New-York tribune., 1910-09-08
SO MAR|ANS- count EN-
No Wonder Robin Hoods Irusty
Men Performed Valiant Deeds.
SHERWOOD IN BERKSHIRES
Merrie Grew Disporting Therein
Really Were Guests of the
Fresh Air Fund.

The world dropped back some eight hun
dred years on Labor Day That is to say.
one little corner Of il did. For while or
ganized labor was displaying itself TO the
admirinG thousands stretched along Fifth
avenue up N Western Massachusetts
Robin Hood and his ''merrie men we're
ranging through the woodland gIades Of
the Berkshire Hills
II wasn't such an fnapprooriate dav for
that prince of good fellows TO revisit this
mundane sphere either. come 70 think Of
it. for Robin was one Of the original enan-
cipators Of the downtrodden laboring man
Then. too. he was an advocate Of forest
conservation long before his distinguished
fellow huntsnan got the bee.
ANYWAY he was there for a flying visit
also an appropriate kind Of visit for these
DAYS. by the way-he and his doughty lieu
tenants. Little John and Friar Tuck and
All those other gallant shooters with the
bow and surreptitious chasers Of the deer
in the good old DAYS of yore.
in Cassocks Green
The forest walks around the Stockbridge
Bowl ere just alive with green cassOcks-
and the dingles and dells of the region re-
sounded TO the winding of many hunting
horn
They we're real 'merrie men," too There
was not long face among them, in fact
they were not very long in any of their
dimensions. Not an outlaw in the band
stood ever four feet six in his stockings
or rather. say, IN his bare feet
But. despite their diminutive size, they
were valiant. and during the brief period
Of their reincarnation several uaidens in
distress were rescued and several robber
barOns were held up and despoiIed Of i'll
gotten treasure
This was not 10 be wondered at. for the
eyes OF Maid Marian. who was present
ninety-nine times all at once watched their
deeds of derring do and gave that inspira-
ton which bright eyes that reign influence
and adjudge the prize have always given
to errant knights, past and present
II wasn't only her eyes that didn't be
have, either. She used her voice as we'll
and, being present so many times all at
once, managed to make a good deal Of
noise. The strange part OF Il was that her
English was far from archaic-in fact.
most Of it was plain American In the
heat OF the excitement she was heard TO
shout at different times:
Language Not Archaic.
Run. kiddo. beat it,
Soak EN-, Jimmie, on de shins. de
sbinsI"
600, what vaIIop, bet he felt
that"
Look out. or yell be some other kind of
a angel than a Fresh Air one.''
There was much more of the anne kind
Of talk. which certainly was not in vogue
in the days Of Richard Cceur de Lion.
About noon the world picked up its lost
time again. and the gay young sparks of
Sherwood stripped off their suits OF nunt-
ing green and sat down 70 dinner. two
hundred strong, in the dining room of St.
Helen's Home for Fresh Air Children.
The fact that this is the close season
doesn't prove, in view of the reputation of
Robin and his band, that there was not d
venison pasty on the menu, but if there
was no one breathed a word about it,
on the Friday preceding Labor Day the
band was entertained by the proprietor of
the Hotel AspinwaII. at Lenox- The super
intendent of the home says they were
given all the ice cream and cake possible.
a jar of candy each. a handkerchief
dime and a half hours automobile ride
And maybe that isn't the foundation for
good time.