SEE0-T1KIE AMD HARVEST. 
7 
sented to her, which most commonly falls 
to the dog’s share, for no one will own it 
their due. Thus were youth encouraged, 
shamed and feasted with very little cost, 
and always their feasts accompanied with 
exercise.” 
The rustic people had their “Shrovetide 
Revels,” and even at this time, there was a 
man dressed up to represent King Christ¬ 
mas, and he paraded the village streets on 
horseback and was followed by the twelve 
months, habited in the different seasonable 
garments, and bearing appropriate em¬ 
blems. This procession wound up with a 
person representing Lent, robed in dismal 
garments “in token that sadness shoulde 
folowe and an holy tyme.” People were 
attired as beasts of the field, fishes of the 
sea, birds of the air, and there were im¬ 
personations of all classes in church and 
state, not omitting clowns and devils, and 
there were knights in armor who fought 
sham battles, and men in hideous masks 
who used to frighten the women and chil¬ 
dren. The Carnival, Mardi Gras, and our 
own “Fantastics” on the Fourth of July, 
doubtless had their origin in these “Shrove¬ 
tide Revels.” 
The apprentices always had a holiday on 
this day; but they often abused their privi¬ 
leges by entering into fights and disturb¬ 
ances; perhaps because so much license 
was allowed every one to do as he pleased 
at this time. Yet these apprentices often 
had a hard life of it, almost all through 
the rest of the year, working from long 
before daylight until late in the night, and 
often under hard and cruel masters. Some 
of the poor fellows were not treated as 
though they were human beings. We 
believe the present generation of appren¬ 
tices fares better; still, there is room for 
more improvement. 
As there were seasons of merriment, so 
does there seem to have been special kinds 
of food—as well as special kinds of sports— 
inimical to those seasons. Pancakes came 
on “Shrove Tuesday”; and, by some, this 
season has been called “Pancake Day.” If 
you ever have the good fortune to visit 
England, you will find at the British Muse¬ 
um, a manuscript that will tell you abouc 
a queer custom at Eton College on “Shrove 
Tuesday.” “In 1560 it was the custom of 
this college to fasten a pancake to a crow 
upon the school door; and as crows usually 
hatch at this season, the cawing of their 
young ones for their parent heightened this 
heartless sport.” At Westminster school,, 
the under clerk of the college, preceded 
by the Beadle and other officers used to» 
throw a huge pancake over the bar, which 
divided the upper from the lower school. 
And now we will take a jump over to* 
Scotland and mention one or two customs: 
pre valent there at this season. The bach¬ 
elors and married men play ball from two- 
o’clock until sunset, taking opposite sides*. 
The ball is thrown from one to the other 
and he who catches it must run with all 
his strength; some one runs in chase and 
strives to oveitake him and wrest the balll 
from his hands. If caught, and he can 
shake himself loose, he runs on; if not, he 
throws the ball from him. “The object of 
the married men is to hang the ball, that is*, 
to put it three times in a small cavity in 
the moor, which is the dool or limit on the 
one hand: that of the bachelors is to drown. 
the ball, or dip it three times in a deep^ 
place in the river, the limit on the other* 
The party who can effect either of these 
objects wins the game. If neither wins,, 
the ball is cut into two equal parts at sun¬ 
set.” At another part of Scotland the ma¬ 
trons and maidens used to have a similar 
game, and it is said that the married wom¬ 
en were always successful. 
Shakespeare must have been well ac¬ 
quainted with the merry makings before* 
Lent set in, for he says: 
“Be merry, be merry- , 
’Tis merry in the hah where beard’s wag; 
all, 
And welcome merry Shrovetide.” 
Almost every season was believed to fore¬ 
tell the weather; and in the Shepherd’s 
almanac for 1676, is to be found the follow¬ 
ing: “Some say, thunder on Shrove Tues¬ 
day foretelleth wind, store of fruit, and 
plenty. Others affirm that so much as the 
sun shineth on that day, the like will shine 
every day in Lent.” 
But at the sounding of the curfew, lights 
were extinguished and people were obliged 
to dispense with their merry makings and 
