New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-07-13
Fresh Air Youngsters Do
Bobblety-B France
and See Bonfire.
SPORT DERIDES OLD
WRlNKLED CARE
Pavilion Made a Bower of
Branches and Flowers by 366
Happy Boys and Girls.

I'm TINS case. because one knew that
these children were happy all too sell
dom. But for the time they were as
Say and rolhcking q crowd as well
could be. There was good reason, too;
Il was grand ball night az Ashford
Hll. The Tribune's Fresh AR camp al
Ardsley. " Y. In the big play pa
wilton boys and girls were light-step,
ping 10 around and around and IN ana
out The air was filled with music and
the ScuflinC Of many little feet, whllC
above these sounds, at times drowning
them out. rose gale atter gale OF
laughter and the piping and stirling
Of childish voices.
Just happy. happy children they
we're. with never a thought OF care for
the moment. though all too we'll ac-
ouainted with that wrinklo-DrO old
fellow in their tenement homes, de-
spite their years. They were in falry
land now, however, and two weeks OF
the country had put the shadows o.
their everyday life far into the back
ground.
All day long they worked TO prepare
for the ball Out in the woods the
boys had gathered leafy branches, and
in the fields the girls had plucked
flowers to transform the pavilion into
bower And when these had been
hung here and there 10 add their hgh'
10 that of the stars and the moon
You would have felt a clutch at your
heart 10 see the eyes of those little
ones sparkle with delight and 10 hear
the awed "O-o-O-h, amt it pretty re-
peat itself through the crowd, when
night finally settled down and the
candles IN the lanterns were lighted.
Such a simple thing it was, and yet so
wonderful TO the starved netures Of
these Fresh Airs
Opens with Grand March.
The occasion being a grand ball,
naturally II mad TO open with a grand
march. Tramp, tramp. tramp It started
of. the heavier tread of the boys keep
ing time with the lighter patter of the
girls. Around and around they marched,
hand in hand, first two by two, then
by fours. then by Fights, then back TO
two by two again.
Then the music quckered and faster
stepped the feet. And faster still the
music flew. and faster tripped the
marchers, until. instead OF tramp,
tramp, tramp, Il was skip. skippety.
ship. With every stcp hearts bea
lighter. and laughs grew eayer. eyes
hghtened and aces beamed. What &
wild lroliC it mad come to he. when the
piano stopped with a final plunk and
the whirl came TO standstill with
chorus Of con, dears." Gees" and
Please, teacher. play some more.
After the march there were assorted
dances. which were variously an
uounccd as Waltzes or two-steDs; but
this was siX-year-old Mary dancing
with sevca-year-old Tommy or Willie.
and the bobbiety- glide or the
lcsitating prance would have described
them more accurately. What difference,
though. when fun was the word and
YOU weren't going 10 be judged by one
or more Of Mr.. and Mrs. Vernon Cas-
ties registered pupils:
Abou. o'clock. right in the midst
o. q glide some one OF the dancers
stepped short and shouted, "WhoOp,
the bonfrc," Quicker than one Of the
interrupted hops, everybody had for
gotten tse dance and was rushing tow
ard d great circle Of benches that
swept in wide arc around Ashford
Rock" big granite outcrop that
breaks the ground of in one corner of
tho property.
On the top of this was reared
toDee-shaDcd structure Of dead wood,
which the boy had picked up in the
woods during The day 10 make the bon
fire. which is the grand finale of each
grand ball day at the camp. Down
near the base % the pile the flames
were already licking their way up from
stick 10 stick. By the time everybody
had secured a seat-that IS, everybody
that wanted one-a pillar OF fame was
shooting high into the air.
Barrel was n Triller.
Away up at the end OF pole that
rose through the centre Of the pile
hung a barrel. Toward it whirled the
sparks and climbed the fame tongues
Would il catch, or wouldn't il? That
was soon the all absorbing question.
4 thousand times some one shouted,
"Its caught" A thousand times there
was q sighed, "Ah, no-o-o.' Then some
one was sure II was going to fall, but
i, didn't.
barrel il was, For half an hour 1t de-
fed sparks and tongues Of flames. For
half an hour it fulfilled its purpose
and thrilled 366 hearts.
Then it caught, fared up, and in
moment the day was over, as days
should be when il is o'clock, and
everybody, except teacher" is twelve
years old, OF younger, mostly younger.
Soon the dancers we're dreaming
dreams Of the happy dOing5 of the day.
Dreaming 50 hard, IN fact, that when'
half an hour later, terrific thunder
storm broke over Westchester's hills
not ono Of the crowd woke from the
sweet sleep which Fresh Air and happi-
ness had brought in their tram, even
though the lightning tore the heavens
into rhrcds and the thunder volleyed
Ike TIC Big guns Of a feet Of Dread
roUghts.
Life ie happy at Ashford Hill. The
only drawback is that one may not stay
there Away. On Saturday this was
al on Saturday every now and then
boz would wander over 70 Mr.. Austin,
MAYOR o. Ashford Hill for The past ff-
teen grare. and ask, "C'n / stay two
more week. Nr. Austin?'
Bot there are other lads and lassies
waiting an1ioUsly for next Tuesday,
when the dancers Of Saturday are 10
come homo. n fact which prcludes the
possibility o. granting the request 50
often made.
Observation-Disclosures.
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