PICNICKING

Press, Volume L, Issue 14883, 24 January 1914, Page 8

PICNICKING

(By Canterbury.) (SPECJALLT WKITTKN FOR '"THE PRESS.") For those fresh-air seekers who are not attracted by the pleasures of camp life, the picnic season is now at its height; and this may be a fragment of the conversation at breakfast on a fine morning in tho holidays, if it should happen that nothing in particular has been arranged for the lrburs ahead. '"What are we going to do to-day?" begins an eager voice, during ■ the brief interval between the last spoonful of porridge and the first great forkload of bacon and eggs; and several suggestions follow quickly, of , sketching, tennis, fishing, bathing, or whatever may most appeal to the speaker as a joyful getting through of time. Meanwhile, 1 bet myself three, to one in half-crowns, about tho result.; with an inward resolvo that in caso of loss tue three shall go to buy more e>hani garden produce lor the next of these apparently ever-necessary new hats ; but 1 do not think the nioi.e.. is often in danger, lor almost invariably the proposition, "Let u« go for a picnic," is fully approved, and the new hat is the poorer by so much. Of course, I grieve dreadfully over that, for had circumstances been otherwise, 1 should liave liked hat« and hats myself; but then comes the comforting thought that I have now half-a-crown of my very own. so 1 make a plan to save'it from "the plate" on Sunday, and in the end it is surely requisitioned for sweetstuff of sorts. -A wort: of caution is necessary here. If children are in Uie party, never Jet them spend such precious coin upon dates., for, having cleaned a datestone carcfullv, it is the natural impulse of one boy' to fling it at another; and I hnvo reason to belieye that the .slight delay which proved to mc who was the better man of two email combatants, has lost mo the goodwill of a very favourite mother, for evermore. If, happily, the truth was always told, 1 believo we should find that nearly everybody liked a picnic, and though a few may like the idea part better than the practice, this frame of mind usually must be tho result of somo dire mishap, a fall into deep water, a prickl; self-arrangement upon a colony of ants, or a rasli samphnp of the tea in one of those tin pannikins where it seems never to get cool. All these little events are attended by disorderly consequences, but tor ti-uo scattering effect a swarm of wild bees may de-serve mention as most thorough in its methods; and m its presence the old.eaying about safety in numbers was proved at once to be wholly out of date. The tablecloth lay neatly spread upon a shady level space witjrin the bush; and there was a mighty fowl-pie and a great bowl or potted poaches, and absolutely the spoons had not been forgotten, because I had remembered to bring them myself. Then a distracted-looking bee came darting across the glade; and without further notice our New Zealand atmosphere appeared full of its fellows. Wo'know that swarming bees aro supposed to be oblivious of all except their one great house-hunting purpose, but 1 still think that flighty i queen wished to stay and frivol with our potted peaches; and when the others tried to hurry- her away ' sho sulkily chose to rest on a bendy bit of ecrub which overhung the tablecloth. Tho weight of the swarm pressed, down the twig until it almost rested upon our coveted lunch, and as the refugees of our party collected at a respectful distance, each had a, scheme for regaining possession. As one remarked cheerfully, the strange centrepiece was all alive, but a couple of bold men took firm hold of two corners of the cloth and gradually withdrew tho imperilledmeal. In the general haste, some fair child had put a foot into the fowl pie, and a dozen or more of bees were well mixed among the notted peaches; but at a picnic it is proper to put such trifles gently aside, and to consume their late surroundings without comment. What, "you want strong . inwards;" well, sometimes. Occasionally ono may read or hear of a "chapter of accidents. ,, and I amagino that tho untoward incident of the three graces comes very well within that class. To gain a vantage ground—apparently merely for the reason that it was a foot or two higher than the rest—it was deemed necessary to go on stepping-stones across a stream; so the various parts of afternoon tea were distributed between many trusty bearers, until only the i three graces remained guarding their small share upon the wrong side. Collecting all she could of her frock and courage, firmly into her left hand, the tea tin held out like a balancing-rod in the other, Faith led the way, trusting it was easy; but in the ordinary man* ncr of its kind, the last stone left a> long step to safety among outstretched hands. Moreover, it was very slippery and she-is lost who hesitates, as well aS \¥'ll I<aith fc,, in < harrowingly; so did. the tea. Hope followed fast capsizing the sugar and probably wishnig for luck; but she also hesitated, and joined Faith. Charity belied her name; she stood upon a midstream fctone and laughed; then suddenly smitten by a needless foar that an extra quarter-inch of ankle was being unduly adverted she dropped th* cleara t ?haro n th m f g * rabb ; n ,* at ifc <™trived to share the fate of her sister graces. I Jie water was only knee-deep, so there seemed no cause for anxiety, until we thought of tho tea. Then somebody said: •'Manuka tea is excellent," and I do not wish even to hint that ho was incorrect It » j lMrt a matt «r of taste, as before; but we stewed manuka leaves in a billy, striving womanfullv to drink the pale yellow fluid on ton• vice Eton'? f,Om «****»' V S a "ice everyday picnic as it real™ and truly us, when about half a dozen I families get under weigh on a brS morning, and steer their assorted vehie es to the appointed pace There ntnn mn f ,° r - You,, « a,e deposited ■uS, R fr fi,adsomo 1J "«r of baskets, uhich strong men must carry within the shady grove. Afterwards/ thesame good menkind go to handle hot, Sm X w°K' ? na Say ? 3 mUch ' to the moment which sees t-ach probably noble steed peacefully and up.^Ti 2£U o, i n Z' e \ liy u,ls time Jots « I, f> »l l . P ° ot luach are awaiting that kindly notice which i s mven ''n n, lgLt ' r dleaclS direct * to hj* o" so-pleasant process ot washing-up flowl ever, ail human duties nave an end, eveu taat wasa-up hnisnes at great 2irl tnC *»*! distributes Lelt t^ls \f ° lts , Offu oiwuons. Those two— On, yes, dear; it k all nirnlv settled. Dion t you know?- and Zzl w.tn a select hair-dozen are eii/ued by an nour-long discussion of detail? and a comparison of personal experience, which w more or iess true * ems interest other.; also photographs "p •'Oh « n f~Nf l i ete PnntiHg *&*"; then Oh, surely 1 am not a s ugly as that!" Tius is a common form of gratitude and though, they say <- a camira never lies, it eight not be diplomatic to f£.™ in face of the accomplished fact. Some are natur- **?**'> *»d somo interesting' pursuit and all are happy; co far, so quite good, >fc for the following exception It is, of course, best for every picnicking party to have a chief object for the expedition, but careful watching has convinced mc that the chief object of a part of most picnics has to do with '< a gentle tickling—or to give it the good ! bad old name, '•guddling"—of certain trout. Matly, the practice must bo' written down as bad; and now, having 1 exhibited & due amount of horror lj

am not going to deny that if it was not poacning, .it would bo hrst-class tun. Now, imagine a torridly hot sort oi day, wuon tue knee-nigh stream u> leiresningly cool, and it is comforting to have rolied-up sleeves, and feel the water gradually creeping up the inside of your elbows, while you touch for a finny quarry under some deep-down rock. Jttig safety-pins are at hand, «o skirts are nxed up clear of the surface. Oh, yes; we all go guddling!—and presently the actions of a neighbour tell that ho has found a fish. His altogether earnest expression, likewise the loudness with which he breathes, may be accepted as unfailing signs; and next a glittering pounder is nung upon the bank, or a sudden flow of eloquence proclaim* that he has escaped. Perhaps luckily, this last is by far the most frequent result. Guddling, as I have saul. is quite. quite wrong. So to the end of the afternoon, when tea and cakes are stored in convenient places, and a hasty packing puts everything «?Iso into the nearest receptacle, or corner, from which all will be retrieved later in a condition .bearine evMont marks of wear and tear. Never mind that now, the horses are harnessed, and all are joyiully collecting their trophies from stream or forest, and we will turn a very deaf ear towards that man of misery, who snys that the happiest moment of a picnic is the ono in which ho arrives once more at liis own home.