Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1907-11-09
1"~~O""S"~UOR
/ ALONG, QUIET DAY !
!. in The COUNTRY. .
G1~"@ F~OGRA

the longest day l ever remember.
Betty invited seven of us girls to
go on an early morning train to
Brookton. From there we were to
drive eight miles to Linden Falls.
She said Arthur Knight had prom
ised to bring some of the men in our
crowd out in his automobile in time
for an early supper.
There was a wagonette waiting for
us at Brookton and we girls climbed
into 1t and it was nearly lunch time
when we got to the falls. We were
all hungry, but Betty said we must
save the best things for supper, when
the men would be with us. So we
had only little snack of plain bread
and butter and spring water. After
that we thought we'd take a nap and
we lay down in the shade, but the
mosquitoes were so plentiful that
sleep was out of the question.
Because we wanted something to
do we decided to arrange the supper
table. We spread a beautiful white
cloth that Betty brought and laid out
all the sandwiches, salad, eggs, sar-
dimes, cake and cookies with heaps
OF pickles and jelly. Then we made
wreaths of maple leaves which we
woVe. The lunch looked so inviting
we could hardly resist it. For fear
we might be tempted to nibble, we
went for a walk, leaving our driver
in charge.
We strolled beside the brook into
a deep wood, where we found quanti-
ties of ferns that we thought would
add the finishing touch to our decora-
lions, and we became so interested
In getting them we stayed longer
than was intended. Then, suddenly
realizing how late it was getting, we
were afraid the automobile party had
arrived during our absence, and we
ran so fast that we were all hot and
breathless.
Betty fell and turned her ankle.
She Is always turning her ankle.
She did it at almost every dance we
went to last winter. can understand
that, for the men used to flock around
her and offer to carry her or tear up
their handkerchief for bandages,
but 1 can't see why she should turn
ankle out in the country with only us
girls around. OF course we had to
stop running and help her. She
leaned so heavily on me that had
to get one of the other girls to take
my place.
Maybe we weren't surprised when
we got back to our picnic place and
found the horses, which had been
taken out Of the wagonette and tied
to trees, standing on that handsome
tablecloth of Betty's. We rushed
upon them and shooed them away,
but we were too late-there was
nothing left of our delicious luncheon
but few olives and one pot of rogue
fort cheese. The tablecloth was ut
terly ruined. Betty cried when she
saw the dreadful holes the horses
hoofs had cut in it and all the jelly
spilled over it and trampled in. 1
think it was silly of Betty to bring
a fine tablecloth. 1t was just a bit
of ostentation on her part.
What will the men say?" all the
girls asked.
They'll be starving and we haven't
a thing to give Them" moaned Betty.
II don't believe they'll be any hun
grier than I am this minute" I said.
IF you had let us eat some of those
things at lunch time we would have
been better off now"
"Well, don't blame me. I didn't
know that those horrid horses were
going to spoil everything"
"The driver is to blame" said one
of the girls. 'I'd like to know why
he didn't stay here to watch them
and where he is now"
Hes here" cried another of the
girls who had wandered a little way
from the scene of the disaster. Hes
sound asleep. Shall wake him?"
eyes" we all answered in an angry
chorus.
When he opened his eyes after a
thrust in the ribs from a white en-
broidered parasol he looked around
stupidity. Then he suddenly jumped
up, ard asked excitedly, where are
them horses?"
Where were they? Not one of us
had thought of them since we chased |
them off the tablecloth and now they
were nowhere in sight. The driver
began calling and whistling and tear
ing around in every direction, and we
girls, all except Betty, joined in the
search.
well, we won't see them animals |
again to-day" said the driver at last.
tits dollars to doughnuts they have |
piked out for home. 1 seen their |
tracks on the road and it's no use
hunting any more"
We looked despairingly at each |
other for a moment and then Betty |
remarked that Arthur would Just |
have to take us to the station in his |
automobile-that we could all pile in |
somehow. That thought cheered us |
and looked at my watch to see If |
1t wasn't time for the men to come" |
why, it's after ski" exclaimed. |
"They ought to have been here long
ago."
They must come soon," said Betty. |
But they didn't come. We waited |
Ind waited, getting crosser and more |
tired every minute. At eight O'Clock |
We sent the driver to find some farm |
horses to take us to Brookton. 1t |
was after ten O'Clock when we |
reached the station, and discovered |
that we had just missed a train. We |
had an hour to wait, and we were all |
SO hungry, irritable and peevish that
we couldn't speak without almost |
swapping off each others heads.
Father met us at the train when
we got in town. l had telegraphed