6 
SEED-TIME Am HARVEST. 
Rural Sports of Old England. 
BY FRANK S. FINN. 
NUMBER TWO. 
There is a very, very ancient Christmas 
carol that runs thus: “Sing we myrth for 
Chryste’s birth; and keep me yule till Can¬ 
dlemas. ’ The old farmers used to say: 
“If Candlemas-day be fair and bright, 
Winter will have another flight: 
But if Candlemas-day be clouds and rain, 
^Vinter is gone and will not come again.” 
And we have often heard the farmers of 
the present time quote the adage: “Can¬ 
dlemas-day l Half your grain and half your 
hay.” The almanac tells us that this day 
occurs on February 2. In the north of 
^England, this day, I have heard, has been 
called the “Wives Feast Day,” and here is 
one of the curious ceremonies connected 
with the same: “The mistress and servants 
of each family dress a sheaf of oats in 
womens apparel, put it in a large basket 
and lay a wooden club by it, and this they 
call Bruds Bed; and the mistress and ser¬ 
vants cry aloud three times: ‘Brud is come. 
Brud is welcome!’ This they do just 
before going to bed. In the morning they 
look among the ashes, and if they see the 
impression of Brud’s club there, they 
reckon it a presage of a good crop and a 
prosperous year; if not, they take it as an 
ill omen.” From this, it would seem that 
the basket is burned, although the narrator 
4oes not so state. This custom prevails in 
the Western Islands. 
In old times, families used to sell their 
wood ashes as they were made throughout 
the year, and he who purchased them 
always sent to the family a present of a 
large candle on Candlemas day, Then, 
when night came, the wick was lighted 
and a right merry party it shone on, for 
they passed the time in innocent enjoy¬ 
ments, and there was much feasting, and 
sorry am I to have to record it, copious 
drafts of ale, punch and other beverages. 
Thus the hours passed until the candle 
went out and that was the signal for the 
sports to cease. The little ones always 
looked forward to this time with eager 
anticipations, for it was their privilege to 
sit up with the grown folks, take part in 
their games, have their share of the eat¬ 
ables—but not, I hope of their drink—and 
sit up till the big candle went out. 
St. Valentine’s clay was, and is celebrated 
in much the tame manner as with us—in 
the interchange of tender and comic 
epistles. There used to be a custom of at¬ 
taching an apple or an orange to the valen¬ 
tine and it was carried to the house by the 
youth or maid. A sly rap was given, the 
door was opened, the billetdoux thrown in, 
while the thrower made off as fast as possi¬ 
ble. I think this gave the idea for hang¬ 
ing May baskets so prevalent among us in 
the Spring. 
Lenten Time varies with the year, but it 
usually commences in February, and as the 
long fast of Lent was rigidly kept by the 
lofty and the lowly, naturally, nearly all 
amusements ceased during that time; but 
there were quite a number crowded into it 
on the day before Lent began, and this day 
has been known as “Shrove Tuesday.” One 
of the sports of that time, and which was 
a very cruel one, which I hope is now 
was the “Threshing of the Hen.” 
It has been conjectured that the origin of 
this pastime was because the fowl, being 
deemed a luxury and delicacy to the labor¬ 
er, it was given him on the festive day for 
sport and food. Here is an account of the 
custom in the words of a very old author: 
“The hen is hung at the fellow’s back, who 
has also some horse’s bells about him; and 
the rest of the fellows are blinded and have 
boughs in their hands, with which they 
chase this fellow and his hen, about some 
large court or enclosure. The fellow with 
his hen and bells, shifting as well as he can, 
they follow the sound, and sometimes hit¬ 
ting him and his hen, other times, if he can 
get behind one of them, they thresh one 
another well favoredly; but the jest is, the 
maids are to blind the fellows, which they 
do with their aprons, and the cunning girls 
will endeavor to make a peeping hole for 
their sweethearts, whilst the others look 
out as sharp to hinder it. After this the 
hen is boiled with bacon, and store of 
pancakes and fritters are made.” 
After the hen threshing, “She that is 
noted for lying in bed long, or any other 
misdemeanor, hath the first pancake pre- 
