The Farmville herald. [volume] (Farmville, Va.) 1890-1934, 1910-09-02
THE PICKETT PICNIC.
PRINCE AND PEERLESS AMONG
PICNICS.
Perfect In Conception and Fault
less i'm Execution.

i gathered at the Pickett Spring
It Though the clouds gathered and tn
b thunder rolled and the lightnin
d flashed, and the rain poured. tn
/. crowd went on having fun as thoug
r. the sun shone out in all its glory
d The first order of the day wa
, sounded out in the old and familiar
i command. partners to your places
\ and with alacrity and celebrity th'
outdoor dancing platform wai
/ crowded with the lovers of the
e light fantastic" or as the immor
tai Dickens puts it. Away they al
5 went, twenty couples OF once, hands
2 half round and back again the 9th
z er way; down the middle and up
again; round and round in various
, stages of affectionate grasping, old
top couples always turning up in
the wrong place. new top couples
starting off again. as soon as they
got there; all top couples at last.
and not a bottom one to help them
Advance and retire. turn your part
ner. bow and courtesy. cork screw.
thread the needle and back again
to your place"
All waited eagerly for the first
strains OF music and the orders of
the master of the dance, Mr. c. B.
Cunningham, swung out clear and
strong, "head couples forward and
back to your places Forward again
and cross over, forward and cross,
ladies change, turn your partners.
Same to the side couples. Swing
corners all. Ladies to the right,
gentlemen the same, promenade all.
No German" for these Ameri-
can dancers and no circular move
ment for these devotees Of a square
dance" And conspicuous among
the flying feet moved those of vet
erans John" Scott and Cooley
Hamlett, who forgot the night of
time and flung to the winds the
weight of years as with the nim-
bleness Of genuine 6-year-olds. they
moved in the mazes of the dance
Coats and hats off, bald heads shin
ing under the clouds and white
locks famed by the breezes Win I,
ter dallying with the delights of
the spring and now all melting
under the warming influences of +
the happy occasion.
1t was a sight worth the seeing,
for is one rarely seen. Mrs. c. b. I
Cunningham. with a fair daughter /
or vis-a-vs, entered into the spirit .
of the scene with wanted grace and .
queenly bearing, while between the /
sets "mine host" Pickett. ratified off
the genuine jig as though he had .
caught the lick on a Southern plan
tation in days "befo de wah"
When asked where he learned
the lesson. he was candid enough
to confess that an old-time darkey
taught him the step in the good
old State of Kentucky. And while
they danced the rain began to fall,
but who cares for even drenching
rain when such a dance is on?
But when the announcement was
made that the Brunswick stew
was ready" the music ceased and
the dancers were quick to exchange
enhancing exercise for refresh
ments. And such a stew, Squir-
rels the basic ingredient. and they
are rare now hys. though "well .
done" on this occasion. and with
mpanionable ingredients did fur
nlsh a dish to which the kings Of
earth are all, strangers. And while
the picnicers stood at the tables and
to their exhilirating tasks, the rain
gathered up new force and fell in
torrents. But did "stonewall" Jack
son ever call off fight by reason
of the rain? And this fight con-
tlnued until every stronghold had
been successfully stormed and the
beseigers were forced to cry out,
hold. enough"
Mrs. w. c. Dunkum presided ov-
er the boiling pot, and when she
the one word, ready"
the rest of us were ready too.
Miss Mohawk. assisted in the
serving and though a stranger to
many of those present. won warm
places in all hearts. Great is the
Pickett pure water. but greater
still this picnic at the Pickett
spring.
To The Public.