Evening Republican, Volume 14, Number 59, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 March 1910 — COURTSHIP FESTIVAL. [ARTICLE]

COURTSHIP FESTIVAL.

Eilli of Brittle Vlllate Hart One Day Annually to Prapoac Marriace. Lover*, long before the day of Orlando and Rosalind, were wont, according to the poets, to hang verses on boughs and carve names on trees. There are villages in England where certain great trees have borne witness from time immemorial to the’ village courtships; their bark bears hundreds of testifying scars, and many hundreds more have vanished slowly with the passing years. In a few places the pretty custom survives for happy married lovers to repair yearly to their courtship tree and recut and keep clear the heart and Intertwined initials of their, early vows. In the town of Ecaussines in Belgium a lover and a tree founded a custom observed for several centuries. A shy youth there, not daring to speak his love, slipped Into the cottage garden of his sweetheart under cover of darkness, and planted beside her door-stone a beautiful young white birch. In the morning, without words, the whispering leaves of the graceful messenger conveyed their message. The gdrl guessed who had set the tree, sent for the youth,' encouraged and accepted him. The skory became known, and established an anniversary custom observed on every thirtieth of April. Gradually the day developed into a courtship festival, long purely local, but in recent years of drider scope. Not only did the lovers of Ecaussines court their sweethearts with planting and persuasion, but bachelor# and widowers from ■ surrounding towns thronged the village to choose wives from among the orphaned wards of the municipality, who were then given 'in marriage in acordance with their choice and the mayor's discretion, or to seek them among the more fortunate maidens of the place, reputed more inclined to be woed on that day than any other. Indeed, so highly are the maids otf Ecaussines esteemed both for modesty and beauty, and so satisfactory has the day of courtship proved, that a new development occurred last year. The arrangements were all very well for bold and dashing lovers, who could •woo with speed and efTect; but the shy men, distrusting their powers and fearing refusal, protested. The eager bnt bashful bachelors of the neighboring village of Ronquieres urged that, although they believed they really would make good husbands, thpy doubted their ability to make love. So, at their urgent request, to the mingled features of Arbor day and St. Valentine’s, was added a dash of leap year. On April 30 last the maids of Ecaussines, by special invitation so to do, visited Ronquieres and there proposed, without fear of jeering comment or unkind rejection, to whatever young man pleased them. Report says that the matches so made have been successful, and that other towns of the vicinity are already pleading that the anniversary, so long belonging to one village only, be made a feast in which each may share. It really looks as 11 in the future April 30 would be the'one day In tbq year when the pretty and popular maids of Ecaussines are certain to be not at home. —Youth’s Companion.