The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1907-07-30
INCIDENTS AT A PICNIC

The season for the picnic apd fam
lily reunion Is here. u Is the time of
the year when we arise at early dawn
iand with gladsome hearts anticipating
a day taken up with a renewing of
old acquaintances and a recalling of
fond memories, day of stomachs
laden with cold chicken and of
throats clogged with ishbones, we
lead our happy families TO some cool
and refreshing rustic nook
The picnic and the family reunion
have come to stay, like all of our
great American institutions What
man is there, who. having once gone
with his family and enjoyed a day OF
delight in the softly signing woods,
does not long for repeated opportuni-
! ties to again stretch himself out on
! the green sward and commune with
nature "as she really is. He would
denounce any man who might have
presumption enough to hint that the
American picnic is not bowling sue
cess. Yes he has only words of en-.
, thusiasm for days outing in the
shady grove, even though when his
last picnic was over, baby had been
stung by spider, his wife had been
deprived of 4 section of her clothing
trying 10 scale a barbed wire fence.
little Johnnie had broken his arm
trying to climb on the back of n
stray bull 13-year-old Mary had
fallen into the river, and TO top it all
off, he himself had almost removed
his hand while carving the chicken.
All such trivial matters are forgot
ten a few weeks after their occur
renee and everyone in the family is
ready for another day of joyful recre-
alton.
The best part Of the picnic is the
hour or so that is taken mp with
dinner. That is it lasts an lour un-
less the family dog happens 10 dis
port himself among the eatables or
some other unexpected incident causes
a hitch in the program
Usually a wide expanse of snowy
Itable-cloth Is spread over the ground
and there the members Of the party
squat like a lot of Arabs TO declare
war on a feast that al first glance
looks it for the gods. When time
comes FOR the dinner, generally all
have a set Of appetites that would
do credit TO any bush league ball
team. TO any of them paving brick
done up in Portland cement would be
a tempting morsel.
At most picnic parts, all goes
wen until it is discovered that u
spider has wandered into the sugar
bowl and that a grass-hopper is bat
ltling for existence in the butter
However those are trifling incidents
compared with what may happen.
Eventually, the man at the head of
the table will learn that he is sit
ting on thistle which seems TO have
la mission in life, If it happens that
the picnic is one. given under the aus
pices Of a Sunday school, the style
Iof English which is addressed TO the
thistle may not be entirely approprl-
late, The man usually steps on the
cake in his frantic effort 20 become
detached from the thistle, and after
THAT all is for moment serene It's
mot long, however until playful
Ithousand-legged worm crawls down
babys back and another battle royal
is on.
Sometimes The whole affair 81
brought TO a close when 1t is discoy-
cred that the table-eloth happens to
be spread over couple OF ant hills.
The discovery is hardly ever made.
however, until the ants have begun
to wander aimlessly about among tie
picnic dainties.
AT other times, it is customary 70
have neighboring farmer try TO cap
ture a runaway horse or COW, and IN
the chase. drive the animal into the
picnic party. In some respects this is
better plan than the one in which
the ants figure, since It's little
more exciting and adds 10 the recrea-
tioh' which one seeks in taking an
outing in the woods