Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1910-07-08
THEIR DAY
OFF

What" cried the tall girl and the
short girl simultaneously and unbe-
lievingly.
YES" insisted the fat man and the
thin man, likewise in chorus.
'If you are going on this merry lit
tie jaunt into the country you will
have to rise with the lark" explained
the thin man, because the car leaves
down town at nine o'clock"
"Oh, well, it isn't as If we couldn't
do it," said the tall girl. heroically.
So the next morning the four of
them caught the electric car.
There had been a sudden faint driz-
zle of rain, but as they whizzed on
past the last cottages on the prairie
west of town the sun bobbed out again.
The level country was rich green
and the sky was very blue.
IL feel" said the fat man, as though
l were threatened with a good time
today"
II have exactly the same feeling"
said the thin man.
After a time the level country was
succeeded by country that was broken
and rolling. There were glimpses of
brooks with the willows trailing yell
low-green fingers in the water and
clumps of naples and sycamores put
ting out glistening young leaves. Some
grazing cattle threw up their heads
and switched their tails and scared
horse galloped to the farther end of a
meadow as the car shot by.
Through the open car windows came
the persistent, cheerful melody of
meadow larks. The tall girl had mild
Mysteries when she actually saw two
of the little songsters balancing on
fence rail When tie short girl spied
real robin excitement ran high
In some of the neat yards of farm
houses there were little round patches
Of tulips in bloom and the bushes
covered with golden flowers whose
name no human being remembers. viii
lagos decorated with gorgeous coun-
try clubs and plain villages in their
natural state of simplicity fled by.
The streets were full of people enjoy
Ing the remarkable spring day.
They were at the end of the electric
line before they knew 1t and got sur
rey and two white horses, one of
which seemed tame and one savage,
because 1t had a wall eye and rolled
1t.
Excuse me-" said the tall girl, but
as none of us knows how to drive
shall feel far safer IL hold the lines
myself Driving will occupy my mind
so that | shan't have time to worry
about what may happen. am posi-
tive that the wall-eyed horse doesnt I
| like us. No doubt we'll have a run
1 away!"
THAT being the case." said the thin
man, II will sit in the back seat,
where egress from the doomed vehicle
| is easiest. l am great on backward
somersaults!"
1t was noon and much warmer. A
big white butterfly floated along the
roadside and yellow dandelions
speckled the grass. Some freshly
| plowed land sent forth it's rich earthly
fragrance. and in one farmyard six
| sprawly little colts stumbled up against
their mothers and stared. The world
was very new to them. A bunch of
fat pigs squealed and galloped away
with their absurd rocking-horse gait
Presently by gray rail fence ap-
peared flock of sheep. sadly In
need of laundering. Among them were
a dozen lambs with funny black legs
looking as though they had waded
through ink
stop the horses!" commanded the
fat man. Then he waved his hands al
the flock. "Gambol. little lambs" he
., ordered. "Gambol, consarn you!"
And they did. If you have never
seen infant lambs with Stick-up ears
and stiff black legs shooting out at all
angles, just as though they had never
heard Of the theory of gravitation, fit
ting over the green. you have lived In
vain!
Like most things in life the horses
did not act as had been expected The
wall-eyed one plodded along steadily
but every time 1t turned corner the
tame one ran away. The driver got
excited and hunted up corners Just tc
convince herself of the truth of this
but still the tame steed invariably ran
All these corners Of course had to be
negotiated on the return trip, so the
ride was rather abrupt in spots.
After dinner at a hotel they tool
the electric car again and rode along
the bank of the river with fishermen
fishing and aspiring canoes shooting
out from unexpected spots, past foamy
dams and clumps of woodland, pas
high hills crowded with rich mems
country mansions overlooking miles o.
river valley and farm land and pas
little hooks in the rocky hills shelter
ing bungalows and summer cottages.
Finally they turned about and tool
car back to Chicago. Suddenly {