Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1861-06-26
From the NV YoBK MERCURY
THE MIC FEVE

TIE LIST EXPERIENCE OF DOESTCHS-
Everybody has been. a, some time Of his
life. afflicted with peculiar disease that attacks
a rural community, and makes them run into
the woods. and perpetsate tLat most dismal
aud elaborate form Of an forms of human dis
comfort known as picnic "
This ,uqlady which has never yet been de-
soribei by physicians, principally prevails il
the couDiry-there being something in the
air Ct the city that neutralizes tie floating
malaria that breeds the picnic fever. This
strange infection Is most prevalent in small
country villages abou. strawberry time: aud
It generally attacks all the unmarried people
in a single nighboEhood on nearly the same
da7. Il is iucurabIe, and must always be per
rli;ol 20 ran Its course. If the old folks in
the nciebborhood where the disease appears
are wise. they will az once provide the afflicted
juveniles with fare quantity of saulwirbes.
cake, cheese. pies, lemonade aud bot;led.ale.
pack the young folks carefully into wagons
Cthe boys and girls being equally distributed
il each wagon) and hustle them of TO the
nearest shady cow-pasture, and let the disease
culmiua,e in picnic.
Everyjod in the country knows the effects
Of this fevcr-jealousies and heart-burnincs
for some and engagements and weddings for
others. In those places where the symptoms
are well understood, it IS brought to Its cuiui-
nation quickly, so as to have the crisis past,
and get the patients progressing favorably.
as soon as possible.
L has been proposed to put this peculiar
/ summer-sickness to a good use in 2 meteor
! logical way (; for keen observers have often re-
marked, that there was never picnic-pa-ty
/ yet, where women were invited, that didn't
get drenched to the skin by driving shower
before they came home Accordingly, in sea-
sons of drought, picnic-parties are resorted to
1 for the ss,rpose Of bringing on rain aud saving
the cgors-and the expedient has pever been
known to fail In case there should be IN
usual doubt on the Subject, it is only ncces-
sary to send with the party a newly manu-
) factured bride, at,ired in her wedding clothes
and the rain is sure to come
For all my many years. residence 10 the
city. have never been Inflicted with the we'll
remembered picnic fever until \ few davs
ago. I knew. aud instantly recognised the
dreaded symptoms I eagerly sought out some
of the fellows who had, Ike myself, formerly
lived 10 the couutTy-to n,y amazemert. they
we're all singuarly suffering We SAN IN a min
ute that there was but one way TO effect q
cure q" physicians was in vain" and all the
drugs and medicines of William street couldn't
help us We looked at each other in blank
amazement-each one fearing to state what al
were we'll aware must soon be said there was
no other way. aud SO we agreed to face the
music-not TO finch from the responsibility
to take the bitter dose like men, and TO iInme.
diately proceed and have picnic. Bu; i
should be masculine affair-we were agreed
TO that there should be no women; ; We Voc
have no climbing into high trees for tossed W
bounets, aud no cambering down precipice
for tossed-down gloves and slippers we woe
have no ginger bread and pound cake whey
we wanted red herrings and cheese; aud v,
wouldn't oe fobbed of uitS weak ,enoRal