The Globe-republican., 1903-09-24

what In the world" gasped Mr.
fhompkins.
The Thompkins were about to star
on the annual Sunday school picni
given by their church. Mrs. ThomT
kins had finished putting dainty littl
sandwiches into q large hamper bas
ket and was tucklng the cloth tina
covered them nicely down when Mr.
Thompkins entered.
He had on a winter suit Of clotheI
and was carrying a half dozen lif'
preservers On one arm. Behind hin
came a boy carrying rain coats, blan
kets, q medicine chest. q half dozer
umbrellas and numerous mysterious
looking packages.
Mrs. Thompkins," said the head o.
| the house, lmpressively, this Is one
picnic at which there will be some
one who had brains enough to pre-
pare properly for emergencies. Pic
MICS are always wretchedly disappoint
ing affairs. That Is because the peo-
pie who 60 to them content them
selves with taking little slices Of bread
stuck around microscopic pieces Of
ham, angels food cake, sixteen lem
ons, and a fan, instead Of taking along
things that are really essential.
II. propose to-day to demonstrate
how one can go to a picnic and enjoy
oneself and make others have good
time. 1t invariably rains at picnic.
Yet, how many think to provide them
selves with umbrellas and rain coats?
1t always turns cold at a picnic; yet
people go out wearing the thinnest
clothes they happen to have. Chill
dren go boat riding and fall into the
water and are drowned because no
one had sense enough to put life pre-.
servers on them. Some one Is sun
struck because they had no parasol
over their heads, and there Is no
blanket for them to lie down on In the
shade as there should be. Some one
takes poison, but there Is no one
handy with an emetic. Some one Is
accidentally shot, and there Is no one
standing by ready to remove the bull
let. have taken the precaution to
guard against unpleasant incidents &C.
curing at this picnic. AS superin-
tendent Of the Sunday school ! shall
see the children are safeguarded
against accident. We will proceed"
Mrs. Thompkins would have protest
ed, but she knew 1t would do no good;
so she meekly gathered up her basket
of sandwiches and led the way, while
Mr.. Thompkins, loaded down with life
preservers, blankets, and coats, fol-
lowed, and the boy and one of the
Thompkins' maids brought up the rear
Of the procession with all the rest OF
the bundles and packages that Mr..
Thompkins had provided. The neigh
bors looked out Of the windows and
said they were awful sorry that the
Thompkins were moving, and asked ii
The teamsters were on strike, and II
not why didn't they hire a moving
van? Mr.. Thompklns oslly scowled In
.eply, and the procession moved on to
he church where the children were
waiting. 1t was found that after all
II Mr.. Thompkins' stuff was slowed
way In one of the hacks there was
title room for the children. Finally a
,rocery wagon was leased and the
baggage was put into that
Arrived at the picnic grounds Mr.
'hompkins called all the children
round him and informed them that
o one was to 60 boat riding without
utting on a life preserver and carry
az an umbrella, 80 there would be
0 danger Of their either being sun
truck or drowned. There was a wall.
lg protest, but Mr.. Thompkins stood
rm, and SO the children put on the
fe preservers and took their umbrel.
IS. The boys who had to row the |
oats pointed out that they could not I
wv and hold umbrellas over their s
eads at the same time, and so an t
her boy was appointed to sit behind
10 one who rowed and hold the um. s
ella. The boats had no sooner got b
It into the stream than there was q
lllsion between two Of them. The c