Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1873-05-13

time he has commendaDle weakness
for candles. Should one of these ex-
plode he VOWS he will go TO bed in dark
ness forever afterwards.
The Picnic Youth and Maiden.
Among the types Of man the festive
picnicer has not as yet come in for his
pro rata share Of comment. He is a
getter up OF picnics, and an enthusiasts
tic participation when the day comes
around. A picnic is his social world, his
vision not extending beyond the fence
that incloses the grounds the divinities
in muslin and gaily colored ribbons are
the terpsichorean shrines at which he
does homage. Just see him when the
band performs the overture; his eye
lights up and his light fantastic toe and
lighter head keep time to the music. He
is usually dressed in dapper looking
coat, light pants and well polished shoes
or boots he wears tolerably clean
shirt, a paper collar from which flies a
bright colored necktie; jaunty hat
adorns his head, and occasionally he
sports on his hands q pair of cheap kid
gloves. Augustus is in his glory as he
promenades with some sylvan divinity
who has just arrived, and who greets
him with a smile of recognition reflect
ing back the recollection of like meet
ing at some former picnic. Katie is also
rugged out in GBefy from head 10 foot,
but she is dancer, and waltzes with
Augustus in the midst of saw dust or on
some improvized plank floor with all the
animation, if not any Of the grace, Of
the premiere danseuse of the ballet. As
they promenade arm in arm around the
circle the last picnic is discussed and
the prospective pleasures of the present
one are settled to nicely. They make
a series of dancing engagements which
extend far into the night and both are
happy. Whether they promenade in the
sunlight or beneath the haring lamps
which light up the grounds at night,
they are the same Augustus and Katie
who hourished at picnics last year. Mu-
sic by the band, and away they 20, spin
ming around to the exhalations Of
Strauss or some other equally popu-
lar composer. The picnic man is the
first on the ground and last to leave it;
he skips through the first and staggers
through the last dances. By IL o clock
at night he looks little worn out, tri-
Ae faded; his paper shirt-collar has
given evidence of willing and presents a
discolered appearance, but Augustus
talks and laughs louder than ever; the
Rhine wine and lager beer have percep-
tibly affected him, bat he yet is gay. He
has successfully dashed through thirty
or more dances, and his last kick may be
somewhat less graceful but is as high as
ever. Once in a while he yields to the
allurements of King Gambrinus, who
stamps upon his face the rosy seal and
the ceuntersign Of the drowsy god Nor
pheus. True, his last jokes and compli-
ments may be idiotic and pointlesS, but
Katie has passed over the same ground,
and laughs an octave louder and in a
different key than she did in the fore
noon. Katie looks little the worse for
the wear also. Her hat has no longer
that jaunty look, and the fresh
ness Of her initial appearance
has departed. The heat, the exercise
and the dust have done their work, and
Katie presents a draggled appearance.
She has eaten snack and has drank
several glasses of lager or few glasses
of sour and cheap wine. She does not
become a Bacchaute, however, yet she
does present a limpid outline to the hy-
percritical. The dear little blonde sr
brunette, whatsoever she may be, loves
to dance, and as she sleeps when the
picnic is over, she hears the music and
sees a panorama of whirling figures,
which make up the kaleidoscope Of her
dreams. And so Augustus and Katie
dance from season to season. They are
spring birds, caring rot for the Wintry
winds that scatter the dead leaves over
the grounds where the lightest feet have
skinned and tripped keeping time to
march Of Tannhauser or a waltz by
Strauss.