St. Tammany farmer., 1907-08-03

HenS OF Newport town, let me glance
little at summer festivities in the
rural districts. In this connection I
recall dance on the green, the grass
closely clipped for the occasion. The
time was golden September, the COM
pany dozen intimate heads Of fam.
lilies, with their young people. the
music an old-fashioned fiddler with
his instrument On this smooth
sward the waltz, fatal" some French
writer says, ito good dancing can.
not well be managed. But lancers
and Portland fancy" succeed very
Well, The time chosen is the very
heart of the lovely autumn day.
Papas and mammas sit cheerfully in
a pleasant mingling of sun and shade
and recall their own days of friski-
ness. But when the Virginia reel
is called their feet refuse to keep
still. They take hands and join in
the mirthful exercises until they are
We'll tired out and by no means un-
willing to taste an excellent "bouilla-
baise," which is served, piping hot,
under the shelter of the oaks and
naples.
Shall I go back little further and
recall real dance in a barn?" Not
the gymnastic which figures under
that name in modern ballroom, but
feast given by city lady of SO
years since to celebrate the compile.
ton of new barn on her country
estate. She sends her invitations
| through the village carpenter. He
asks whether he shall invite old and
young. She replies, 'By all means.
and the more the merrier."
So, at sundown. the rustic neigh.
bors appear. The barn is lit with
lanterns and adorned with green
boughs. The tables are spEead with
substantial viands The air is redo
lent of the fragrance of hot coffee
In corner stands the fiddler and q
call is made for partners Farmer
B. suggests that Cousin Bob might
bring his bass" and so the 'celIc
lends it's dignity to the occasion. The
country folks execute their steps
with great good will At intervals
they unite their voices in song:
Last Tuesday night the wind was
west,
There was husking in the east"
And so on and so on until the rura
limits of frolic time are reached ant
the barn is left to it's future estate
of use.
The extension of camp life In on
country is very encouraging sigI
of progress The breath of the woods
is fresh and invigorating and tn,
simple labors of the camp, shared
among it's inmates, afford lesson il
the direction of that plain living
which is said to be condition o
high thinking. The summer camp
for boys, which have so multiplied o
late, provide abundantly for the e1
ercise of that superfiuous energ
which renders the youngster Whel
"cabined, cribbed. confined a terro
to orderly households.
What a camping out was that i
which Emerson, the elder Agassi
and Lowell, with a chosen compan
of friends, took refuge in the Adiror
dack solitudes! William Stil1mar
who planned and conducted this out
ing ''in the grand STYLE has spoke
of it at some length in his recentl
published "reminiscences. 1t a
ways remained in his mind as one c
the greatest events in his eventfu
life. Mr.. Emerson was moved t
celebrate this excursion in a poe1
which I once had, with other friend!
the pleasure of hearing from his ow
lips. AS he read the now well-knoW
lines his face was lit up by pleasar
recollections and he even quote
with humor the boatman's CONNER
: on the bad rowing of one of th
party, sFWill you catch crabs?"
: JULIA WARD HOWE.