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“Just think,” she said, “I have never been to a Halloween party in my life.” “You are the queerest thing, Maida,” Rosie said in perplexity. “You’ve been to Europe. You can talk French and Italian. And yet, you’ve never been to a Halloween party. Did you ever hang May-baskets?” Maida shook her head. “You wait until next May,” Rosie prophesied gleefully.
Very accusingly she raised her finger and shook it at the Superintendent's perfectly livid countenance. "Oh, of course I know I wasn't very much to look at. But at least I matched! What my hands knew, I mean, my face knew! Pies or plowing or May-baskets, what my hands knew my face knew! That's the way hands and faces ought to work together!
As we knew none to put upon the rude cross which we placed to mark her grave, Father Friday traced on the rough wood, with paint made by Josh from burnt vine twigs, the simple inscription: "A Child of Mary." "I am so glad May-day is coming!" exclaimed Ellen Moore. "What sport we shall have hanging May-baskets!"
As she sat there a band of children went past, with a shrill, sweet clamor of voices. They were out hanging May-baskets and bunches of anemones. That was the favorite sport of the village children during the month of May. The woods were full of soft, innocent, seeking faces, bending over the delicate bells nodding in the midst of whorls of dark leaves.
"It is just as cruel to kill birds for the sake of fashion as it is for the satisfaction of practising with a sling; only you girls have somebody to do it for you; and you don't think about it, because you can just step into a store and buy the plumes " "But what about the May-baskets?" protested Frances, disappointed at the digression. "Oh, I forgot!" said Ellen.
"What do you mean?" inquired Frances, who lived in Pennsylvania, but had come to New England to visit her cousins. "Never heard of May-baskets?" continued Ellen, in astonishment. "Do you not celebrate the 1st of May in Ridgeville?" "Of course. Sometimes we go picking wild flowers; and at St. Agnes' Academy, where I go to school, they always have a lovely procession in honor of the Blessed Virgin."
Somehow it did not now seem so beautiful to Abby either. She took it off, and gazed at it with a sigh. "Here in New England the boys and girls go a-Maying," she said. "Last year, when we were in the country, Larry and I went with our cousins. We had such fun hanging May-baskets! I got nine. But," she went on, regretfully, "I don't expect any this year; for city children do not have those plays."
"We have one too, in the church," replied Ellen; "but hanging May-baskets is another thing altogether " "That is where the fun and frolic come in," interrupted Joe, looking up from the miniature boat which he was whittling out with his jackknife.
We had some May-baskets left for us by unknown hands upon May-day. The flowers drooped over the sides, as if they would not meet my eye to tell the secret; but a group of smiling girls next morning were not so inexorable, and I thanked nature for such almoners of her gifts. These beautiful tributes are touching if one is serious.
And I know I know that there must be some reason bigger than 'implicit trust' and the other May-baskets for his appointin' me in his will. What that reason is I don't know yet." "Then you intend ?" "I don't know what I intend in the end. But for a beginnin', I cal'late to run down to New York some time durin' the next week, take a cruise 'round, and sort of look things over."
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