The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1895-06-29
Summer Outing Papers,
The Picnic Fever-In the Capital City
The Potomac-MarshalI Hall-An Old
Maryland Manor House, etc.
MRS. sHERwooD's LETTERS.


WASHINGTON, June d. The symp-
toms of the picnic fever recur with
the return of the summer heats, but it
reaches. its height as an epidemic about
the last days of june There is gen.
orally a run Of two months. True,
the first attack either kills or cures the
patient-for this year only. No age is
exempt from the picnic craze, and no
matter how many times you may have
had it, you are never free from danger.
You may think you are; may consider
you have been on your last picnic; you
may think yourself picnic proof
there You go again. Therefore, beware
young man or old man, young woman or
old one, there is nothing can save you if
temptation sufficiently strong comes
along. 1t is an old saying, every man
has his price. TITS true it is rank cynic.
ism, and not by any means always true,
yet so generally 80, that the proverb
iustifies itself. 1t is about as true that
everyone of us has a weakness some
where in our armor. For instance, when
we do not go to picnic of our own ac-
cord, we do go to please some one else,
to provide lunch basket for some fam
lily or man that belongs to US. Or, is it
to chaperone Alice and Emma that you
must sacrifice yourself? No matter what
it is. There are always reasons enough
for one dropping off wi! this craze. We
fancy we need change or something,
and / went TO please two roguish girls.
II was very inconvenient and one had to
rise with the hooking bird to make
beginning on this identical article be-
fore breakfast. It is poor general who
cannot turn his defeats into victory.
Aunt Emily thought if she must go pic
nicing. willy -nilly." it must be turned
to account.
There is no place where the family
picnic is more popular than in the cap
ital city. There are SO many business
men, who cannot get away for more than
month, the whole semi-official list-as
it were-and their families will rot go,
in many instances, without the head, as
there is very prevalent opinion among
women that Washington is dreadfully
dangerous place for man to be left to
himself in. There are so many more
temptations to the square inch-to
amuse himself-and 80 much more leis-
ure for the wicked one, the powers of the
air to find him. Consequently the pru-
dent wife hangs round all summer until
her lord can take his months leave"
when she goes with him. Therefore
the only resource of such family from
the torrid heats OF the day, is the excur-
sion on the river. or somewhere close at
home, the picnic at the end of it.
There is no lovlier stream for taking
brief outing than the Potomac River. Its
banks are storied with reminiscent
hints of domestic war in remnants of
earthworks from Arlington Heights to
Fortress Monroe. Its bosom is broad
and placid, and the Maryland and Vir-
ginia shores are outlined by picturesque
foothills. Washington Monument and
Arlington Cemetery come sharply into
view as the Manchester" swings into the
stream and sends the ripping waves
upon the opposite willow bordered island
lying amid stream. of made land. which
lie, 70 ~ hn nj
City Park system. Long bridge, over
which the marshalled hosts of the late
war tramped with broken step. spans the
river just beyond, and to the left are the
leafy trees OF the government arsenal
grounds, looking at themselves with rus
ties Of admiration over the sea-wall into
the water below. To the right old Alex
andria in Virginia, with Christ Church
spire and General Braddock's neadquar.
ters. cones into view. General Washing
ton had pew in the church, and the old
headquarters of the tory general are still
fondly cherished show place OF this
ragged old city long since gone to seed.
It's warehouses are desolate and bald as
those that line the wharves of Salem
town, the business of both tn sse old cit
les having been superseded by the mod
ern method Of transportation by rail
overland in preference to going round by
sea or the water way.
Fort Foot. made Of wood, is fast drop
ping into decay, its rotten old wharf
looking like the dismantled hull of a
stranded ship. Below few miles is the
stone Fort Washington which once was,
and still has formidable look. though