The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-09-11
I'll ADS or THE
NEW YORK GIRL
CAMPING OUT. DUCK SHOOT
ING AND FLIRTIN


| An entire week Of canoeing has not e1-
hausted the New York girls enthusiasm
for this most poetical Of sports. New
York and it's joys have faded away into a
remote past.
| Having won the friendship Of the canoe.
90 that it no longer greets her with nervous
embarrassment, she at last found herself
equal to long canoeing trip down the
wide blue-green st. John River out to the
fancy duck shooting country at Grand
Lake. The programme was to pitch camp
on bluff overlooking the lake and to creep
out at dawn for the most thrilling Of shot
gun sport.
Camping out in September in upper
Canada Is little like planning an Arctic
relief expedition. Furs and eiderdown
sleeping bags and heavy sweaters and
woollen underwear are necessary for the
season which at Newport calls for MULE
and chiffon and gauze hats and lace wraps.
But what, indeed, has chiffon to do with
life any way2 thinks the New York girl.
1t is pretty and expensive and perishable
and ruined by the mist or the rain or the
wind It's symbol Of Newport life. flip
pant and unstable and extravagant, In no
way a part Of real things. This she ex-
plains to the big Canadian who taught
| her to paddle and who has planned for the
coming trip with his sister and mother-in-
| law.
| The New York girl wore an odd costume
that was q cross between the dress Of an
Adirondack guide and that of sportily
CARRIED old tar, a dress In which she was
ready for rain or wind or an unexpected
wading expedition.
There was short skirt of stout tweed,
with knickes OF dark blue flannel, silk lined,
q wash silk blouse, and over the silk a
sailors blouse, instead Of a hunting jacket.
This was OF dark blue serge lined with scar
let flannel and fitted with high collar and
two big pockets.
Coli stockings of blue wool and extra
rubber boots, in case 1t was necessary to
wade In the rice beds, completed the dress.
The cap was q wool tam Of scarlet that
held ourls in bondage, and at night Cana
dian knitted tupe was worn pulled down
over the ears and almost to the nose.
No corsets, no tight bands nor garters.
no collars nor gloves, not one article of
dress was allowed to hamper the body or
hinder the mind. For you We got to start
easy, as the guides say, on canoe trip,
whether you are 10 paddle all day on your
knees, with every muscle taut and brain
alert to get somewhere without an acci-
dent, or whether you are to sit in the bow
directing, entertaining or helping occa-
sionally.
1t was picturesque party in the canoe
as 1t glided down the smooth flowing river
in the early September morning. The girl
padded, as she is doing these days every
second not demanded for food and sleep.
The sun came out to meet them and the
water turned pink and the thanking hills
softened into gold the wind freshened a
little, the paddle was still for moment
and the canoe drifted SLOWLY in the cur
rent. 1t was the GREATNESS moment of the
creation OF a perfect day.
1t was by living through such dawns and
mellow twilights and fairy moon scenes
that the man at the bow had grown 80 at
peace with the world and so silent.
After few miles the rice beds began to
skirt the shore, narrowing the passage
way, giving sense Of sensuoLs intimacy
between the people and the bark and the
shore and the sun flashing through the
scarlet splashed maple.
II the paddle was silent for moment the
water would grow glistening yellow, and
Just below the surface, close to a floating
lily pad, the girl could see a motionless
pick erel, vivid green and black, a painted
shadow, inanimate as its pink lined canopy.
Then a stir Of the paddle and in second |
the shadow was the nash of blade, and a |
dozen feet further up stream the flash. !
again a green and black shadow, nestled |
near protecting lily leaf, 1t was as though |
the as .onished brilliant little fish was pro- !
PEELED by compressed air 1t didn't seem |
to start or stop, but just suddenly 10 be In |
another place. !
Here the man padded and the girl threw |
out trolling spoon int beds of lily pads.
and gathered in some is-inch fish for supper.
She was an old fisherman and proud of doing |
some sportsmanike thing without instruc-
ton from the woodman.
If could only iish as well as you pad-
die she suggested with tentative coouet-,y
to the man, who, there in the shadow and ,
quiet and fragrance, seemed the only really |
Il do nothing as we'll as you will some
daE do everything said the man, with
tragic seriousness. Il am afraid OF your
genius for accomplishment. You do things
the way pickerel darts-all things
The moving rice touched the canoe In
the narrow thoroughfares from lake to lake,
and the sun crept back down the stream,
1T was a lake Of gold they padded through
to the camping ground. The Canadian saw
joy and hope trail back with the yellow
light and the girl-was hungry.
4 blazing campfire broke the dull Of the
gray dusk, and the girl helped to make
the tents comfortable and orderly with
beds Of pine need les under the sleeping
bags, and blankets heaped near, and sleep
ing hoods and pair Of fur lined shoes by
her own bag The chaperon got supper
Of coffee and pickerel and brown bread
and much jam.
And the men went down in the moon
light to place the decoys in rice beds along
the mouth of the lake rendy for the aarly
morning flying wedge Of southbound ducks
The tents faced the sunset, as q cathedral
is built, and all night the moonlight and
wind driftAd In the omen Hape and the