A STRAW-RIDE PICNIC
THERE is a charm in the very word picnic, for it brings with it a breezy, wholesome, out-of-door atmosphere, quickening the pulse and causing the lips to smile with delight and the eyes to sparkle with merriment. A genuine American picnic means a jolly little party in the open air with plenty of space for all sorts of games and amusements; and then the dinner! Its equal could not be enjoyed in an ordinary dining-room. There is no need of chairs when the party is gathered around the feast, for the novelty and fascination of sitting on the ground while dining are thoroughly enjoyed, and everyone knows how delicious a mere bit of bread and butter may taste when eaten from the low, green table, the general enchantment of place and scene giving an added flavor.
Going on a straw-ride picnic.
June is the ideal time for picnics; in this month there are so many perfect days, when none should work, but all should play, that one is prompted to plan for a little fun and frolic, including an informal
Straw Ride,
which shall form part of the programme of the entertainment. Choose for the ride a large, roomy wagon, remove all the seats except the one reserved for the driver, and fill the bottom of the vehicle with plenty of fresh, clean straw. Let all the party be seated on this, have within reach warm wraps for protection in case of cooler weather or a shower; and stow the luncheon away under the seat of the driver. The horse should not be too spirited for such an occasion, and the driver must be a strong, reliable man who understands perfectly the management of the reins. Thus equipped, with two or three grown persons in charge, the girls and boys may throw care to the winds and enjoy their ride over hill and dale, through sweet meadows and along leafy lanes dappled with golden sunshine; again on the highway, past field and wood, driving gayly along until the picnic ground is reached.
Fig. [562].—Simon says "Thumbs up."