrivances that made the table quite a
thing of romance.
At the head stood aunt Hannah, cold and solemn, but very attentive,
just as they all remembered her from their birth up, with the same
rusty dress of levantine silk falling in scant folds down her person,
and the same little slate-colored shawl folded over her bosom, only
with a trifle more grey in her hair, and a new wrinkle or so creeping
athwart her forehead. There she stood as of old, quietly requesting
them one and all to help themselves; while Salina and Mary Fuller flew
about, breaking up the mosaic pies, handing butter to this one and
cake to that, and really seeming to make their two persons five or six
at least, in this eager hospitality.
Aunt Hannah always threw a sort of damp on the young people. Her cold
silence chilled them, and that evening there was a shadow so deep upon
her aged face, that it seemed almost a frown. Still she exerted
herself to be hospitable; but it was of no use; the girls ranged
themselves around the table in silence, helped themselves daintily,
and conversed in whispers. Salina insisted that this state of things
arose from the absence of the young men, but as she only suggested
this in a whisper to Mary Fuller, no one was the wiser for her
opinion, and after a little there arose a fitful outbreak or two that
began to promise cheerfulness.
It certainly was aunt Hannah's presence, for when the girls left the
out-room and trooped up to Mary's chamber, they grew cheerful as birds
again; and it was delightful to see them aiding each other in the
arrangement of the little finery which was intended to make terrible
havoc among the young men's hearts below.
And now there was a flitting to and fro in Mary's room; a listening at
the door; and every one was in a flutter of expectation. Pink and blue
ribbons floated before the little glass, with its green crest of
asparagus-tops red with berries. Now a pair of azure eyes glanced in,
then came black ones sparkling with self-admiration. A hundred pretty
compliments were bandied back and forth. It was a charming scene.
But even a gay toilet cannot give delight for ever. As the last ribbon
was settled, they heard the young men coming in from the barn, and the
next half hour, while the beaux were at supper, threatened to be a
heavy one with the girls.
"Oh, what shall we do, huddled up here like chickens in a coop?" cried
one. Salina, tell us a story; come, that's a good creature."
"Do," said Mary, earnestly, "or they will be dull. Let me run down and
help aunt Hannah."