Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1885-07-17
seven or eight miles from tho Parsons

Early in tho morning the young peo-
pie started for tho rendezvous. Most
were on horseback. for among the hills
the ladies, almost as much rs the men,
were accustomed to the saddle. In the
spring wagons, with those who chose
this mode OF conveyance. were placed
the cakes and roasted fowls with bread
and butter and fruits which were TO fur
nish the repast.
Among those who elected TO go on
horseback were Jennie and Lucy Par
sons and Erastus Hemingway.
BY a previous understanding dozen
of the young people of both sexes met
at the Parsons cottage, from whence
they started together. These werd
joined on the way by others, making a
gay and Jolly cavalcade that walked tho
echoes in the foothills with their merry
laughter and started the quails from
their hiding places in tho wild oats.
Some of the more venturesome ran
races across the bits of level ground be.
tween the hills. Now and then u couple
would drop behind their companions
and exchange u look OF word of endear-
ment for it is not to be supposed that
in California, more shan elsewhere,
thirty young people-young men and
young women-could come together,
and that among them all there should
be none whose hearts had been touched
by tho boy with the bow and arrows.
In the main, however, they held their
ranks well enough to be able to ex-
change merry jokes and witty repartec.
Now they sang u verse of song in con-
cert; now bantered each other with ac-
cusations of loneliness because of tho
F, absence of some lad or maiden who
perchance had found another partner
for the day, or been detained at home
by some untoward circumstance.
In all this merriment Jennie and Lucy
Parsons took full part and share. U.s.
ually Jennie was more sedate and quiet
than her sister, but to-day was the first
time for months that she had been on
horseback among the hills, and tho
pcnt-up gaicty of her nature found out
let, and she rivaod them all in merry
speech and reckless riding.
Arriving at the grove they found q
platform erected for dancing and two
musicians ready with their violins.
| Very soon others who were to be of the
party, but who were later in starting or
had come greater distance, begaE to
arrive, and soon half hundred csjily
dressed. light-hearted young people
were on the ground.
Then the violins were tuned up and
dancing began.
When tired of dancing they sat in the
shade of the live oaks and laughed and
chattcd, or wandered away two and
two, and spoke low, and looked love,
and may be planned for q future to be
spent in each others society. Or they
rowed on the lake, six or eight in one
| light skitf that had but single pair Of
oars, and sunk so low with their weight
that when some one among their num-
ber vowed, it dipped almost to the wa
ters eige, causing screams, half OF
fright aud half of pure joyousncss, to
issue from lips as red and ripe as red
raspberries in July, and which were a
temptation us hard to be resisted by
those young men as are the berries to
boys who gaze at them through n crack
in the inclosure within which they grow
and ripen in the sun
And if, sometimes, the temptation
was too great to be overcome, and some
bold youth took advantage of the help
lessness OF maiden, who feared, OF
thought that she feared, to struggle,
lest she overturn the boat, and pre-
ferred being kissed to getting wet, why,
what business is it of mine, or of yours,
my dear sirs? There are other lips as
red and ripe awaiting to be kissed, and
there are other lakes and other boats
with single oars, and other sunny days
and starry nights to come Thsa why
should we linger over this picttue OF a
golden day that is past of red lfep snd
ripencd fruit that were not for us; &at
we're gathered by Others on this beauti
full day in spring, away off in the foot
hills of California;?
When the sun became too fierce IL
its reflection from the calm waters o
, the lake, they gathered themselves il
!, little knots, all near together, and tn,
/ provisions were brought from the spring
/ wagons, and spread upon clean liner
, cloths on the ground, and they ate, ant
, drank lightly of their native wines, and
laughed and called back and forth, ant
twitterei just as did the birds that hat
, taken shelter from the sun in the leave:
! above them; and We're as happy and e!
free from care.
While they were thus engaged ther,
approached two men; strangers they a
first appeared to all. Each carried {
fishing pole and basket The younge1
one was dressed in very handsom,
suit, resembling those seen in picture,
of English life and supposed to be wori
/. only by very wealthy gentlemen wheI
engaged in hunting or fishing.
The other was much older mar
dressed in the garb of a citizen of tb,
locality, and might have been either ,
miner or farmer; and was, in fact, or
employe of the Hydraulic Mining Com
pany, for whom Mr., Annclsey-fo for tb,
young man in the English hunting sui
was none other than he-had obtained
leave of absence that he might accom-
pany himself as guide and game car
rier.
Perhaps young Annelsey had come
simply for days fishing in the lake
Many man had gone farther with lest
sure promise of being rewarded for hi,
labor by the casting of hook and lire
Perhaps he had learned from some Gus
ually dropped sentence of Erastus, ol
one of the girls, during the evening
passed in their fathers cottage, that {
picnic was on the tapis, andthe day
and the spot where it was to be. Per
haps he had learned from them only
the fact that one was to be held on
fixed day, and by inquiry had ascer
tanned where the most pleasant spot fol-
holding such gatherings was, and had
taken the risk and now found himself
rewarded by finding those whom ht
sought Perhaps-but why assign /,
reason for his coming.
He had leisure. He could come and gc
as it pleased him, and he had pleased
to make trip to the lake of which ho
had heard, and to take with him the fish
ing-tackle which he had brought from
New York. And he had found ON thS
banks of the lake company of young
people, two or three of whom he had
met before; what more natural thar
that he should join them, and if made
welcome, spend the afternoon in theil
company.