The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-05-01

The little short waist has an allover
design in silk soutache embroidered
upon 1t, this design appearing again on
pocket flap and cuff. The joining OF
skirt and waist is defined by little
pleated frill of self-tone chiffon. which
is used also for the tucker and crushed
sleeves These last are an exceedingly
practical innovation in cloth suits,
there being SO few days in our snort
spring season when the added weight
and warmth of cloth coat sleeve over
a. dress sleeve of the same is not posi-
lively uncomfortable
X y
Every day or so somebody throws
a fit because the Perkins girls are
down town so much, but why is 1t any
worse to waste your time paraolns
Kansas avenue than gadding to bridge
clubs? Everyone to his or her taste.
and when it comes to wasting time, 1t
is not for those who have glass arms
to throw the first stone.
When you feel the call of the spring
in your veins try an exploration
There are beautiful places within easy
reach of town which you may not
know and the discovery of which Will
give you new thrill of delight. Drive
out the Burlingame road and take the
second turn to the left after you pass
the Country club. You know the road,
of course; it is a favortte local drive
But have you seen it this spring? II
leads you west about half a mile to
the most charming bit of wood bord-
ering a creek, crossed by pictures
que stone bridge. There is only lit
tie strip of timber, but 1t is a lovely
glade, the grass wildly green, the
shadows of the first leaves upon 1t,
here and there a blotch of pinkish-
lavender red bud tree in bloom
L. loko IN, nd
near the bridge, riot of Sweet Will
liam which fairly carpets the ground
and fills the air with their faint, deli
ciouS fragrance. Close to the creek
bank near the bridge there is big
elm tree from the base of which the
bank has washed away leaving ex-
posed a great root which has been
transformed by nature into a flower
box overlooking with the brilliant
blue of the Sweet William which has
literally taken the woods with beauty.
The road winds on out from under the
trees and you begin the ascent OF a
hill with a meadow on one side and a
freshly ploughed field on the other,
and. at the top Of the hill there is one
of the most attractive country places
in this vicinity, the e. A. Popenoe
farm of which the meadow you have
Just passed is a part. The house is set
back from the road in a grove of cot
commanding a splendid view. There
is an orchard and a garden, a row of
tall cottonwoods bordering the road
and other evidences of long occupa-
ton. yet the grass in the dooryard is
the wild grass of the virgin prairie.
But the lov1iest spot near Topeka in
the springtime is over on Soldier
creek near Indianola. You know the
wooden bridge that crosses Soldier
just west of the old Indianola hotel?
Just after you cross the bridge, on the
east side of the road you notice a
gateway, with the gate conveniently
missing and you may drive in But
not far. The road stops abruptly at a
bend in the creek and steep clay
bank rises precipitately in front OF
you. 1t is just little patch of wood,
but there are many violets, jacks-in-
the-pulpit and May apples (not' yet
IN bloom) and sometimes, If you are
lucky. you will find a few mushrooms.
But this is not the end of your jour-
ney. The best is yet to come. If you
are not afraid of climbing follow the
faint path that leads up the steep
wooded bank. 1t will take you up
and over and down again, through a
fence or two. across the tiny trickle
that drains some hill spring to a won
derful messy bank such as you never
| expected to see in "semi-arid" Kan
sas. Thick and soft and joyously
1
with delicate ferns springing from the
velvet carpet, and you Chamber on,
your feet sinking deliciously into
the cool, spongy earth and come out
at the top of the bank upon a de-
| lightful grove of scrub oaks and tick-
DRY. The carpet of moss becomes a
carpet of bluegrass and clover. starred
with the blossoms of wild strawberry
The scrub oaks are just beginning to
put out their dainty. blossom-like
leaves, pink and crumpled like a
baby's fingers, and the hickories are
all a-bloom with those big, lily.
shaped greenish-yellow blossoms
which look like the iris except in col
or. The trees grow closely and shut
out the view, but you follow the path
blindly and come suddenly upon gen.
tie slope where the oaks and the hick-
| cries fall away for a sylvan stage set
for a MAIDS dance of spring. 1t Is a
lthiclet of wild crab trees. rare enough