248 THE YOUTH’S CABINET.

the same thing in these days. But the
best. of the sport came after the husking
was over. Then all hands went into the
house, and sat down—or rather, stood
up—to a supper combining, in the most
generous profusion, all the luxuries of
the season.

Oh! those were charming times, those
husking parties. My heart warms to-
wards them now, as I think of them.
There was only one day in the whole
year—the ever-memorable thanksgiving
day, as you may surmise—to which I
looked forward with keener delight than
I did to the day on which a great husk-
ing was to come off, whether at my fa-
ther’s or elsewhere.

How much reason has the farmer for
gratitude, when he gathers in his crops.
I wonder if he is grateful enough for
the blessings which God pours into his
hands. I never think of the season of
harvest, without recalling to my mind
this language | tN,
of the Psalm- SA\\
ist: “Bless the
Lord, O my
soul, and for-
get not all his
benefits.” My
little friends,
are you thank-
ful enough for

through the husking process without
any artificial light. |

Imagine now a party composed of
fifty, perhaps a hundred people, men
and women, boys and girls, mixed to-
gether without much regard to order,
on one side of the mammoth heap of
corn, Now the husking commences,
and now the jokes begin to go round.
Everybody is happy, or almost every-
body, at aJl events. Hypochondria, low
spirits, and maladies of that sort, are not
so common in the country, among farm-
ers, as they are in the city, among mer-
ehants, publishers, and editors. I tell
you what it is, my little pale-faced city
boy, they have a right merry time of it
at the husking party. Sometimes, it
may be, the mirth of the younger por-
tion of the party oversteps the bounds
of propriety a little. But such is not
often the case, I think. It certainly
was a very rare thing in our neighbor-
hood, on similar occasions.

As the corn is husked, the ears are
thrown over on the opposite side of the
heap, and the husks form another heap
behind the party. Perhaps you will be
a little surprised when I tell you that
the husking was kept up to a pretty
late hour. Connecticut people are some-
what famed for their “steady habits,”
it is true. But for all*that, they used
to keep rather late hours at their husk- | the possession
ing parties, when I was a boy; and 1| of these bless-
am not quite sure but some of them do ! | |

  
 
   
 
 
  
 
 
  
 
 
  
 
 
  
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
  
    
     
    
   
   
     
    
 
       
     
     
     
 
     
 
 
  

  

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