The Washington times., 1907-06-23

One might even go TO the Mikado's realm
and find the nstter-offact Jap intent upon the
glories Of nature when she assumes her summer
raiment
But especially Is this true Of the japanese
children. Little ones of both sexes 90 out IN
force on certain days agreed upon by the par
ents Of the villages or towns and seek delight
close to natures heart.
Their old Japanese legends tell them that
nature is the great mother Of all, and that hom-
age is due her Tor the daily care she takes Of her
children-homage which takes the form OF sing
ing, dancing and games on the greensward-
Japanese children at play are most beau
tiful and picturesque IN their flowing kmOnos
Of various shades and designs. with their quaint
little round, smiling faces, with their perfect
manners, their graceful bearing.
In England the picnic spirit may be re-
yersed according one resides IN the city or
country. The country people flock to the city
for the most popular of their picnics, and the
city people to the country.
In the one instance, there are frequently ez-
cursiOns in which $4,000 10 10000 people from
the rural districts 60 10 London 70 stay over
Saturday The trips are made possible by the
low excursion rates mac by the railroad COM
panies-
The people spend the day seeing the sights,
sleep in railroad stations, in buses, tram
-anywhere-and upon their return home
havo something to talk oyer for weeks.
How different from the great midsummer
bank holiday, when from slum and tenement and
the homes Of the more comfortable, London's
humanity pours TO the green fields and running
brooks at Hampstead Heath for q day of
joicing which comes as near any celebration
IN England come TO the American Fourth
Of July. The usual Bank Day crowd at Hamp-
stead Heath numbers 100000.
Every year some new device for making
merriment is thought up, for the London pOpu-
Lace &c rNf 70 Ia za~1c TaH with Ha
old thing year after year. One year II may be
a "tickler"-a feather attached TO the end OF
a stick, with which one tickles the neck
Of whomsoever happens to be next Another yea.
1t may be bladder tied t. a stick, with which
one hits his neighbor a good resounding whack
on the head and roars with laughter at the dis
comfture 1t causes.
Booths loaded with refreshments, fakirs
with cstchpenny devices are common. Count
less pennies are squandered this day for silly
amusements, even though poverty may stalk for
months afterward. And when 1t is over the ex-
cursion train carries back to London such a
crowd of Jolly. refreshed people perhaps
at other time in no other place the world
over gathered together.
Hundreds of joyous picnic parties may be
seen daily journeying from Paris into the sur
rounding country. Some speed IN automobiles,
others use street cars and omnibuses, still others
trudge into the woods on foot; but there is one
common spirit anirnating all-the spirit of ner-
Perhaps at one place may be seen an auto
mobile party, unpacking hampers Of tempting
delicacies and bottles of champagne; nearby q
couple or family may be swallowing with deep
est relish a few sandwiches washed down 40
cocoa or cheap wine.
In the United States it is not only the ma
tives of the soil who have their picnics every
foreign settlement is bound to have one or more
during the summer.
1t is q conglomeration of circus. wedding
and Fourth of July all In one There are the
ice cream, the lemonade, the games of chance
and proves, the baseball games and promenades
in the woods, besides the great feast at the
rough tables to make of 1t an occasion of IN
alleged pleasure.
In some places the housewives are expected
to donate cake, sugar, ice cream or what not, so
that while the expenses are practically nil, the
proceeds for the church or society are substaa-
tial
But, as stated, there is an elite element in
the United States which seeks to improve on
the old style by holding gay picnics yachts;
and there are always pleasure seeke- ling
the parks of the large cities
The picnic may change In its nature but,
like Tennyson's brook. it goes on forever.