, 1885-07-10
SUMMER pIorlc PARTIES



Groves. CIens and Pastures.
Chicago Newsl
Tho picnic is distinctly an institution
of civilization, and is owned by the
whole civilized world. IL belongs to no
one nationality or class. 1t is patron
lied by youth and old age. Even the
babies participate in it.. The prepare
tons. however, differ somewhat accord
ing to locality and race. The
Englishman lat ONE. you knaw,h
carries the feast for the occa-
sion in a closely packed hamper.
Its contents are cold food, sandwiches,
sardines, meat or game pie, hard boiled
eggs, and-what would DO the en- oy-
ment of an l.nglish picnic without a
goodly number OF bottles of wine! The
continental picnicker takes his lunch,
which is made up according to his class,
in neat boxes. Well-to-do folk are pro-
vided with a set of boxes, IN the sepa-
rate compartments of which are placed
all the delicaeies epicurean tastes may
fancy. But the distinctive American
badge for a days out-of-door recreation
is the basket. 1t is democratic in
character, and has a wonderful signif-
canoe OF freedom and independence. II
is representative Of a day when the
cares of business or the household are
put aside. I
Every pleasant morning during the
summer season parties can be seen at all
the railroad stations, or in the street
cars that lead to the suburbs, carrying
these baskets. They mean a day in the
country air; a day of light enjoyment,
perhaps frivolous, but not foolish, for it
gives both mind and body strength
wherewith to meet the overcrowding
cares and perplexities of life. Women
are especially benefited by these few
hours passed in the open air and the
careless, unstudied companionship which
is the natural result of these informal
iaunts. The mother who packs up a
basket of food and with her children and
other pleasant companions goes TO the
ground for a day has need to leave her
cares for recuperation. The girl in the
Kitchen is always glad to leave the bak-
ing and washing of dishes now and then
TO accompany her mistress and attend
10 the few details of the excursion that
resemble toll. She will work all the
better in the house the next day for her
share Of the pleasure and rest.
The American picnic lunch usually
consists Of all the good things on earth.
II 1t has one fault II is a preponderance
of cake and pie. There should be plenty
of bread and butter and cold meat, even
II there is not a single slice of cake or
one triangle of pie. Cookies are an
article highly appreciated by the young
folk. Pickles ara almost a necessary
relish and lemons indispensable. Fruits,
such as bananas, %pineapples or oranges,
are excellent things to take along, but
one can do without them. In fact, a
most delightful day can be passed and a
lunch hugely enjoyed Of merely bread,
butter and cold meat. with the
acid relish of sparingly eaten pickles
and lemonade. Take the butter in a
Jelly glass with a tight-itting cover.
Put the salt, pepper and sugar into pa
per bags. Use paper napkins, tin
knives, forks and cups. Hard.boiled
eggs, IL they are fresh, are especially
adapted TO out-of-door eating, and al
ways seem to taste better than at any
other time. Picnic cake should be light
and plain, and, if children are q part of
the company, delicately iced to please
their fancy. Nothing else ever seems
so delicious to a child as iced cake.
Even an unpalatable compound is made
toothsome to them by the fact that its
top is coated with sugar. With the aid
of a spirit lamp a pot of tea can be
brewed or coffee made for the older peo-
Pile. Milk can easily be carried in
tightly corked bottles.
The picnic party that scatters the de-
bris of its repast around in an untidy
manner, throws orange peel or banana
skins about, and litters the ground with
peanut shells, invariably is accompanied
with boisterous 1t is usually
composed of the class of persons with
whom thoughtlessness is synonymous
for %selfishness and independence for i'm
pudence. Unfortunately this type Of
picnic party is not %infrequent. They too
often interfere with and mar the enjoy
ment of quiet, well bred people who
have sought the same locality they
have, and on the same errand. 1t is
not necessary to throw aside all re
straints of good breeding in order to en-
Joy a day under the trees. However,
whatever defects of individual character
the picnic makes manifest, they are
more readily forgiven by the majority
than transgressions committed when in
dulging in almost any other form Of
amusement. The basket picnic has no
censors, and thousands of stanch sup
porters.