The. Omaha Sunday
TAE.T TWO
Editorial
PAGES O.TE TO TWELVE
TART TWO
SOCIETY
PAGE3 ONE TO TWELVE
VOL, XLV NO. 4.
OMAHA, SUNDAY MORNING, JULY 11, 1915.
SINGLE COPY FIVE: CENTS.
90
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mail
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veteran policeman. It la easy to see that the ob
Is much to Mike's liking. II helps children up on
the trapezes and rings. He "rosums" up the slide.
11a b!ds the children on the Maypole to go " 'way
up high now." m'
The allde it the moat popular of the; amuse-'
tuenta. It conaieta of two trough 8. one for the boya
and 'one for the girls. They slope from a raised
Platform to the ground and are built on. the order
of a "acenlc railway" with delightful "bumps." They
are lined with slno aa a guard against allrera.
Thoe who have passed the age of 12 are shut
out from this delight, though grown-up women
watching their children are often heard to declare
warmly, "My, I Juet would like to allde down there
myself.?
"Roium" la In great demand and when thla
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Play . '
riirK vu.. v-v..n - -::.v. ' . ' :
aces may dg seen tnere at pi ay
i me the weather' permits.
IK.
it
pin j-ou can't do." One of them wears a pair of over
alls aa a bathing costume. Another wers 4 sweater
end bathing trunks. 1 ' " '
"Hey, Vernon, holler my name when I'm un
der watet," yells one. and, grasping his nose vita
his flngera. he disappears under water while Ver- 1
con yella lustily, "Ro-o-oland." Roland reappears
and reports that he "C'd -hear it Je's as plain." Then
all the others must try itjf . v-
This sport being eihausted, another ' youth,
dauba his face with mud and, finally 'making h'm
aelf heard above the din of boyish voices, proclaims
himself "An Injun." In a thrice all the rest are In
June." Roland then dots his face with mud spots
audvannouncea that he has "lota o' freckles."
la the shade of the bushes on the bank re-
poscs a girl of 13 and several little tdls.' Thla young
has been rubbed on the tine It becomes so "slick" Udy.' whose name la Margery, sits In the dalntl-
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MARA has only 'recently Ifjonq in fof a
regular director of piAygrotudf8,btott!.
baa had play placee for children la the
' parka for a long time. ' ! , r ' :
There are eight aet of these public
playgrounds, each set including "swings, 'trapeses,
' ,ria., "Maypole and "allde." They are "located
. aa follows: Fontenelle, Miller, Kountee, Hanacwm,
i Hlverriew, Elmwood and ' Bemis parkal ' and at
i (Thirty-fourth and'Leaven worth atreeta, . '
Childish delight la the main "motif in tha
continual hum of voices from these play , centers.'
But all the emotion or mo grown-up world
are depicted there. ' '...
Out at Kountze park Is one of the busiest' play-
: grounds. 1 , " '
There, from early morn to dewy eve Juvenile
i legs and arms and bodies twinkle inall mannar of
! gymnastio stunts. .The swings awinfcvtb Maypole
i ravolves and creaka and a continual stream of eager
x kiddles climbs the steps otthe slide and a eo&Unaal
' stream of children shoots out of the slid.
"Mary" is queen, and absolute Tuler of thla
Inlay center. Mary is of ample proportions, typi
I cally the matron. Mary .'dwells, during working
I or rather splaying hours in the little green house
I built under the' slide. She keeps' a'Jine of lollipops
I and "all-day suckers' awl other' confections dear
j to the Juvenile' heart-which he dispenses to all
! comers .who have. the. necessary pennies. .......
f . Mary rules her turbulent kingdom wisely. She
knows when to chide disputatious little girls vrith
; Oh, shame on you Helen. I didn't think you would
try to take the swing away from Adele." She know
that little boys and girls are catapulted from the
mouth of the slide with shrieks of joy, and Imme
diately pick themselves up again and run for the
stalre. .
, Sometimes the bigger girls take tiny tots on
their laps with many gentle admonitions not to "be
Lfraid" and bring them carefully and safely down
the slide. ' .
(" Sometlmer; the slide is so" "slick" that the chil
dren come out of it like wriggling, squealing young
torpedoes and are dumped with a little thump upon
the ground. Occasionally there Is a moment of
tears. ' But. the attraction of the slide Is so great
that this seldom lasts long and soon they ere climb-
ing the stairs again.
Occasionally you see
a little group resting and
then the prattle rune, per
haps, like. - this: ' i "Blair,
say 'sixty" j ;
. "Sixty, says Blair.
VYcur father drinka
whlakey"; comes ' the en
wty, and the whole group
findl infinite . amusement k
from the wonderful repar
tee. ' ' . '; '
i j .Qf in the ' shallow'
pool, known aa "the lake,"
boys are splashing' and
shouting and "dpin some-
ness of white dress, white stockings,' blue sash. It
is for her approval that, they are "Injuns" or "full
o' freckles." Thus early does the Instinct of the
rs.ee show Itself. , '
And how a youth makes a high bid for the'
frminlne approval. '
"I c'n awim under water. Look, Margery."
His head "and body; disappeared, while his
cveralled legs kicked up the water like a paddle
wheel ferry boat. Up he ' ,
cornea breathless and 1 11
looks to Margery for
words of admiration.
But the fair one Is not '
impressed. i
. ' "Can you swim un
der water without mak- 1
ing any sounds?" sha
ssked.
Ah, Margery, ' you
shouldn't begin breaking
hearts yet. Poor Vernot
did the besOecbut!lw
and for V our?,VeaW; X
" Immediately all ''the
other lads enter'the con
test. One lucky youth
, really does stay under for
a moment and makes no
sound,' and -win the-, re
ward of a word frotn calm
Margery. , Then ' Margery arose with her small
friends and ent to the other aide of "the lake."
vthere she appeared 'presently minus black slip
pers and white stockings and proceeded to wade
dulnttly out Into, the water, carefully lifting her
mall skirts. '
Oh, my countrymen, what must now be toldl
A sharp declivity on the slippery, muddy bottom..
Yes, 'tis true;, 'tis pity and pity lis, 'tis true. Mar
gery's feet sl'pped and down came Margery Into
the dirty water, white skirt, blue sash and all.
The boys swam gallantly to her aid and helped
her out. . But after aha had gone, weeping silently,
tarrying her slippets and white stockings and fol
lowed by her wondering small charges, those young
savages laughed at the memory of beauty In dis
tress. Each one separately had to perform the
drama of Margery's fall on that same slippery de
clivity. Ah, boys, Just wait. Ten yeara from bow Mar
gery will break one of your hearts. Or, maybe,
all of them. ; J
' White skirt and blue sash can easily he washed
and Margery- will come forth just as fresh and
dainty; and Just as pretty and calm.
But a broken heart, you'll find, isn't so easily
n endedj Just you wait!
'Gene Field on "Picnic Time"
VfT'S June agin, an' In my soul I feel the flllln' Joy
'I That's. sure to come this time o' year to every:llttle boy:
' JL, For, "every June, the 8unday schoola at plCnica may be seen,
. Where '.'fields beyont the' aweUln'. floods stand dressed .
. In Mvia' green";. - . -t V- -
Where little glrla are skeered to death with spider, bugs and ants,
,' . An little, boys gat grass-steins on their go-to-meetln' panta,
It's June! ag'ia. a' with it all what happiness mln-- .,, ,, ,
There's goii' to bo ' s-'eaio, I'm gotn' to Jinel
Ohe year I Jined the Bsptlsts,' an goodness! how it rained!
(But grampa says thaHhaV A yiy .fbaalio.U explained.)
.And once I Jined the Tiseoplls an' had a heap o", tun ;
Aut the boss of all tb p'enics was the Presbyteriunl
They had so many puddln's, saillds, sandwidgeS, ka' pie.
Thai a feller wlsht Ms atummtck yts as hungry as hla eyes!
Oh, yes, .the eatln Presb terluns give yer Is. so fine :
That when they have a picnic, you bet I'm gola' to Jlnel .
;.;., , ... '..:;;-:; -v : ;. .' :.
But at this time th" Methodists have special claims oa me.
For they're goin' to glye splenic op he'flst'. D..V.;,.
Why should a liberBl)UnlyersaUBt like me object
To share the Joys of fellowship with every friendly sectt
However hefrodox their artlclea of faith elrewlse may' be,
Their d'octrine of frTed chlk'n le a'savln grace to me!
So on the list of June, the weather beln 'fine,
They're gota'. to five a 'picnic, and I'm goin' to Jlnel
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. -when to take little
f away their troubles.
ones on her lap and. smooth
. Sometimes "Mike" is substituted for Mary as
ruler of the playgrounds. This Is Mike Klssane,
Gardening for the Children
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F YOU want to keep children out of mischief than they would aver learn'in the schools. Thev
give, them a little garden. One that they can are learning things at first hand, for Nature will
call their own will afford tnem far more
pleasure than they get out of working in your
garden. Of course, they. will pot be expected to
go ahead with garden work at first and make much
auccesa at it without assistance from someone, and
by object lessons, but they will soon master the
fundamental points of it, and when they have done
that they will surprise you by the facility with
which they pick up the information that growa out
of their early experience and the amount of work
that they will accomplish all by themselves.
And you vlll be pleased to see how Interesting
they are in the new undertaking. It will not
teem like work to them. It will be play, and play
of such a healthy character that you can well
afford to Ignore soiled clethes, and hands that
have caught the grime cf the soli, and faces on
which sweat and aoll have met on common ground
and formed an Intimate partnership. The healthy
Color of the faces of the children who work out of
doors, and the excellent appetities that they bring
to the table, will convince you that gardening ia
the best of all touics for them.
And you will be gratified to know that they
art learning more from the great, book of Nature
take charge of the little, pupils' and not trust her
kindergarten work to an assistant Nine children
out of ten who have a garden to work in will be
come 'more; interested in It than in all the fairy
Looks that were ever written. For are, not the
processes of germination and growth going on be
fore their eyes akin to magic T The miracle of
life is being performed before them every day, and
tney are taking part In H. That 1 what will make
It so delightful to them. They have formed a part
nership with Nature in miracle-making.
Parents who have only a hazy notion of garden
work may think themselves Incompetent to teach
their children, but if they aet out to do so they will
soon find that they are dally learning enough to
cake them safe teachers for the little folks. And
the best of It will be that they themselves are get
ting quite as much good and pleasure out of it as
the children are.
Give the boys and girls good tools to work with.
Never ask them to make use of these you have
worn out or found worthless. Something quite as
good aa you would provide for yourself ia what
rbould be provided for them.' Tbey will appreci
ate a good thing, be very sure, and the fact that
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they have it will be one of the best possible Incen
tives to work, Supply them with good seed. And
do not fail to encourage them by giving all the
credit Justly due them for what they , accomplish.
Children like to MSow that their efforts are prop
trly appreciated. We grown-ups and the children
are very much alike in. that respect
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