The daily morning journal and courier., 1902-07-30
SUNSHINE.

It is good thing to join some spec ial aim or interest to the outing of a summers day; and this is what hap pened on Saturday last with a party of Sunshine members from Wallingford- twenty and over in number, of varying ages-from grave to gay" from Tive ly to severe" though the gravity and severity of ordinary existence were not in evidence upon this occasion.
 The weather was not quite what we would have chosen. but as long as the clouds did not descend upon us We made light Of the gray canopy that
 hung above us, and tried to create among ourselves the terrestrial sum- shine, which is the aim of the organi- zation; the more need for it often when
 that of the celestial kind Is withheld.
 The trolley ride to Plainville was de-
 lightful, the country through which We sped being a pleasant panorama of hili and valley, plain and river, forest and field; and we found amusement both
 going and coming in the oddity of pay ing our fare by installments of five
 cents every ten minutes or so.
 We found the amp-ground beauti-
 full grove of young oaks, with curving
 lines of pretty cottages, and a spacious Auditorium, with open sides and floor of earth; the platform sally decorated with ''black-eyed Susan," or yellow dai- sies, the nearest approach to the Sum- shine flower (coreopsis.)
 Tn due time the exercises began with
 sunshine songs, sung by members of the Chautauqua circle, which having pos- session of the grounds for the month, had yielded to us their platform for the half day. For this pleasant service the two young men were afterwards
 gracefully decorated by Mrs. Weed, the
 Connecticut president, with Sunshine badges, and thus made members of the society. Some preliminary remarks were made by another .Chautauqua official, and then followed addresses by the two presidents, Mrs. Weed and Mrs. Alden. Much might be said of these, for they were good, interesting and graceful-full of charm and
 sweetness. the text of both being. Do good to others; cultivate cheerfulness, diffuse happiness. bring joy wherever | possible--in the words quoted by Mrs Alden, of little boy when asked what this particular species of sunshine
 meant, replied, keeping the corners of the mouth turned up.''
 Pleasant illustrations were inter- spersed, which turned up the mouth- corners of the audience very often. and every now and then some sentiment brought a hearty round of applause. | Altogether the addresses were delight i full. Old Dr. Johnson, could he have | been present, must have been less sar- castic-would hardly have compared a. I woman's speaking to the walking on his hind legs of dog, the wonder being | did it at all! But then we have
 changed some things since the day ysof: Dr. Johnson! 't ,:,. s~ | By and by the sun peeped out for a. 1 half hour or so--the only gleaml l through the whole day, as if to show | approval and encouragement of the
 speakers. It's golden light slanted with charming effect through the fresh green 1 foliage, which with the slender stems | of the young trees. standing in close | ranks about the buildings. gave from
 within almost the, effect of freseoed
 walls, only brighter and fresher than
 any painted walls could ever be, and
 dappled with light and shade the path
 ways and the dim vistas which led into. | the recesses of the wood. '
 More sunshine would have given the
 crowning grace and glory to the occa-
 sion, but we were thankful for this one
 half hour. The Round Table" gave
 various exceedingly interesting reports l from different branches of "Sunshin-
 CTS" and platform reception followed;
 but we of Wallingford, who had to
 make our journey home by trolley in
 stallments-in progress as we'll as in fares, with long waits between--were
 among the first to leave, and it was black night long before we reached the
 good old town. And so, for us. ended | the first state reunion of the Interna- tional Sunshine society. May there be l many othars vet to come! H. C. l..