Morning journal and courier., 1893-08-19
ward sxigsncy and defeat, place for unc-

ward exigency and defeat, place for unc- tious mirth and hearty cheer.
 What are the smusements of this vast army of men and women and lads and lssses ' Chiefly in wallowiDg, and I use the expression 'iisrally, in the sun and shade of Er- rest Thousands upon thousand ught their hampers or baskets as we usss done. Then, in great splatches of color, they group and heap themselves in vriggling punches of enjoy ment over field, upon brae, in cool recess, In shady avenue, upon grassy meadow, in deep wood glade, and actually wAlloE in the ancient forest turf and soil They wander and stroll and leap and race, and shout and sing aRd dance, and turn hand springs and somersaults, and cAvort and pirouette and act like half mad folk, just as they do at Hampstead Heath, while the bands roar and the crowds hAllos, and mounted police and forest verderers look on with benign smiles at the unrestrAined and unrestrainable enjoyment. Turn where you may, from Chingford six miles north to Epping, or from Besk Hill three miles east to Loughton, the same wild scenes of physical and mental abandon and elation are repeated. Ten thousand children are chasing butterflies like erui- tsnt naturalists. More than ten thousand lads are swinging from hawthorn limbs, shouting from the elumped tops of pollard oaks, or routing the birds from ioftiest horr beam brar a; while the surface of every lake sh>. f, d is shut from sight by thousands more wading among hllies and reeds, or floating in boats upon their sur face.
 In great open spaces every manner of game and diversion known to English fields, or streets, or holiday rseorts, Is pro ceeding in s perfect bedlam of roaring from the touters and managers of vast collection of Vanity FAirs. You will see skittles, foot ball, cricket, wrestling and putting limestone. Eyer glorious Punch and Judy are omniprssent and screaming ly witty snd hilarious. Dcnkeys by the thousands and screws by the hundreds are here for uproarious riding and racing. The three-csrd- monte game Is everywhere. Knock-em downs by the hundreds, with their crashing and bAwling and shouts of defeat and victory, are sll the way from Wanstesd 10 Epping. American shooting saloons are quite as frequent and well pa tronizsd. The artificial pigeon whirls and files from scores of booths and the detopa- tions of the shooting are inctssArt. There are more than a thousand of my old gipsy friends, in all manner of picturesque sp- psrel, plying their "dukkering" among the good nstared 'ATrys and 'ArTiets. Min Rled with all this and these are the shouts and cries of every manner of fakir from every land beneath the sun; the bIsyIngs of hundreds of open air speakers who, Ss at Hyde Park, inveigh against the very lib erty that gives them opportunity for de- nurciAtiop; ard, loader and more dlscor. dsnt than all else, the wAilIngs and exhor- tstions of the SAlvasionists; the bArbArlc clsmor of their tkmbOurines, flies and drums, a persistent reminder of pence pulling and repentance.
 It is saying little for Jem and Becky and myself to assert that we participated fully in the exhilsrsting diyers!ops Of Epping forest. Then, the envied of many eyes, we partook of our glorious TePast beneath the very shade of Queen Elizzbsth's hunt ing lodge, a quaint, old and lofty half timbsred structure. which has been bean. tifully restored, where faithful SprAs land. ed our hampers victoriously after many 6 bravely resisted seize; aud then, the en vied of thousands still, Es the sole cccu- pants of Whitechapel bus, wo were driven in noble style about the forest. away to Epping. oucs famous for Its sAu- sage pork and cheese; 10 Monks Wood, and the great pollard oake: 10 the old British camp Rt AmbTesbury banks; to Hawk Wood hill aud i;s famous obelisk; and to High beach, nearly eight hundred feet above London, where almost the en, tire fringe of Epping forest with It's won drous historic inlereat Hes clear and fSir below.
 The old-world valley of the river Lea scene of WaltOn's earliest angling day. and of the incidents of the Angler" Ii beneath you 10 the west. Miles to th, north and south gre its snug villages, itt ivied churches, Its half-h.d, stately halls Ina hara hsafIa Rsanh HFff Hn-aa where Terpyson wrote the Talking Oak and ''LockEley Hall" Far to ;he west Art the uplsnds of the Cambrldgeshire hills, Between, & slumbrous valley with an idea English landscape. In its center etand: ancient Waltham Abbey, mournful and pathetic reminder of departed day and time, of Harold and his lsvished treasures and of his march to Hastings to meet fierce William of Normandy. Nearer still lies Coppsd Hall, where in the early reign of Edward VI. Princess Mary was held prisoner; and at Fair Mead House beyond the gentle poet Clsrs was brought a men tai wreck.
 Back at Chingtord, ss the suu was set | ting behind the Hampstead Hills, sll tho converging ways to London seemed dens, | with routed army in its flight Bolivar vas impatient to overtake the disappear | ing host. Right merrily We had come X | Epping, but merrier still we returned tt | grImy London, racing and singing In hum
 ble ooster fashion. all the too short way W hen we rstiled into welcoming Bell lane and Bolivar came to s sudden bolt bsfoT, our own hsbitation, Jem and myself, II | pleasant converse, were alone upon tn
 "box" Sprat snd Becky were a confused
 heap of oyergroSn attire, soiled vest An'
 struggling ooster feathers in the bottom 0
 the cart. But when we pulled Becky ou
 and stood her upon her ample legs within
 the doorway all the pleasures of the ds.
 seemed to steal softly again into her gun | ny coster nature; and ss reward for ou
 gallant outing ways she olspped us both
 Jsm and I, eoundly on our backs with he
 broad, honest hands and softly murmured
 "Gor bli me, lads, HI never 'Ad sech
 enjoy 'ble-seeh hinformin' 'n' enjoy'bl
 time-nsver. Cor blI me, ef HI didr' EDGAR l.. WAKEMAN. |