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WHEN I WAS A YOUNG GIRL |
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the Market Drayton game, each pretends to tear her clothes for "naughty girl"; pretends to carry a bag for M schoolgirl"; walk in pairs side by side for "courting"; the same, arm in arm, for "married " ; "hushes " for a baby, pretends to pat on the back for sick baby; covers her face with handkerchief when baby dies; pats her chest when husband is sick, cries and " makes dreadful work" when he dies; puts on handkerchief for a widow's veil for a widow; hobbles along, and finally falls down when "a hundred and four." In the Dorset game, when at "service," an imitation of scrubbing and sweeping is given; walk in couples for sweethearts, and married; the remaining verses the same as the Piatt version. In the Fernham game the children shoot out their arms alternately for a soldier; for a mower, they stand sideways and pretend to cut grass; for hedge-cutter, they pretend to cut with a downward movement, as with a belt \qy. bill] hook, the other action similar to the Piatt and Barnes games. In the Frodingham game they stamp and pretend to drill for " schoolboys," pretend to sew as "schoolgirls," kiss for "courting," put on a ring for "getting married," run for a doctor when "husband" is ill, punch and push each other for "soldiers," and haul ropes for "sailors." In other versions, in which carpenters, blacksmiths, farmers, bakers appear, actions showing something of those trades are performed.
(d) It will be seen, from the description of the way this game is played, that it consists of imitative actions of different events in life, or of actions imitating trades and occupations. It was probably at one time played by both girls and boys, young men and young women. It is now but seldom played by boys, and therefore those verses containing lines describing male occupations are not nearly so frequently met with as those describing girls' or womens' life only. Young girl, sweetheart, or going courtin', marriage, birth of children, loss of baby and husband, widowhood, and the occupations of washing and cleaning, exactly sum up the principal and important events in many working womens' lives—comprising, in fact, the whole. This was truer many years ago than now, and the mention in many versions of school girl, teacher, governess, indicate in |
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