The Project Gutenberg EBook of Two Festivals, by Eliza Lee Follen

This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or
re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net

Title: Two Festivals

Author: Eliza Lee Follen

Posting Date: June 11, 2009 [EBook #4056]
Release Date: May, 2003
First Posted: October 25, 2001

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK TWO FESTIVALS ***

Produced by Charles Franks and the Online Distributed
Proofreading Team. HTML version by Al Haines.

TWO FESTIVALS

BY

MRS. FOLLEN

With Illustrations by Billings and others

CONTENTS

MAY MORNING AND NEW YEAR'S EVE.
THE BIRTHDAY.
A TRUE STORY.

MAY MORNING AND NEW YEAR'S EVE.

It is the evening before the first of May, and the boys are looking
forward to a May-day festival with the children in the neighborhood.
Mrs. Chilton read aloud these beautiful lines of Milton:--

Now the bright morning star, Day's harbinger,
Comes dancing from the east, and loads with her
The flowery May, who from her green lap throws
The yellow cowslip, and the pale primrose.
Hail beauteous May that dost inspire
Mirth, and youth, and warm desire;
Woods and groves arc of thy dressing,
Hill and dale doth boast thy blessing.
Thus we salute thee with our early song,
And welcome thee, and with thee long.

"How beautiful!" said Frank and Harry. "Suppose, Mother," said
Harry, "it should rain, and hail, and snow to-morrow, for it looks
like it now, and then you know we cannot go into the woods and
gather flowers; and all our plans will be spoiled." "Why, then, my
dear, we must enjoy May morning as the great poet did, after he lost
his sight, with our mind's eye; and you must bear your
disappointment patiently." "Easier said than done, Mother," said
Harry. "Why, only think of all our preparations, and the beautiful
wreath you made for Lizzy Evans, who is to be queen of the May, and
how pretty she would look in it, and then think of the dinner in the
woods, we all sitting round in a circle, and she and the king of the
May in the midst of us, and Ned Brown playing on his flageolet; and
then you know we are all to walk home in procession, and have a
danc