called _The Gaberlunzie-Man_ (1512-1542) in which the event is summed up
in two lines relating to a peasant girl, "She's aff wi the
gaberlunzie-man." The words of the play run in part as follows:
"See the gay balonza-man, the charming gay balonza-man; We'll do all
that ever we can, To cheat the gay balonza-man!"
The things he was to be cheated of seemed to be osculations.--G.v.d.M.
"The Needle's Eye" won, and we formed in a long line of couples--Wades,
Finsters, Flemings, Boyds and the rest of the roll of present-day
aristocrats, and marched, singing, between a boy and a girl standing on
chairs with their hands joined. Here is the song--I can sing the
tune to-day:
"The needle's eye,
Which doth supply
The thread which runs so true;
{And many a lass
{Have I let pass
or
{And many a beau
{Have I let go
Because I wanted you!"
At the word "you," the two on the chairs--they were Lizzie Finster and
Charley McKim at first--brought their arms down and caught a
couple--they caught Kittie and me--who were at that moment passing
through between the chairs--which were the needle's eye; and then they
sang, giving us room to execute:
"And they bow so neat!
And they kiss so sweet!
We do intend before we end, to have this couple meet!"
Crimson of face, awkward as a calf, I bowed to Kittie and she to me; and
then she threw her arms about me and kissed me on the lips.
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