The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1894-07-09
A Summer Vacation.

(The following story, entitled "a Summer
Vacation" has been awarded the prize OF
S. in gold being the best story about
a summer vacation. 1t has been won by
Miss Kate Tolleson, of Monticello, Ga)
Grandma, please tell us just one story
tonight-just only one" pleaded all the
children at once. l mean by all the chill
dren, Lizzie, Syble, Kathline, Harry Jack
and Tom. They were all just the age to
like to hear stories-from seven to fifteen
years old.
Just one, grandma, DEAR" said Jack,
the girl boy
VERY we'll, dears. Now, what shall it be
about" queried grandma.
''Well, tell us about some of your vaca-
tons, granny We are having such nice
time ourselves, just tell us something about
some of yours" said Syble, who liked old
timey tales
well, I'll tell you about one vacation
l spent at my grandma IS 1t was one SUM
mer when l was just fifteen years old, but
it seems only yesterday when l think OF
it now There was a crowd of girls out at
grandma s-let me see. I'll name them over.
Belle Mary, Ruth, Polly-yeS, there was
Polly-Nan and myself and John, Herbert,
Jack and Will. Nan and L were sisters and
the other girls were our friends, While
uncle Jack now was out there with a
crowd of his friends.
Uncle John had fixed us up a
lot of nice things to amuse us. We
had two three boats and the river was
Just glorious. We also had hammocks,
swings and bathing houses, one for the
boys and another for the girls. We all
slept in one large room, the old, old nursery,
and the boys had their rooms just across
the hall from our We We're very scarey
girls and the boys were always playing
Jokes on us Why, once they got grandpa
skeleton Che had been a physician dressed
it up in mans clothes and put it in the
closet. When Ruth and Mary went to the
closet one night in search of a book
no one else upstars-they had just
climbed upon a box and moved some things,
when what should they but the skele
ton? Ruth had a lamp in her hand. Mary
was away back in the closet and she
nearly tainted. Ruth called and the way
all went up those stairs was wonderful.
We threw some water on Mary and soon
she was all right and the way the boys
teased. Grandma had to stop them, and they
didn't play such bad tricks US after that.
but they didn't quit by any means.
'But l just must tell you about our bath
ing house. Uncle John had everything made
just right. We could run and jump in the
water and swim. We learned to swim every
kind of way and soon thought ourselves
very good swimmers. We had us a dressing
room, and nearly all of our clothes We're
down there at the bathing house Thea
we had us a parlor, which was elegantly
furnished thought.
Grandma let that us w have could aInythn ne
upstairs in the garnet. so we searched
and found an old sofa, which must have
been beautiful when new, but now the vel
vet was all worn off, one leg broken
and one arm broken also. Still, with the aid
of Jack and the other boys, we made it
look quite comfortable. There We're old
ia
down to our parlor, and. having gotten
old carpet, which we put on the floor, we
tidied up the room, and it was just splendid.
We also found old dresses that would fit us
up in that wonderful garnet and We decided
to have a show, as we called it,. So we
invited all the children, large and small,
who lived around grandma's to come.
1--WE fixed up parlor real nicely for a
show room, putting up curtains, taking out
lots of things in the way and sweeping and
busting All this took us two three
days. The night was to be on Friday, just
two days Off but we had to practice a
good deal so we put it off a week. The
fun we had practicing was immense.
Grandma would come down there every
night with and stay in the room where
we were praoticing as to help us decide
things. We had right lengthy programme.
When the night arrived there were lots of
We carried out our programme without a
oh, lots of other plays! We all dressed in
the old clothes we found upstairs. Every
body said it was just splendid.
"Still dearies, you must not think we
were forgetful and though only of our
selves. No, no, went to see several of
the sick people around grandma's, took them
sood things to eat and books to read
There was old lady who said she
guessed we We're sent as angels by God to
help her that summer. and maybe we were.
The girls looked so pretty, especially Nan,
as they would go about the houses, look
ing so sweet, with their flowers
"But see Jack and Harry seem to be
getting fidgety because I've told nothing
about what the boys did by themselves,
but you will have to go to grandpa for
their part of that vacation, fer he was
there also-all the time l was: Yes, Jack
was there as well as l. Now that's
enough for this time about that summer va
cation of NINE" grandma concluded.
"Oh, how ] wish I'd been there" said
Kathlene, signing. still. I think we are
having as nice vacation as granny did.
Don't you ALP
''Yonder is grandpa. Come, let's hear what
the boys did, said Jack. And away they
ran to hear what the boys did in 1874, in
stead of 1894.
IT used to think young people didn't have
a nice time in old times but I believe
differently now." said Lizzie.