The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1903-10-09
The MOTHERS PICNICS.
oae-Day Outings of the city Folk
That Do Them n World
of Good

YES said the settlement worker.
according 20 Youth Companion. -our
fresh air children we're 1 successfully
Always are II was JOY 70 see the
difference IL made IN some VI them.
poor little thin. weak, whining. whes-
faced miGs-ts when they went with
hardly spir.t TO be naughty, and .
pack u whoopIng brown imps that
nearly drove the conductors crazy on
tie way home II was positively as ex-
hllarafing as il was exhausting 10 have
% quench so many praaks- Those we're
whole HolrheTs. mostly. with a lew
fortnighters. and occasionally one
weeker or so VI course. the just-lor-
the-days don't show IL SO much; al
though it's surprising the virtue there
il in . four hours layer OF sunburn-
she paused 10 smile and then added:
When il comes 10 one-day outings.
the people IL does the uOst obvious and
instant good TO are the mothers Not
the mothers who accompany babies or
sick children, either. but the middle
aged and elderly women. who are
~ coe-ced by their husbands and older
children 10 leave their families for
angle day and accept our invitation TO
picnic in the country.
The first mothers picnic we gave
was a triumph. but il was all ! could
d. 10 keep the tears out Of my eyes
While was serving sandwiches and
telling funny stories 70 amuse our
guests. They had been exchanging
news on the way you see-quite without
seif-pity and with not much pity Tor
one another. il xas too much the usual
.hing-aad the revelation Of what
seemed 70 me their perpetual imprlson-
ment al hard labor in lot bounded
81 poverty. toll. WEAKNESS and monot-
ony. diversified chiefly BY births. deaths
and lost Jobs. upset my nerves
Three OF them had not been outside
the city for more than ten years, one
fsr IL: and the way those women rev.
eled in the glimmer OF the lake and the
greenery Of the trees shall never for
get
One enormous vOEan-we had
longed for A derrick in getting her on
AMI of the cars-began to whimper
softly like = big baby when we got
fairly into the grove. and suddenly sat
herself down plump on the pine-needles.
although there vas q comfortable broad
rustic seat al hand Then she apollo
gtzed in advance. very fustered and
meek. for the trouble she knew 1t was
going to be to get her mp again.
But l amt set on them sweet
smelly things since I was no bigger
riy Name Is now. ard Just had to do X
I'm awful sorry. she explained
well. Of course her foot went 70 sleep
and she got cricks in her knees and
burst both sleeves OF her gown when
we pulled her up: but We didn't mind.
moor soul. She was so happy she
dropped occasional unconscious tears
into her teacup all supper time; and
whenever she could Rear bird sing she
couldn't hear anything else. and u was
no use to talk 10 her.
There was another woman who
never. ssnce the age OF IL. remembered
except when she was sick. eating more
than two meals she hadn't prepared
herself: and another who had never
seen a pond outside park. and another
Who said she could name three kinds Of
wild birts-sparrows. squirrels and
peacocks. think never saw score
OF people as happy az that picnic party
and I know .s>er the first. was never
Happier myself"