Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1860-06-29
tten for the Delaware Gazette,
!. PTCNICS. tss. p -
roRYi oFl IHE -PAsI aAxD PRKsENF.

evident that 1t dates far back IN The world
history; yet We are not so sanguine about thei
high antiquity, as to believe with some, tha
+ our first parents were revelihg. in one when th
= fatal apple was plueked History points ou
but few before the fall of the western brancl
Of the Roman Empire. sie
i But from that time their constant n1uItipli
| cation is 10 be-noted. though under ciffereni
; names up to the middle of the eighteenth cen
tary. That was their crowning era in Eng
land From Aearly spring till latest fall,'
parties Of the Kind were formed among the
nobility and among fhe gentry of the island
4 The most romantic spots then, as no~. were
= selected forsthen :; and everything wentnerry
as asHarriaga belis' bs-5EssaaG "a ss8ssa
y The ladies among the gentry. seemed atoade
ligtt IN thenpespecially. And an incident, Illus
tratihg their prseiyities IN that direction, write
j telnby q maiden ladgaof thetime is here added
Substance. And the fact that this is the first
I time tiierstery has been offered to the public;
recommends it to7our sympathies at least, and
forbids the reader from seohdesnning the lady,
4 as historian, or an authoress before he pc
ruses it, fhesstory is laid aaa quiet tewhioh
\ the western side of the isIaads iwfietf could
boast of a pepula ton Of But little rising three
Thousand. ,-sAnd if it had not been the seat of
"a prosperous sectaEian University, and female
Il Cellege,it would faves passed along through
the world asIunknow wgaabfsad, as the tidy maid
lsso abundan in stitches and frillsy who wrote
i this incident. .1gemtaioqqa 9ylia55z.4 .aT8lrt
The custom among the'ndbility at that time
living in the largrFe cities, eftuhequasntlitte
!, village es onis story 10 POSSESSION of but two
I
among the former cIass, were numbered the
| younger instruetorsin -theaschools, small por-
tion Of the students, and few7of the regular
| youths of. the town In thesesdivsions strifes,
and dissatisfaction would frequently oGeur.-a
| But neither party were sufficiently strong TO
| stand alone they kept together, abn, rather
from a necessity, than from congeniaiity. The
mm of the reader can, at the moment, call
| up many instances of similar union, among in
dividuals and seets, at the present--toe weak
to stand alone, yet piqued at joining with 9TH
ers to preserve an existence. One of those
| difficulties, which occurred in l760, we will
briefly narrate, TO show the difference of Eng
lisli society thea and American now. s-fa4f
About the first of June of that year several
of the ladies of1lthe town got in great pas /
sion for a Picnic which they had talked about
and wishedior secretly, already an entire month !
But they were too naughty to mention their !
wish to the gentlemen as that might point to /
dependence, which by the way, English women I
very much, deprecate. But as it WAS lcap-
year, the gentlemen thought it did not devolve I
particularly on them to advance in the matter,
SO they remained tacit and passive, to the cha :
grin of their fair associates, to some of
whom. their tardiness was so vexing!y manifest
that their proud spirits could brook it no lon /
ger. So one day they accidentally mentioned |
the propriety of having picnic to one of the
gentlemen. and in a periphastc way. intmatcd /
that there must be an unusual scarcity Of funds
somewhere.
From this the gentleman exculpated himself
by declaring that he desired one, and lad i'll
deed plead with his associates to JOIN him in
supporting it. but somehow they would not
And he alone could not bear the entire burden,
therefore it must fail Now was given an OPP
portunity for the ladies' to act for themselves,
which an English lady never distlains 20 do
A meeting of their number was called, and as
d rctorton, il was resolved to hold a picnic
among themselves.
But during this meeting was to be witness
ed sight, which is no less rare than terrible
-wonaHs rage. The cause Of this passion
our maiden historian does not mention, bat she
adds, that il was like vivid lightning, flashing
about the borders of bright evening clouds.
Be this as it may, points of difference were
moved, and the following Saturday was appoin-
ted for their party. A committee of two were
appointed to confer with the livery men for
two teams TO bear them to the grounds. And
oh tod to of
danties But about all these things, the ut
most secrecy was to be preserved, so that the
rattling of the wagon wheels on Saturday NOR
ming, would fall on the ears of the young gen
tlemen like clap of thunder from clear sky.
Fortune seemed to favor their plans, and
wishes, for we next find them :" all aboard -
en- route for the grounds. The comdany was
composed of ten ladies and two drivers in fine
livery The widest enthusiasm prevailed
when the reality burst upon them, that their
start was success. Indeed they seemed in
toxicated with the supposed modification Of
the gentlemen. But alas on arriving at the
grounds, they found that they had let excite
ment dethrone reason !; for each had filed their
provision baskets chiefly with flowers, thinking
of course these would be food enough. Ex-
animation however showed there was not,
and as for Dishes they too were wanting.
In this dilemma council was called, in
which it was agreed that they would get
family near by to prepare some additional food
and vessels. In all Kindness the family did so.
and among other favors they granted them q
churu, in which to make lemonade and gourd
to drink it from
Bnt we must hasten from this rustic scene.-
The setting sun witnessed the company 'home
ward bound" The chief features of which
was paying The drivers, aud the passage of a
resolution to the effect that each on arriving
at home. should represent to the gentlemen,
whom they expected 10 fud much offended,
that they had an indeScribabe fine time.-
Judge'if you can of their surprise at finding
them in perfect humor and unmoyed to envy.
by such assertions as these: o yes. we have
had killing good time; g It perfectly
magnificent r" " Such a perfectly splendid
fam | never had +" g And the lemonaGei and
the baked chickens, bless me how nice they,
were - I" o could you have seen US reveling
in the woods, and among the flowers, 0 o."
But we have drawn enough of our story
from the unsuspectng maid of long ago, who
first penned it. To her alone we are indebted
for the private history of the picnic, here givr
en-, which we would not dare to write, did we
think this would ever meet the gaze of any
connected Herewith. e-., - -.......
Tie points of difference mentioned, between
English society in the time of George the 3d.,
and our own and we are done.
First, We proudly believe American ladies'
would lake a course more effective, mere lady,
like aud more Christian like, than revenge if 2
they wished-to answer supposed injury.
Second, quarrels are indeed the shame of