The Russellville Democrat., 1881-05-26
The Dover Picnic.
[By our Special Corrcspondent.l l

Nothing, we believe, Is plore promo tive of that spirit of friendship, that cheerfulness of disposition, that feeling
 of mutual sympathy and mutual de-
 pendence upon each other, among the
 members of community, which is so
 essential to the common happiness and prosperity as is tho devotion of an occa. l sional day to festive and conviYial re-
 joicings. IL is upon these happy, social
 occasions that the wearied body and
 mind finds wholesome relaxation from the monotonous routine of every day affairs; and gains new strength, new
 courage and renewed energy for the
 arduous struggle of life. It is here
 that the ties of friendship are strength
 ened, new friendships formed and old
 animosities forgotten.
 In conformity with the above views.
 and in obedience to nature's appeals for
 recreation, made through the youGg
 and impulsive hearts of some of Dover s
 fair ladIes and gallant gentlemen, last
 Saturday was set apart as day for
 social pleasure and amusement. The
 green banks of the Illinois bayou, one
 and half miles north of town was the
 place selected, and ''picnic and fun"
 was the programme. Our merry party
 started from town about 8l1a o'clock in
 the morning and reached it's destina-
 ton in due time, after a most delight
 ful and invigorating drive. Just the
 loyeliest of weather! Successful in-
 cursion on the domain of the "finny
 tribe;" a repast, the savory presence of
 which might have changed into voraci>
 ty, the sated appetite of an oriental
 epicure, and partaken under the um-
 brageous foliage of the lordly old oaks
 of the forest; music Dy the "fsathered
 war blers of the grove;" delightful
 strolls upon the flower-bespangled car
 pet of spring, whilst wandering zeph>
 yrs whispered soft music in the green
 foliage overhead! In short, sunlight and the bright blue sky above, and na- ture's choicest beauties scattered all around wasn't it perfectly gloriousl
 Among the fair ladies whose presence added a thousand charms to the happy occasion we remember: Mrs. R. B.
 Hogins, Misses Ella and Maggie Fau> cette, Neppie Rollow, Jennie Taylor,
 Bena Bonds and the daughters of our fellow-townsman MT. Clark Bonds. The gentlemen were Messrs. A. Rollow. R. B. Hcgins, Joe Petty, ". B. Rol- low, D. B. Porter, G. A. Jamison, AL bert James, Willie Peebles, Willie and Jimmy Faucstte, Floyd Hogins and Steve Holledger. Haltlng on the south side of the bayou, couple of hours were devoted to that rare sport-ang- ling for the speckled denizens of the watery realm. In this space of time nearly a hundred of the finny race were landed, and the sport, l assure you, most hugely enjoyed. "Joc," whose partner in our piscatorial adven- ture was the "little Mississipian, caught more fish. and appeared to en- joy himself better than anybody, Of course it was because the fish "bit" so well; but then somehow we couldn't keep from thinking of Tennyson's line "In the spring young mans fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love-" and wondering if the same might not some> times, ill the spring-time, at picnics, be as appropriately applied to not very old widowers. There is beautiful spring of clear, cold water on the opposite side of the bayou, in a pleasant grove of elms, oak and birch; and when enough fish been captured for the requirements of the occasion, we concluded to "cross over," though the bayou was consid- erably swollen from recent rains, and, as "Uncls Arch" said, Cooked mighty swift" and "there was no telling how deep." But of course Uncle Arch was not afraid to cross q wouldn't hint at such thing;) and so, after some persua- sion from the younger and more reck> less of the party, he ventured forth with his freight of jubllant humanity, and drove boldly over in water that was almost hub-deep. Uncle Arch was never afraid of water, and when we go boating, if the lake is still and clear, and very shallow, we know of no one we'd rather have at the helm. Others followed "Uncle Arch's" example and we soon found ourselves comfortably situated about the sparkling little spring, and active preparations making for dinner-a bountiful repast, infinite ia variety, unsurpassed in quality, and which we cannot better describe than by using the words "perfectly suited to the occasion"
 Thanks to the little birds that didn't tell what they heard, for Pm sure it would have made some of our old bach elors blush vivilly and feel extremely We will try to be as considerate as the little birds and not tell about the one who wanted to take all the frying pans home, one at time, and looked so sad when he found there was but one to take.
 But as we have not space for further details, suffice it, that "all went merry as a marriage bell," until the low sink ing sun warned us that it was time to return. The returning drive was not less gleeful than that of the morning; and though the shadows of the ensuing night may have gathered round few more anxious hearts, perhaps none were the less happy or would fail to vote for just such a Saturday as this at least twice for every month of the season. ONE.