Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1878-05-16
SCHOOL PICNIC.
The Pupils and Patrons OF Miss Hig-
bees School Enjoy n Botanical TX
cursion and Picnic at Forest
Hill.


cursion and Picnic at Forest
Hill.
EDITORS APPEAL-We were happy 70 find
ourselves among the few hOnored recipients
of invitations to accompany Miss Jenny NJ.
Higbee and the fair beauties of her elegant
school on their annual botanical excursion
last Friday. At an early hour we joined
the impatient throng ut the Memphis and
Charleston depot. Such galaxy of happy,
joyously beaming faces, such sparkling bright
eyes, flashing exquisite fires of light from
under softly-tinted sun-bonnets, it has never
been our happy fortune to encounter. 1t
was such an unusually embarrassing position
for US to be placed in that we felt we were In
hornets nest, stupg through and through
with radiant smiles and coquettish glances.
We remarked the situation to a friend, and
he calamity responded that he felt as if he
was in a beehive, with honey all around
him. We wanted to bet him a street car
ticket that none of it would adhere to him,
but the stupendous magnitude of the stakes
confused him, and he quietly s1bsided. At ten
o'clock the shrill whistle was heard. Screams
of laughter filled the car, handkerchiefs
were waved from the windows, and we were
soon speeding away from the dust and tur-
MOL of the busy city, through pleasant coun-
try scenes, to the place selected for our So
journ. Forest Hill, a foliage-crowned emil
nence, which commanded scene of match
less beauty, was the destination, at which
we arrived in due time. The first pleasant
duty incumbent upon we MASCULINE di
vision, was to roll up logs and erect throne
whereon to place the lovely May queen. This
we soon accomplished from ample material
found In the forest groves, and stately pile
lowered its.msjestic head prominently above
the surroundings. Then fairy fingers sue
ceeded us and soon the rough outlines were
relieved with a tasteful decoration of flowers
evergreens and messy turf. When all was
prepared for the coronation, we led our fairy
queens, Misses Sallie Hill and Mary Martin,
surrounded by their loyal subjects, to their
rustic throne, and with pomp and ceremony
becoming so glorious an occasion, crowned
them queens of May. Such scene Of gorge
GUS magni6cence those towering forest trees
never before stood In solemn attestation,
and never in the history of our race
was reign of queen or monarch hailed with
greater delight, nor whose government so
sweetly felt. Her majesty, Miss Hill, COM
menced her reign with an elegant address,
in which she showed such a charming degree
of modesty, yet withal royal confidence in
her loyal subjects, that she at once quite cap
tured their hearts-especialy the male por-
ton. Then promptly assuming the reins of
government, she directed one of her lords to
approach and deliver himself of an address
with anxiety from the weighty responsibility
that was bestowed upon him; but, seeming
inspired with the grandeur of the occasion,
he rolled off In a tone of magnificent elo-
quence sentence upon sentence of such wit
and humor that we were so convulsed with
laughter that 1t required the utmost authority
of our queen to bring us into subsection
again. After sweeping her brilliant eyes
around the horizon of her dominion, they
fell upon Prince Jack Proudft, Ora nd Duke
of Luncheon, with whom she imm ediately
became infatuated, and proclaimed him her
legal lord, the king. He approached the
throne, his face reddening with pride
and triumph, and with many graceful
intentions, faced the admiring multitude. The
words that he fully wanted to say, from the
bottom of his heart, were not forthcoming as
rapidly and 1uently as those of our silver
tongued queen, but his ideas, no doubt, were
brilliant, and had he been allowed time to
collect and arrange them properly, his sub
ject would have become perfectly wrapped
up in him in less than no time. As it was,
we can say conscientiously and without exag-
heard the tolling of peculiar bell, that
sounded strangely delicious as the notes re-
verberated through the wild forest. We at
once had premonition that something of
extraordinary magni6cence was about to be-
come prominent. feature OF the day; and,
sure enough, our intuitions were correct, for
it announced that dinner was ready. Our
gorgeous pageant began to move toward a
shady spot that the bushes had hidden from
view, and there, upon the grassy carpet the
royal banquet was spread. Our eplcurean
principles were touched to the core, and we
waltzed around in happy glee. The vim and
energy with which we took care"
of those delicate vlands by the wholesale,
would have tempted even Babylonish kings
to have taken hand had the ghosts of their
ancient and fastidious appetites been present.
Then our kingdom dissolved, and little par
ties of FIVE or six could be seen romping over
the hills and wandering down the valleys in
every direction. Many were the happy shouts
of delight that resounded through the forest
glades when a rose flower was plucked from
its hiding place or a strange pebble snatched
from the bottom of the ripping little streams.
Many were the screams of laughter that
pleaded forth at the expense of some one who
would be frightened out of months growth
by an imaginary boa constructor, which would
always prove to be lizard or grasshopper.
Would that time and space would allow us
further to chronicle the wonderful events of
that day-how we discovered the public hall
and how we beguiled young musician from
his seat on barrel in front of the village
store and prevailed upon him to tune up"
his fiddle and play for US the divine strains
of Strauss waltzes, and how he played 'em.
One more last romp In the leafy soltudes,
through which the sinking sun sends weird
and fantastic shadows, making US sigh
as we think how near is our departure. And
now. as if in frantic madness, the screaming
engine dashes around the curve, and, putting
and snorting like an angry steed, draws up
before the platform. With many long,
lingering look behind, we board the train,
and, as The engine gives its last shrill whistle,
the fairer portion of our freight place their
fingers over their ears, and look quizzically
conscious that they are looking very sweet
with their flushed faces and leaf-entwined
hair. Station after station flies by in rapid
succession, and at last the engine slackens
speed and we are surprised to find how soon
we have reached home. Then we all said
goodbye and departed, with a strong wish
bubbllng up from the bottomless depths of
our hearts that we may meet again under
similar circumstances, and that Miss Hig
bees school may continue to prosper and
grow in popular favor, 9and ever rank-as it
now does-among the first schools of the
city. Her corps of Observation-Disclosures JUL
cite and Mary Cairns, Ellen Steadman and
Matte White-are faultless and inimitable.
And more charming young ladies, both in a
social and literary view, we have never met.
nnr n.kl