CHAPTER VII--THE MAYFLOWER FEAST
The tenseness of Edith's tone, coupled with her mysterious manner, hadthe desired effect, and the Pioneers all bent forward eagerly withexpectant eyes, anxious to hear what she had seen and heard, while sometoo impetuous one called out, "Oh, do hurry and tell us what it was!"
"It was the most terrible shriek I ever heard," answered Edith, with along-drawn sigh. Having succeeded in getting her audience where shewanted them she was anxious to prolong her triumph. "Why, my heartjumped into my mouth, and I--"
"Where did the noise come from?" inquired practical Helen impatiently,who never wasted any time in getting wrought up, as she called it, bythe Sport's yarns.
"It came from the garden of the gray house," was the quick retort; andthen, crossly, "I do wish, Helen, you would wait--you'll spoil the wholething if you don't let me tell it properly."
Grace, who had been listening intently to the Sport's recital, looked upquickly and encountered a glance from Nathalie's eyes as she suddenlyturned from Edith and looked across the circle at Grace to see if shehad heard. But Grace, whose memory was still rankling with her adventureat the gray house, was afraid that if the girls knew they would plagueher unmercifully for being a runaway, and hastily put her hand on herlips in warning not to tell what had happened to them.
Nathalie nodded loyally and then turned to hear Edith repeat, "Yes, thenoise came from the garden of the gray house, I have always told youthere was something queer about that place. At first I started to runaway, and then I thought, 'O pshaw! whatever it is, it won't hurt mebehind those high walls.' So I walked close up to the wall near onecorner to see if I could not manage to climb up in some way and lookinto the garden. I had just spied a tiny hole in the lower part of thewall--I guess some boys had made it, you know they are always spyingabout that place, anyway--when I heard loud breathing. I looked up andsaw a man creeping stealthily around the corner of the wall, as ifdodging some one. Well, I just gave one look at him, he had great black,burning kind of eyes, staring out of a face as white as a corpse. Hesuddenly spied me, and by the uncanny glare he gave I knew right off hewas the one who had been shrieking, he was the crazy man who livesthere! Great guns! but I didn't wait to take another look, I took to myheels and flew. Then I heard steps thumping behind me--looked back--oh,girls," she shrieked hysterically, "he was chasing me, running after meas hard as he could!"
She gulped, and then with a gasp continued, "Oh, for a moment I thoughtI was doomed, but--well--you know I can run, and I did, for my life. I ranevery step of the way here--and--oh, I'm so hungry! Have you had the feastyet?"
"What became of the man?" inquired Helen tersely.
"Oh, yes, what became of him?" added one or two others.
"I don't know and I don't care," asserted Miss Edith carelessly. "All Iknow is that he is as crazy as a loon, and that he lives in the grayhouse."
"Edith," exclaimed Mrs. Morrow sharply, "as long as you did not see theman come from the gray house do not say he lives there; and as forsaying he is crazy, that is absurd. That is just an idle report; do notrepeat it until you have proof that what you say is correct. He wasprobably a tramp, and may have been chased from the garden by one of theservants." Mrs. Morrow's face showed keenly her annoyance and disbeliefin Edith's surmise.
"But what could the screams have been?" asked Helen, wonderingly, "ifthey really came from the garden?"
"Oh, I am sure they did," asserted the Sport positively, "for I haveheard other people say that they have heard queer noises coming fromthat place. But girls," she exclaimed, as if anxious to dismiss thesubject, "do tell me what you have been doing. Oh, I did so hate to missall the fun."
"Yes, kiddie, it is too bad," consoled Lillie, putting her arm aroundher friend, "but we have not had the feast yet, we've just beenlistening to little stories about the Pilgrims--you know you heard meread my story the other day--" she stopped abruptly, for a suddenrustling in a clump of trees back of the garden had caused every one toturn and peer apprehensively over their shoulders.
"Oh," shivered the Sport nervously, "perhaps it is the crazy man!" Shesprang to her feet and made as if to take to her heels again.
Every girl followed her example, and in another moment there would havebeen a wild stampede to the shelter of the hall, if a loud voice had notcalled out, "Welcome, Englishmen! Welcome!"
Simultaneously with these words a lithe form sprang into the midst ofthe terrified girls, who clung to one another with wildly beating heartsas with dilated eyes they glared at the intruder, a tall Indian youth,resplendent with a feathered head-gear. He was clad in deerskin trousersfringed at the seams, a string of hairy scalps hung at his belt, and heheld a bow and arrow in his hands as he stood and looked down at thisbevy of frightened colonial maids with a broad smile on his greasebesmeared face.
There was just a second's pause, and then Helen shouted merrily, "Oh,it's Teddy Hart, and he's Samoset! Oh, girls, don't you remember? He wasthe Indian who came and welcomed the Pilgrims!"
Of course they all remembered, for had not Lillie dealt at length uponthat very scene when telling her story? And Teddy Hart, why, he was aBoy Scout, one of Fred Tyson's patrol, which was known as the Eaglepatrol.
This was all that was needed to make the girls forget the crazy man andthe Sport's harrowing tale, and they crowded about Teddy crying, "Oh,Ted, where did you get the rig?" or, "What made you think of it?" and,"Isn't it the best ever?" This last was from the Tike who was hoppingabout the new arrival examining the hairy scalps--which turned out to bea few wigs borrowed from the village barber--with keen curiosity.
"Great Caesar! give a fellow a chance to breathe, won't you?" fired themake-believe Samoset, as he mopped his face energetically. "Don't riddleme with questions; I'm not a target!"
Yes, this was the second surprise, or the forerunner of it, for beforeTeddy was ready to surrender his place as the hero of the moment, thebeat of a drum was heard, and from the little bit of woodland where Tedhad been hiding issued a group of queer-looking individuals. They wereall attired in somber-colored clothes with broad white collars, highconical-shaped hats, and all carried guns and had swords clanking attheir sides in good impersonation of the Fathers of their country. Thenext moment they had formed in line and with well-simulated solemnity ofcountenance, "as if going to meeting-house," tittered Grace, thesesixteen men-at-arms, headed by Capt. Standish--who was no other than FredTyson--marched valiantly down the street towards the garden.
It was the Sport after all who saved the day for the Pioneers, for asthey stood in dazed laughter wondering how to greet these unexpectedguests, the Sport's hand shot up, and two seconds later the girls hadjoined her in saluting their brother organization, as with one accordthey gave the Pioneer cheer.
In quick response to a signal from their leader, the Scouts came to ahalt, and as one man each Scout's hand went up to his forehead in thesalute of three ringers held upright. This was followed by anothercheer, a rousing one this time, as each boy shouted lustily:
"Ready! Ready! Scout! Scout! Scout! Good turn daily! Shout! Shout! Shout!"
The boys now fell into step again, and in a few moments had entered thelittle wicker gate where they broke ranks as they were cordiallywelcomed by the Governor's lady and Dame Brewster. For a short spacefollowing pandemonium reigned, as the boys tried to answer the manyqueries propounded by the girls, each Pioneer, spying some one favoriteboy, singled him out with merry jest to answer as to the why andwherefore of the unlooked for surprise.
Nathalie felt somewhat embarrassed and stood apart from the girls, nothaving met any of the Scouts of the town. Perhaps she was a littlescornful, for in the city she had been wont to pass a khaki uniform withscant approval, considering these emulators of chivalrous knights mereboys. Not understanding the aims or purposes of the organization theyhad failed to attract her.
But as she stood watching these tall, well-developed lads with headsheld high, squared shoulders, and with the ruddy glow of an active lifei
n the open on their bright faces, she reluctantly admitted that theywere interesting to look at, at least.
"Ah, Miss Nathalie, I see you have forgotten me!" spoke a voice at thegirl's elbow. She turned quickly to see the laughing brown eyes of FredTyson. Fred's face was flushed with embarrassment as he felt somewhattimorous as to this city girl's greeting, since he had last seen herwalking away from him with flushed cheeks and angry mien as he teasinglytaunted, "Scare-babies! Scare-babies!"
But Nathalie had forgotten all about that trivial incident--perhapsbecause she had a brother and knew the moods of boys and how theydelighted to tease and hark at the girls--and she dimpled with cordialityas she returned his greeting.
She was soon sparkling with merriment as Fred told of the fun they hadin rigging up, and the sensation they created as they marched throughMain Street. By this time the explanations from the boys were over, andthe secret of the cheer fire was revealed. It had been made by theScouts at the suggestion of Dr. Homer, who was much interested in thePioneers and had planned the two surprises to give a little more tone tothe celebration and fun to the girls.
The girls now clamored that they were hungry, and at an intimation fromMrs. Morrow the Scouts were invited to repair to one of the side roomsin the hall, where their Mayflower Feast was to be held.
The invitation was accepted by Fred for the patrol, and the party ofmerry-makers filed noisily into the hall. When the boys saw the Starsand Stripes, and the yards of red, white, and blue bunting hanging ingraceful folds from the walls of the room, they broke into patrioticsong. "Red, White, and Blue" was first sung in compliment to the GirlPioneers' colors, and was quickly succeeded by the "Battle Cry ofFreedom," and "The Star-Spangled Banner," in recognition of the starryemblem that symbolizes--more than any design that floats to the wind--theuplift of mankind, Liberty, and Union!
A cheery fire of pine knots blazed a greeting from the hearth, while twolong boards supported on trestles and covered with a shining damaskcloth, represented the table of Pioneer days. Odd bits of old-time ware,such as silver porringers, queer-shaped jugs, or blackjacks, a number ofwooden bowls, a high-standing salt-cellar, and a pewter tankard, weredistributed about the table. But it was the flowers that lay in buncheshere and there--and all May ones, too, from the clusters of whitesnowballs, lilacs, pink and yellow azaleas, to the big bowls filled withsprigs of arbutus--that held Nathalie's eyes.
But flags, antiques, and flowers soon became things of the past, as thegirls brought forth their lunch-baskets; each one had vied with theother to bring some choice edible and with the help of the modernknights, who declared that they had come for that purpose, the table wasloaded with goodies.
Just before the feast was served, Will Ditmas, a fair counterpart ofWilliam Brewster, the ruling elder of Plymouth, suddenly stood up and,after much throat-clearing, announced in a droning voice that if thosepresent were willing, for the furtherance of sobriety and seemlybehavior, he would read a few rules from "A Pretty Little Pocket Book."
After stonily staring over a pair of goggles at a few irrepressiblegigglers the would-be Elder read: "Speak not until spoken to; break notthy bread, nor bite into a whole slice; take not salt unless with aclean knife, and throw no bones under the table."
Those who were trying to keep their faces straight wavered in theattempt and joined the irrepressible Tike in a few hysterical titters ashe continued: "Hold not thy fork upright, but sloping, lay it down atthe right hand of the plate, with the end of the blade on the tableplate, and look not earnestly at any person that is eating."
This last was the final straw for the Tike, and she giggled sounrestrainedly that she threatened hysteria, and Helen had to whack heron the back so that she could get her breathing apparatus in workingorder again. This ebullition was like a match to fire, and all those whohad been smothering their mirth now broke forth into loud laughter,which threatened to become clamorous had not Mrs. Morrow held up herrestraining finger.
The signal was too well known not to be obeyed, and the too mirthfulones were recalled to themselves. Then, too, they were all hungry; soforgetting the old-time admonitions of their forebears, they were soonoccupied satisfying their hunger.
After the left-over goodies had been gathered into baskets to bedelivered to a poor family, and the place was set in order again, thechivalrous knights and the emulating Pioneers swarmed merrily into thedance hall, where they held high court to the light fantastic as Mrs.Morrow, the one-piece orchestra, rattled off ragtime harmony for roundand square dances.
Nathalie by this time had met a number of the Scouts, and to hersurprise found that some of them danced as well as, and in some casesbetter than her boy friends in the city. The would-be Elder, who haddroned the rules from the pocket book, proved not only a good dancer,but most companionable, and finding that Nathalie was sadly ignorant asto the aims and purposes of the Scout organization, he set forth toenlighten her.
He took off his Scout badge, pointed out the eagle, and the stars andshield, explaining that it was a trefoil badge and represented the threepoints in the Scout oath. The curl-up at the end of the scroll was areminder to each Scout that the corners of his mouth should always beturned up in a smile of cheerfulness. The knot in the loop was a"conscience pricker," as he expressed it, that a Scout was pledged to dosome one a good turn every day.
The next dance was Fred Tyson's, and when it ended they seatedthemselves in a corner of the hall to cool off, and as Nathalie fannedherself with a much bedraggled handkerchief, they hit upon a topic thatproved most entertaining, and that was--college. Fred stated that heexpected to go to Dartmouth in the fall and was therefore lookingforward to it with much pleasure.
Nathalie, with sparkling eyes, told how she had dreamed and longed to goto college, and then the golden lights in her eyes shadowed as she saidthat since the death of her father she had decided to stop dreamingabout what was impossible for her, and to do something worth while, soshe had become a Pioneer.
"But don't you think it worth while to go to college?" was Fred'spuzzled query, "for surely there is nothing that will help a girl morein life than to have--what is it--the higher education?"
"Yes, I know," assented his companion, "that is all right, but when onefinds that they can't have a thing--no matter how big or grand it is, orhow much they want it--if it is impossible, it ceases to be worth while;that is, why spend time lamenting, or thinking about something thatcan't be accomplished?"
"Why, you are a regular little philosopher!" laughed Fred. But Nathaliewas not heeding, for suddenly looking across the room she perceived thatthe dancers had retired from the floor, all but the Pioneers, who werestanding in two lines in the center of the room facing one another as ifabout to dance the Virginia Reel.
"Oh, what are they going to do?" she cried, but before her companioncould answer Helen came running up.
"Come on, Nathalie, we are going to dance the Pioneer dance. It's lotsof fun."
"But I don't know it," objected the girl. "I am not going to make a showof myself before all these boys."
"Oh, but you won't," urged Helen, "for you can be my partner, and I willtell you as we go along; and then its awfully simple, for we just gothrough the motions of pioneer handcraft--"
"Pioneer handcraft?" echoed Nathalie more puzzled than before.
"Yes, don't you remember what Mrs. Morrow told us about the handcraftsof the Pioneer women? Well, she made up this dance to make these craftsdefinite. Oh, come, it is easy!" In a moment, Nathalie's objection beingoverruled, she bade Fred good-by and was hurried by her partner to joinone of the two lines on the floor.
Only a few explanations were necessary, and Nathalie, who was quick tolearn, joined her voice to the girlish ones singing:
"Singing, ringing thro' the air Comes the song of Molly fair. Milking, milking Crumple Horn Down in the barn at early dawn."
As the song ended, the closed right hand of every Girl Pioneer was heldout in front, elbow bent upward. Then came three movements up and dow
nin imitation of the act of churning. This was done three times, as inchorus came:
"Churning, turning, see it splash, This way, that way, with a dash."
As the next two lines rang out:
"Skimming skimming foamy white, Making the butter golden bright,"
the motions were changed to those of skimming milk, repeated three timesas in the previous movement, the girls emphasizing the end of eachmovement by stamping the feet, using first one and then the other. Theyended this last motion by each girl placing her hands on her hips andtripping in line with the others lightly down the room in time with themusic and then back to place.
A second of time, and each dancer was making the motion of holding ababy in her encircled arms, and while swaying to and fro these wordswere softly crooned:
"Golden slumber kiss your eyes, Smiles awake you when you rise. Sleep pretty wantons, do not cry, And I will sing a lullabye."
Another moment, and the arms had fallen, each girl faced her oppositepartner, and then linking hands together they were rocking a cradle asthey joyously warbled:
"Baby is a sailor boy, swing, cradle, swing; Sailing is the sailor's joy, swing, cradle, swing."
Now the girls were waltzing gaily down the room and back again to place,where this time they formed in rows of three in each line. A crash ofchords from the piano, and each girl stepped forward with outstretchedleft hand, and made the motion of taking something with the right handfrom the closed left, and casting it on the ground, as they repeatedclearly and loudly:
"Good flax and good hemp to have of her own, In May, a good housewife will see that it is sown. And afterwards trim it to serve in a need, The fimble to spin, the card from her reel."
Yes, they were sowing hemp as their great-grand-mothers had donehundreds of years ago--a sign of a thrifty housewife. Now came threeclaps of the hand and again the girls swung into two facing lines. Eachperformer now lightly put forward the right foot, poised on the ball ofthe left one, while making the motion as of moving the treadle of aspinning-wheel, as with lifted hands she twisted the flax, stoppingevery moment to moisten one finger in an imaginary cup fastened to thedistaff.
"Polly Green, her reel," announced Helen.]
"Polly Green, her reel," announced Helen as leader of the dance, andthen came the old-fashioned couplet softly hummed:
"Count your threads right, If you reel in the night When I am far away."
Before Nathalie could decide whether the couplet meant only to countyour threads at night while Polly was far away, the dancers had swunginto place and were going through the minuet. With slow and statelymeasure they moved, ending each turn with the dipping, sweeping curtsythat has made that dance so graceful a reminder of the festivities ofearly days.
Now they are singing:
"Twice a year deplumed may they be In spryngen tyme and harvest tyme,"
as with swift motion each girl pretended to grab up something with herleft hand while the right flew up and down with noiselessregularity--plucking a goose for dinner.
The next instant every alternate girl had put her hand over her mouth inthe form of a horn and was calling loudly, "Ho, Molly Gray! Hi, CrumpleHorn!" This call had barely ceased its musical reverberation when eachfair dancer caught up the hem of her apron and, bending forward, withwell-simulated deftness was gathering or picking up something from theground which was quickly thrust into her apron. Another flash of whitearms, and each girl had caught up the hem of her neighbor's gown andwith a pretended switch was driving her forward while merrily singing:
"Driving in twilight the waiting cows home, With arms full-laden with hemlock boughs, To be traced on a broom ere the coming day From its eastern chamber should dance away."
As the songs and motions ended, the girls filed into line and marchedaround the room as if carrying muskets, that is, women's muskets,brooms.
Once more in row, each girl pretended she was holding a card with onehand, while drawing another card softly, but swiftly across the first.This was done with a deft, catchy motion as the girls sing-songed:
"Niddy-noddy, niddy-noddy Two heads on one body."
"Now we are imitating the motions of carding wool," Helen whisperedsoftly to Nathalie. "Niddy-noddy means the old-fashioned hand-reel usedin the days when there were no machines."
The Pioneers had finished carding wool and were dancing the VirginiaReel, spinning each other around with the vigor and vim of young heartsas a prelude to the next dance. In this they simulated sewing, takingtheir stitches with a precision and handiness that rivalled the littlemaids of Puritan days. With a posture as of holding a wooden frame,while in and out the needle flew, each damsel repeated slowly, withquaint precision:
"Lola Standish is my name. Lord, guide my heart that I may do thy will, And fill my Hands with such convenient skill As will conduce to Virtue void of shame, And I will give the Glory to thy name."
Only a space of time and the samplers were dropped, and each girl grewstrangely still, with bent head and listening ears. With eyes flaming ina fixed stare she poised an imaginary fowling-piece on her shoulder.They stood for a moment in this pose as each one present grasped theidea that they were doing the deed that many a Pioneer woman had bravelydone in those early days, in the absence of husband keeping guard overthe home from the relentless ravages of the red man!