Evening star., 1941-12-02

for membership in the Explorers
Club and can drop in there and
swap raising experiences with
the most celebrated of the trail
blazers.
A man is likely to be trapped into
such a trip. The first appeal is to
his pocketbook. He is told that 1t
is foolish to pay good money to a
| florist for leaves and berries and
branches when it is so easy to go
out and get them yourself.
1T is such lovely day it's a
shame to stay indoors" the man is
always told $50 let's just hop into
the car and drive out a little ways
and pick what We want for MOTH
ing I know just the spot"
I was the innocent victim Of just
such a trip the other day. We
hoped" into the car and didn't
have a cross word until I mentioned
as I paid a 50-cent toll on the George
Washington Bridge that by the time
I paid this toll coming back the
free" leaves were bound to cost US
al least a dollar.
We covered so miles in the first
half hour after crossing the bridge.
and passed enough leaves to deco
rate Grand Central Station. but it
seemed they weren't the right kind.
They were too Withered or too brittle
or too something. We did see lots
Of perfect leaves and green branches
covered with red berries, but they
were all in the hands Of small chill
dren who were selling them along
the road. I was all for patronizing
this juvenile industry before We ran
out Of gas but my wife had an
answer for this:
See, there are plenty Of lovely
leaves around here she said. else
the children wouldn't have them"
We couldn't have been far from
Montreal when I finally stopped the
car and said. we either get our
leaves right here or We'll wire home
for our luggage"
We got out and went to work.
That is, I went to work.
/ A woman on leaf-gathering ex-
pedition serves only as a spotter.
She finds vantage point and di-
rects the operations and is never
interested in anything that can be
reached without a struggle.
To her the only leaves worth
while are those which have fed 10
safety in the middle of a bramble
/ thicket, or to the tops of tall and
swaylng trees. I tore my clothes
shinnying up trees, scratched my
hands and face going places bird
dog would not have penetrated, and
twisted an ankle leaping a chasm
while tracking down something to 60
over the mantelpiece
Eventually got the car filled and
We started home looking a little like
Birnam Wood moving on New York.
We came home at a snail's pace.
This was necessary to keep the
leaves from falling off the branches
and the berries from falling off the
leaves.
Unloading the car was task that
called for the delicacy of a surgeons
fingers. Finally, after half dozen
tiptoeing trips, We had the last of
our woodland loot heaped on the
living room floor.
Then began the task of separating
the sheep from the goats. as 1t were.
Leaves I had all but risked my life
for proved to be pretty homely on
close scrutiny. We wound up with
scarcely enough leaves to fill two
vases. but superabundance of loose
berries.
They made a sad display but my
wife saw the bright side of it.
I'VE didn't get quite as many as I
would like, and they aren't as pretty
as some at the florists. but there
is something about leaves you have
gathered yourself It's almost as
nice as having vegetables from your
own garden
And every bit as expensive, too"
I thought as I called the garage to
have the car cleaned out and
washed
Well, I've warned you.
distributed by McNaught Syndicate. Inc)