The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1900-08-31
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town all day I'd have the children out
In the park or in the country such
day as this. certainly wouldn't stay
IN an oven OF house when there are
trees and grass and breezes to be found
If you only go in search Of them"
"But there surely is more comfort In
remaining quietly here than there is in
preparing for an outing and then
traDping all over the country looking
for bit of Incorporated shade" pro-
tested Mrs. Briggs.
Nonsense" replied Briggs "Of
course there is some work in getting
ready, but the luxuries Of this life
are not to be had without labor tell
you the country is the place. and wen
go to the country today. Just hustle
around and get the children ready and
well start"
"But where'l we go?" asked Mrs.
Briggs.
Anywhere" answered Briggs
'"The park" suggested Mrs. Briggs.
CHATS comparatively near and
"Park nothing interrupted Briggs.
w NtAA hA WI " lAC Iidl Is ally
afternoon when | happen to get home
early. but | don't get full holiday
very often. and we want to take al.
vantage Of it. Wen get ont where the
cool breeZes blow. Hurry now. We
can get train to Mulligans grove ut
10 o'clock, and some of the boys at the
store are going out there with their
Notwithstanding formal you know;
just an outing. I'll show you how to
keep cool If you'll just hustle and put
up little lunch"
There was an hour or more of good
hard work as any one who ever has
tried to start for a little outing knows.
and some of the work fell to the lot of
Briggs himself He acted under the
orders of Mrs Briggs. who became
general superintendent temporarily,
and as result when they were ready
TO start he had to change his collar
and his negligce shirt.
"Whew. he exclaimed. as he put
hammock over his shoulder and grab
bed a lunch basket, Il didn't realize
how hot it was. I'd have been
corpse before night If I'd tried to stay
in this stuly house"
"Iou wouldn't have been as hot at
any time during the day as you are
now" returned Mrs. Briggs. who was
going on the outing under protest and
didn't care who knew it.
perhaps not" replied Briggs, but |
wouldn't have been as cool and COM
Portable as will be an hour from now,
either. The trouble with you women
Is that you don't look far enough
ahead. There comes our car" he add
ed n few minutes later. Hurry, or
wen miss IT,"
Briggs grabbed one of the children
with his disengaged hand. and with
the lunch basket in the other hand and
the hammock over his shoulder started
on a dog trot to head off the approach
ing car at the corner.
"Whew, 1t gets hotter every minute!
he exclaimed as he hung to a post and
mopped his face with his handker-
chief. Il tell you, we would just have
smothered in that house today. Why,
my clean collar Is melted already"
He looked around for a seat. but
whole lot Of people seemed to be TAX
ing an outing that day and there
wasn't one to be had. Mrs. Briggs and
the children We're uncomfortably
wedged in between hot and pcrspiring
individuals and looked rs if they
thought he had rather the better of 1t
standing up.
81 just about sweat myself to death
IN the crowd on the footboard." said
Briggs when they were on the street
again and about to take up the rest
of their journey to the depot
How far have we got to walk now?"
asked Mrs, Briggs
"Only four blocks" answered Briggs
fTThen we may hope to be decently
comfortable. Come along! We've no
time to waste"
Ten minutes later they we're on a
car with others going for an outing
good many others They had
sweltered at the ticket office. sweltered
in the crowd at the gate, and had been
pushed and iostled ana stepped on in
reaching the car. but they all got seats
after a fashion. Ii is warm under a
train shed in the best Of circumstances
There is little circulation of air there,
and when it comes to sitting next to
fat man or woman and holding a child
in ones lap. a very fair imitation os
the fortunes of the Internal regions is
experienced.
This negligee shirt of NINE said
Briggs, looks as If | had worn it in
swimming. but Wen have some com
fort as soon as we get under way"
"If we don't start soon" returned
Mrs Briggs. Il shall faint. | simply
cannot stand this sitting atmosphere"
And one of the children began to cry.
They left the train with a sigh OF re-
lief Before it started even the alsles
had partly filed up, and everyone
knows what enforced contact with
sweltered humanity is in q closed car.
AT any rate. we're here" said
Briggs rs he threw away his limp
collar and loosened the ueckband of his
shirt. Now for a cool spot BY jovew
he added as he saw half a dozen
parties scurrying away In the direction
of the grove, well have to run for it
or all the best places will be taken"
'Well, you'll have to do the run
ming" returned Mrs. Briggs with de-
cision, 81 don't intend to kill myself.
I'll look after the children and you
take the hammock and the lunch bas-
ket and go on ahead"
So Briggs ran q quarter Of a mile,
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