The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-04-20
c)OCHTY

Sunday was a characteristic Kansas
day. typical example of the uncer-
tainty of our capricious weather. A
party of Topeka people who spent the
day in the country, started early 1or
a ten mile drive and did not return
until dark, had, in about twelve hours
the temperature and climatic condl-
tfonS of the four seasons. The morn
ing was one of extraordinary beauty,
balmy, calm and bright and they drove
out of town to the music of the early
church bells with a plying contempt
for people who waste the Blessed SAB
bath in the usual fashion: spending
the lovely early morning hours in bed,
sit in musty churches, stun heaVy
diners and browse away the afternoon
with dull talk and bad tea. They mad
not much more use for the golfers
they met on their way to the Country
club Golf, they decided, is better
than staying indoors, but after all, IT
isn't natures exercise: all the condl-
lions and circumstances that accom-
pany it are artificial. 1t doesn't really
get one close to the soil and Near TO
Natures Heart.
1t was certainly luscious morning
and if you haven't been off Kansas
avenue you have no one but yourself
to blame because you haven't heard
that spring is here. Yes, indeed. All
along the streams the rushes and the
willows are struggling, each to show
the more vivid green; dandelions star
the blue grass: the edge of the timber
is purple with the bloom of the Judas
tree, it's hollows are blue with violets,
and it's air is heavy with the fragrance
of the wild plum. The tawny prairie
grass shows a faint tinge of green
deepened to a real emerald in the oc-
casional patches of 'late-burn." The
cattle have been turned out on the
hills. everywhere there is the good
earthly smell of the freshly plowed
ground. and you should see the alfalfa
and the wheat fieldsl Some way or
other the birds have heard about it
for they are all back, robins and wrens
and meadow larks and turtle doves
and blue jays and cardinals. Flocks
of quail rise from the roadside and
rabbits scurry under your very wheels.
1t was easy to be an optimist and
everybody had grin that would make
Billiken look peeved. For the wind
was still only zephyr and the sun,
though cordial. was not overriding its
function.
BY the time they reached their
destination the Nature lovers had to
admit that. for April, the day was I'M
commonly warm. There is still no
shade in the woods, of course. and at
noon time when they made camp in a
lovely dale where the grass was thick
and soft and there was plenty of small.
dry wood for fire, they wondered
why they had brought heavy wraps
and planned for steak roast instead
of a cold lunch. Everybody was too
warm and languid to take much in
terest in broiling a steak and baking
potatoes and eggs and making coffee,
and although they had a dinner for
the gods, no August picnic party was
ever hotter. The sun beat down re-
lentlessly upon them and they began
to talk about where they were going
for the summer. After lunch they took
the fishing tackle and sought the cool
creek bank-but it wasn't cool. The
air was as sultry as midsummer and
they were groggy with heavy food
suitable for a Polar excursion, and
weary with the WEAKNESS of spring.
You've heard about people who were
even too lazy to fish? Well, this was
the case of the Nature Lovers-and it
wasn't a luxurious laziness, either, but
the prostration of utter fatigue. Moth
ing was said about the beauty of Gods
Outdoors. and the man who had
earlier in the dav been eXpounding his
theory that civilization is failure,
longed for an electric fan. The Bill