Perth Amboy evening news., 1923-08-15

" AA6N ~ S0a anu LA0 OOJe R0I ~ q
swim after the tents are pitched,
and before supper"
That's fine," shouted Cliff Mao
Kenzie, 'if you girls don't hold up
the supper toe long"
} Give us twenty minutes after
were out of the water" replied Ted
and you'll have a feast that is fit
for kings"
"Ataboy. Ted" called out Chick
Henderson, as they lugged along
their canvas loads of straw.
I couldn't help thinking how Miss
Q would have disapproved of all this
very informal proceeding, and whai
a perfectly natural sort of lark it
was. We were all there on an IN
expected holiday, each M working
hard to do his share of the camp
work, and everybody considering this
making of camp and cooking of a
lsupper as the most important thing
in the universe. 1t was, too, to each
one of US five. Before we got through
with that camping episode, Ted and
l agreed that "rustling the grub" as
the boys called it, is the supreme
purpose of life, and that food is the
most important thing in the world.
We put 1t up to the others, and
they said, "Of course" as if they
had known 1t all their lives. Even
Mr.. c..
And that's how we women spend
our lives, "rustling the grub" Well,
If it's the most important thing in
life. we are certainly some impor-
tant as a sex. I'll think that over
later.
We did have our swim, though
for Ted and me it was only a dive.
We were too tired to do any swim
ming. and besides, we had promis-
ed supper in twenty minutes, and
had to make good. Shall 1 tell you
what We had? Well, the hot dish
was two cans of thick ox-tail soup,
which We ate out of our tin cups
after we had a drink of water in
them first. Chat saved extra dishes.)
We had some pilot biscuits, those
great big round ones, along with
the soup. We also had a nice ripe
tomato apiece that the farmers wife
had given us. We ate those just like
apples, without peeling them and
without any oil or salt or salad dress
ing. They were certainly great that
way too. 1 never knew they could be
SO good.
Then we had some milk in our
same cups, this time washed out
with some of the water that we had
been heating In the kettle that we
had made the soup in; for in camp
you never waste any of the heat of
your fire. You always put on water
to heat while the fire Is going. It
is surprising how many uses you find
for it.
With u delicious fresh milk
1t had real cream on it, yellow,
country cream, not the legal kind
had some of Ted's mothers
.doughnuts. or crullers, as we call
them. and they were wonderful.
Nothing could ever taste SO good!
After supper, we all hustled the
debris away, and hung up our sup
plies IN trees so we shouldn't be
robbed of them by any little four
footed scoundrels during the night,
and then Ted and 1 took our two
army blankets into our tent, lit was
still smoky from the smudge that the
boys had built, but anyway, 1t was
mosquito-less, and that was the real
thing, put n blanket over the
little pile of straw, our two selves
on the blanket, and the other blank
ct above u.s. tucking it in all around
carefully for fear of snakes. We
didn't mention our fear of snakes
to the others. They would have
Thought us cowardly and womanish
The boys and Mr.. c. were still
smoking and talking out by the little
fire when we went to sleep.
In the morning when it was very
learly and gray, L was awakened by
Ted's Juggling at my arm. Annie
love-" she whispered, lis that some
body trying to get into our tent?'
l was scared as a rabbit too, but ]
was more sleepy than scared, So
sat up to see There in the open
ing Of our tent, 1--WE had been so
smoky and we felt so remote from
the others that we had left the fly
tied back for better air. stood a
whole flock of sheep. They all had
black faces, and they were standing
there in our doorway, looking horri-
fed and amazed to find two girls
from Miss Q's school sleeping on a
pile Of straw on the hard, hard
ground, fully dressed in Khaki camp
ing suits! Ted and l began to laugh.
We tried not to laugh aloud, but you
know how 1t is, dear Mary c., the
more you try not to, the harder you
laugh. Finally Ted said between
gasps of laughter, II know Just what
you're thinking, Annielove. Isn't it
rich? They are exactly like the
faculty of Miss Q's school,"
While we were burying our faces
in our lumpy bed over our simultan-
eous thought, the sheep went patter-
ing off. Ted's fathers little whistle
sounded outside. Are you all right,
'girls?" he asked. There were some
sheep here calling on the. camp"
Yes. Dad, thank you, we're all
right, but the ground gets harder
by the minute"
Mr.. c. chuckled. Most getting
up time, anyway" he said. IT'S
three forty five"
Ted and 1 groaned, and though we
couldn't be sure, We thought we
beard an answering groan that may
have come from the other tent. Per-
haps the ground was hard there too.
l could tell you about the rest of
that trip, but l have taken too much
room already, so I will Just say that
Ted and I agreed, when we were
walking up the walk to her front
door, that the one thing we wanted
more than anything else In the world
was to get into a cool, orderly home,
and have a bath in a beautiful white
porcelain tub, and then have a din
ner at a beautifully arranged table
with immaculate linen and shining
silver and dainty dishes. And an
awfully civilized menu at that. One
that would please Miss @.
Goodbye. daar Mary n