The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1876-05-11
QUEEN Log.


| --1Wgustd L0rRed, In ". Y. EreRinq Post.
QUEEN LOG.
OURS was purely petticoat party that
summer at Grab Falls. Now and then
husband turned up to spend Sunday; but
to the eight of us who had no husbands
these arrivals imported nothing, and for
the rest of the time the composition of the
household was exclusively feminine, ex-
cept for sundry babies in knickerbockers,
who did not count. Do not, however,
think of us as miserable. A stray man or
two would have been welcomed, but since
they came not, we amused ourselves very
well without them. Our resources were
various. Some of the girls sketched, one
| or two painted. Carpathia May had
hobby for botany, and pursued it in such
a pretty fresh flower way that we all more
or less followed her lead. Alice Weir and
Marian Berkeley professed trout fishing.
They went off by themselves for whole
days and were real experts, bringing home
baskets Of the speckled darlings which
| would have done credit to experienced
| anglers. Then there was dear little Annie
| Tinkham, who read aloud in a voice like
| trained broOklet, and was never weary
of reading. Altogether there was no lack
of occupations, and we enjoyed ourselves
| very WELL IN spite of an occasional NAL
content sigh at thought Of what might
have been had Fate been little kinder.
"We are all nice, you know, remarked
Esther White, in an exasperated moment
-" very nice, indeed; but, after all, it's
all one taste One does like something
different at times. 1t is astonishing what
very little bit of ham it takes to flavor
whole mountains of bread and butter"
ooh, Essie! Shockingw But some
of us privately agreed with her.
One brilliant morning in late August
we, the Unattached Eight, agreed to lay
aside all private pursuits and combine Tor
a picnic. How well remember it all
the hot climb up hill, and the delightful
spice smell of the pine woods as we passed
into their shadow! 1t seemed a different
zone, all GOODNESS and fragrance, with
| winds making vibrant murnurs overhead,
and underfoot melodious rustlings, unlike
other wood rustlings: echoes, perhaps, of
| that secret, half revealed and half with
held, which pine woods hold, and which
to impressionable people is such perpetual
fascination. 1t was infinitely refreshing
after the outside heat and glare, and we
flung ourselves on the cushiony needles
with sighs of pleasure and relief.
"What dear place this is?' said Alice.
II am never tired of it."
"Why don't we come here oftener
every day." asked Rosa May, gush-
ingly.
"Well, I can hardly say. There are
other things to be considered. Duties
sketching, for example. There's nothing
to sketch here, you know"
"And trout" put in one of the trouting
girls. "There's nothing to catch here,
you know"
"I'm not so sureof that" retorted Alice.
"Piny Brook is pretty swift, and tumbles
a good deal, l confess; but there are
pools below which might hold--trout.
I'm going to take look at them by
and-by."
at must take trout of strong con-
stitution to swim in Piny Brook" OBJ
| served Carpathia. 81 should think he'd
be bruised black and blue in five min
utes."
$50 he would in the rapids; but be,
low it is not so bad. l never heard OF
any there, to be sure, but there may be-"
"'Much hangeth on a maybe" quoted
Sarah Stanley.
Here l lost the thread of the converse
ton. The pine needles were elastic and
soft as mattress, I was weary with the
walk and the heat, the light tanning wind
lulled me unconsciously, and fell asleep
Certain soft touches aroused me, and q
tickling in my ear. sleepily turned and
half sat up, but hand pressed me down
and laughing voice said:
ooh, lie still little longer. We've
made you into log-such lovely log
Do keep still You'll spoil all if you
move"
"But what is this in my ?"
"Oh, nothing but toad-stool. There
I've moved it, and I'll lift this lichen of
your eyelid, so that you can take look
at yourself. You can't think how beauti
full you are"
The witches had covered me all ovel
with dust-colored shawl, and had GOV
cred that with sods and MOSES and strips
of bark to simulate half.decayed trunk
scattering pine needles over all, and stick
ing into interstices, ferns, lichens, anc
fnngi, till, as Amy said, it did look pre-
cisely like log. Lastly, they threw
down a shawl in careless folds, set lunch
basket on my chest, and stood off to SCI
the effect, which they declared to b.
wonderful"
"No human being would guess" sale
Esther. "You'd impose on Leather
stocking himself. Oh, girls, do call Alice
and Marian. They must be satisfied be
fore this about those wretched out. Il
Don't breathe a word, but just ask them
to sit down on the log and make them
selves comfortable"
"On me! Thank you," said l, speak
ing as we'll as could through moutl
full of lichens.
"Oh, they sha'n't really sit down. Lii
still-quite still, dear Dolly. Don't mov'
an inch, please don't; promise that yo'
won't. 1t will be such fun to chea
Alice"
Every well. l won't. But be quick
Pm comfortable enough now, but all thi
blanket sh wi and bark mag grow un