t comes to every one at the glad spring
time. When Nature breaks out into new life and beauty, our hearts feel a
sympathetic gladness, and a celebration of the spring is the natural
outcome. The most primitive people felt this inclination, and they used
to gather the flowers that bloomed in profusion about them, set them up,
and to pay them a sort of homage, expressed in dance and song. The old
Romans had what they called Floralia, or Floral Games, which began on the
twenty-eighth of April, and lasted several days. Later in England, and
especially in the Middle Ages, it was the custom for people of all ranks,
even the Court itself, to go out early in the morning on the first of May
and gather flowers. Especially did they gather hawthorn, and huge
branches of this flower were brought home about sunrise, with
accompaniments of pipe and tabor, and much joy and merriment. Then the
people decorated their houses with the flowers they had brought. And
because of this, they called this ceremony bringing Home the May, or
going A-Maying, and so the hawthorn bloom itself acquired the name of
May, and is often spoken of by that name. In those early days, the
fairest maid of the village was crowned with flowers, and called the
Queen of May; she sat in state in a little bower or arbor while her
youthful courtiers danced and sang around her. But the custom of having a
May Queen really dates back to the old Roman celebration when they
especially worshipped the goddess Flora. Another feature of May-day was
the May-pole, which was erected in all English towns and villages, and
round which the people danced all day long. But these merry customs were
stopped when the Puritans put an end to all such jollifications. They
were revived somewhat after the restoration, but they are rarely seen
nowadays except among children. But they are all pretty customs, and the
whole subject will well repay reading and study. I won't continue this
lecture now, but before the month of May is over, we will study in school
hours some of its characteristics, and we will read the poem of the May
Queen, by Lord Tennyson."

"I wish you had boys in your school, Miss Hart," said Flip Henderson;
"you do teach the nicest way I ever heard of."

"Indeed she does," agreed Marjorie; "going to school to Miss Hart is like
going to a party every day."

And then came the crowning glory of the May party. This was the feast,
which was served out of doors on a table prettily de