Talk About the Weather—Charles Barnard. Funk & Wagnalls Co., 75 cents. A little book of valuable hints and suggestions about the weather and the philosophy of temperature and rainfall in their relation to living things.
Woodcraft—Jones and Woodward. C. Arthur Pearson, Ltd., 35 cents. Contains an excellent chapter on weather lore in addition to a mass of valuable information on woodcraft.
Bulletin of the U. S. Weather Bureau, Washington, D. C,
[Illustration: The Library, 1,200 Volumes Given by the Boys.—Camp Becket]
CHAPTER XX—RAINY DAY GAMES AND SUGGESTIONS
DELIGHTS OF A RAINY DAY ACCUMULATED ENERGY HANDKERCHIEF TUSSLE POTATO JOUST TERRIER FIGHT CIRCLE BALL LEG WRESTLE HAND WRESTLING ROOSTER FIGHT SHOE AND SWEATER RACE PEANUT RELAY RACE INTERESTING TESTS BIBLIOGRAPHY
We knew it would rain for the poplars showed
The white of their leaves, and amber grain
Shrunk in the wind and the lightning now
Is tangled in tremulous skeins of rain.
—Aldrich.
Rainy days break the monotony of continuous sunshiny days. There is nothing that is so fascinating to a boy in camp as listening to the patter of the rain drops upon the roof of his canvas house, especially at night, if he is snug and warm in his blankets and the tent is waterproof. A rainy day is the kind of a day when the chess and checker enthusiasts get together. Games are rescued from the bottom of the trunk or box. Ponchos and rubber boots are now in popular favor. Thunder and lightning but add to the boys' enjoyment. What indescribable excitement there is in the shivers and shudders caused by an extra flash of lightning or a double fortissimo roll of thunder! There is also the delight, of playing in the puddles of water and wearing a bathing suit and enjoying a real shower bath.
To some boys it is repair day, rips are sewed up, buttons sewed on clothing, and for the initiated, the darning of socks. In camps with permanent buildings a big log fire roars in the fireplace, the boys sprawl on the floor with their faces toward the fire, and while the rain plays a tattoo[1] upon the roof some one reads aloud an interesting story, such as "Treasure Island," "The Shadowless Man," "The Bishop's Shadow," or the chapters on "The Beneficent Rain" and "When the Dew Falls," from Jean M. Thompson's book, "Water Wonders." It all depends upon one's viewpoint whether rainy days are delightful or disagreeable.
[Transcriber's Footnote 1: Signal on a drum or bugle to summon soldiers to their quarters at night. Continuous, even drumming or rapping.]