The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1885-08-06
SUMNER PICNIC PARTIES.
The HeaIth-Inspiring Jaunts to the Groves
and paSturas

The Health Inspiring Jaunts to the Groves
and Pastures.
The picnic is distinctly an institution
of civilization, and is owned by the
whole civilized earth. 1t 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 English
man ''at 'ome, you knaw," carries the
feast for the occasion in closely
packed hamper. Its contents are cold
food, sandwiches, sardines, meat or
game pie, hard-boiled eggs, and-what
would be the enjoyment of an English
picnic without goodly number of bot
ties of wine? The continental picnicker
takes his lunch, which is made I'D &C.
cording to his class, in neat boxes.
Well-to-do folk are provided with set
of boxes, in the separate compartments
of which are placed all the delicacies
epicurean tastes may fancy But the
distinctive American badge for DAYS
out-of-door recreation is the basket. 1t
is democratic in character and has a
wonderful significance of freedom and
independence. 1t is representative of a
day when the cares of business or the
household are put aside.
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, carving
these baskets. They mean day in the
country air; 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 in
formal jaunts. The mother who packs
up basket of food and with her chill.
dren and other pleasant companions
goes to the ground for a day has need
to leave her cares for recuperaton.
The girl in the kitchen is ALWAYS glad
to leave the baking and washing of
dishes now and then to accompany her
mistress and attend to 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 it has one fault it is preponderance
of cake and pie. There should be plenty
of bread and butter and cold meat, even
if there is not single slice of cake or
one triangle of pie. Cookies are an
article highly appreciated by the young
folk. Pickles are almost 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, u
most delightful day can be passed and
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 iell7
glass with elose-fitting cover. Put this
salt. pepper, and sugar into paper bags.
Use paper napkins, tin knives, forks,
and cups. Hard boiled eggs, if thev
are fresh, are especially adapted to out.
of-door eating, and always seem to
taste better than at any other time.
Picnic cake should be light and plain,
and, if children are part of the com
pany, delicately iced to please their
fancy. Nothing else ever seems so de-
licious to child as iced cake. Even
an unpalatable compound is made tooth
some to them by the fact that its top is
coated with sugar. With the aid of
spirit lamp pot of tea can be brewed |
or coffee made for the older people.
Milk can easily be carried in tightly
corked bottles.
The picnic party that scatters the |
debris 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 manners. 1t is USUALLY |
composed of the class of persons with |
whom thoughtlessness is SYNONYMOUS
for selfishness and independence for
lmpudence. Unfortunately this tvpe of |
picnic party is not infrequent. They |
too often interfere with and mar the |
enjoyment of quiet, well-bred people |
who have sought the same locality thew
have, and on the same errand. Tt Is
NV hOSOoodLy W InfOW ASIDE all the
restraints of good breeding in order to
enjoy day under the trees. However.
defects of indiyidual char
acter the picnic makes manifest, they
are more readily forgiven by the ma
orlty than transgressions committed
when indulging in almost any other
torm OF amusement. The basket picnic
1as no censors, and thousands of
'taunch supporters. When a giddy girl
'r coarse youth, brazen woman or
surly man, commits some Improperly
which would be termed inexcusable on
my, other occasion, he is readily
lpologized for by observers on the
ground that he is sat picnic. CHI
ago Ne,os.
L