The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1877-07-26
Plcales and Crouuet.

Ok.
ally comes into vogue about this time of
thegear which is known TO the verna:ular
by the euphonious name of the picnic. 1t
would be more accurate, perhaps, to state
that it ordinarily breaks out somewhat
earlier in the season, for sporadic cases
are known to occur as early az the begin
ming Of May. The May parties, as some
call them, are, however, the mildest tvpe
of the malady, which, in the course of
time, rapidly assumes more violent form.
until the anniversary of our National In.
dependence, when it RACES with the fury
of q malignant epidemic. The youth Of
the land are always its first victims.
whether on account of that unenviable
affection for them which is said to exist in
Olympian circles and is presumed to be
satisfactorily attested by their diving Young:
or because Of an unfortunate predisposi.
ton for diseases that belong peculiarly. to
the period of adolescence, and among
which Group and chicken-pox, as well as
picnics, occupy q bad eminence, we shall
not undertake to say. But the adult pop
nlation eventually succumbs to its dread.
full ravagcs and becomes quite as seriously
infected by its wild and fatal delirium as
the children of smaller growth.
The real enjoyment of the picnic, which
is held out In the woods wherever the
foliage is thick enough to intercept some
of the rays of the solstitial sun, and is at
the same time not SO thick as to obstruct
the growth of the verdure-a condition of
things not readily found, by the way-Le.
gins with carrying heavy baskets Of prov.
ender, over fences and across lots, tn the
destined spot. This performance is really
more enjoyable to the unladcncd portion
of the company than it is to the bipedal
beasts of burden, who toll and sweat un-
der their weary loads. with red faces and
limp collars, provoking an amount of hi.
larity that is not altogether delightful to
themselves, and making CHASTITY efforts to
appear quite as jolly as the rest At the
picnic ground the time is chiefly occu-
pied by sober and dignlfied sport that
commonly goes by the name of croquet,
or orthodox billiards, which is never per.
mitted to become SO exciting as to heat
the blood, and is not intricate enough to
rack the brain, although, as played by the
feminine picnickers, it wonld seem to re
quire the exercise of extraordinary skill
and ingenuity. Indeed, the spectacle of
a woman vigorously plying, at one and
the same time, fan, a parasol, hand
kcrchief and a mallet, while bestowing no
AhSouoiNSAoO Quiz POAeiOu VI uCI VcISdLllc
mind upon the proper adjustment of her
skirts; the maintenance of ain tinruly hat in
a state of just equilibrium Oh the top of her
head, and the direction of an animated
conversation upon every imaginable topic
from the origin Of species to the latest and
sweetest thing in bonhets, fills one with
emotions of awe and wonder that entirely
transcend those excited by the feats Of
Chinese jugglers, whose mani1al dexteritv
enables them to keep numerous balls,
knives and other articles in the air as long
as they please to do so. To expect the
fair ones who assume these varied and
multitudinOus responsibilities to acquit
themselves of all with distinguished sue
cess would he grossly Unreasonable. The
plain fact is. some one OF more of them
is sure to be sighted, and the game, being
the least important, most generally re-
ceives very perfunctOry consideration.
For this reason, perhaps, it has been sage
ly remarked by those best acquainted with
the game of crOquet, that it is In point of
fact but another form Of the more ancient
.and widely known game of coquette that
has been going on between the sexes
since the world began, and this notion
they consider verified to some extent by
the striking resemblance between the
names as they are spelled. Were this by.
pOthesis correct, it is obviously the proper
game for the young and marriageable,
and when played by others becomes a sad
travesty of its original purpose sort of
Hamlet with Hamlet left out.-Indianop-
0lis Journal.