The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, August 18, 1909, Page PAGE SEVEN, Image 7
A PLAYHOUSE IN THE MOUNTAINS.
Written for The Advertiser.
Three thousand feet above sea level
is a little house ot the Mary Ann
type of architecture, it con';.ins two
rooms besides the kitchen, which is i
built oil at the back side, and has a
balcony built around two sides of it.
On a platform adjoining the balcony
Is a tent which spreads i*s protecting
wings over the nightly slumbers of
two and sometimes three of the little
maids who have come together here
out ot the long-ago to "play play
house" again.
The play-house is stained a dark
mossy green. So steep is the moun
tain-side 0:1 whi< ii it is set that the
balcony In the front is ten fett above
the ground and the mountain has a
Bhelf cut in it on winch ;'::?> back of the
dear little house rests. Under the
high balcony is hung a gay red ham
mock and sometimes when boys from
the past come to play fit being men
and say .sweet things to the little
play-ladles, they sit in ti is pretty
hammock together. It is known as
the "parlor". Across the road anoth
er hftminoik is s wung where the sing
ing Swannanoa rushes over its reeky
bed. When the boys and girls pre
tend to be Eerious and eo do net care
for Interested audiences above their
heads they go to this nook which is
known as the "drawing-room**. On
one side of the house is a spring of
ice cold water. Ov< rshndowing the
play-house are chestnut trees so big
that two little ladies together can
hardly reach aro;:nd some of them.
Besides the chestnuts there are a half
dozen varieties of smaller trees, a.
number of rhododendrons and laurels.
Kerns ami Tiger lilies and Indian
pipes spring out of the ground. It is
a darling place to play.
The play-ladies have had many hap
py hours fixing up their house. It
has two doors and three windows in
its bin living-room. On one side it
has a broad rock fireplace. On an
other side it has a staircase leading
to a big up-stairs room. One lady
stained the floor of the living-room
?0 that it would do credit to a danc
ing hall. Three other ladies chose
a dreary rainy day to make artistic
curtains of (ream colored cotton
cloth with Persian colored borders
and valances for the three windows,
the book shelf, and the r.cok under
the stairs. A "play-man" made two
of the loveliest magazine racks in the
world from rhododendron) limbs and
they are always overflowing with
beautiful and tempting things to read.
Two of the little ladles have a wal
nut sideboard and dining-table dis
carded by their mamma and they are
the loveliest things to play with im
aginable, They are really good
enough t o put in anybody's sure
em.ngh house. On the sidel aard are
several artistic decor,.; ions?a tall
vase always filled with fresh llowers.
some Japanese Cups and saucers, a
beautiful glass pitcher and s< me
glasses, a burnt-wood bread board, a.
silver fruit dish, and a row of twisted
l'O?! napkin rings. In the sideboard
are some' dainty little rose-sprigged
plates, clips and saucers, knives,
forks, spoons, bowls* 1 latV: s---a;.d in
fact all the things necessary for a
meal, Pretty center-pieces and dain
ty fringed mats and tiny red and blue
checked doilies are the delight of the
little ladies' hearts.
Over the bin fireplace hang toast
ing rack and frying pan and en the
hearth are trivet, kettle, and si?.h'r
UOl forth Jus? like a picture. On -.he
mantel are (.".miles and lamps, espe
cially a big round-burner reading
lamp 1 a brass Clock. A bird's
nest nhd some shorting points and
a v.'!-.* k.\ flowers leiid it adornment.
Two benches at fined green flank the
fireplace and nffo/d cosy seats when
the mountain bre< i< -? drive the little
Indies to the fire.
All around the walls !:.::?- ; lo
tlirestpie hats and jackets, shawls and
Umbrellas, and alpenstocks of balsam
and sou'.'.vood. Folir cotii lies cov
ered With brilliant red ami plaid blan
kets and tWO bin rocking chairs afford
comfortable resting places when the
happy little folks gather In ;'.: ir liv*
Ihg-robm for n cosy < hat.
Up-st airs (here are trunks and
trunks, and suit eases, Mid dozens of
"lady-clotlies"' and beautiful dressing'
tables made of dry-goods boxes cov
ered with dainty flowered chin;/, got*
ten from our grandmother's attic
and wit.1 looking glasses hung ov< r
them?-all In one tig room. On one
side is a wonderfully eflUli ped l ath
room Whose wall of green caiico has
wreath's of pink roses printed on it.
Hows of towels, cakes of soap, pink
and blue-bordered washrags. basins,
and tubs attest ?;?.?> system and order
with which the players keep house.
It is a veritable paradise upstairs.
Hanging in rows ale it "he sides of
this room are the pretty fro ks which
make Ignorant beholders suppose that j
these* frolicking maidens are really
grown-up ladies,
Tee little kitchen has a pretty three
burner stove, a gauze*(loored cup*
board, built-in rows o' shelves, a pat
ent baker, a patent steamer, and rows
ot tin plates and cups. Making mud
pi' ;> the greatest possible fun and
everything cooked in the kitchen, un
like real little girls' mud-pies, is ea
gerly devoured, uhd there is good rea
son why to<>.
a great event in play-house life is
giving a party., When .1 cake comes
from far-away home on the choo-choo
cars a great Jubilee is held and some
t oys and ^irls from t! e next play
house come in to the party, Lovely
tumblers thr.t match the pitcher are
mixed tip with jelly-glasses, broken
handled cups, tooth-brush mugs, and
tin cups; hut the same sort of lemon
ade and blackberry acid sweetened by
the finger-tips of the makers is served
in all. Every sort plate serves to
hold the generous slices of rake, the
olives and beaten biscuits and other
home delicacies wl-.ieh constitute the
feast. it ;t veritable children's
frolic for the order of the occasion
:>5 to stuff r.s long as the wherewithal
remains.
Hut the happiest play the little la
dies have is "mountain tourists".
They have appropriate garbs for this
game, some made of khaki, some of
flannel. Short skirts, sensible shoes,
big hats draped with gaudy bandan
nas, sweaters, sweaters, sailor (El
lars with becoming ties-, adjusted care
fully and coquettlshly before the
dressers in the up >:airs room, make
of them it picturesque group when
they start out for a tramp. And as
they play play-house in most realistic
style so they walk. Sixteen miles in
a day is a pie; ant little constitution
al. They have learned the true
tramp's knack, and often pet out
[empty-handed in the morning and
: fare sumptuously at mid-day amid the
most enjoyable surroundings.
Eight miles frcm their play-house,
in a fairy like valley, is an old for
lorn saw mill under which the water
rushes and pours madly. An ideal
mountain view is spread before the
I gaze of the pleasure peckers r.s they
! sit on its deserted platform. The
graceful banks of the stream stretch
j far away, bordered with willows.
berries, laurels, and all the trees cd
i the forest "overlennlng with flicker
Infi meaninc and sign". I'cyond the
sweep td the keenest vision the dis
tant blue mountains kiss the sky and
I nearer at hand ethers lift their heads
in purple and green glory. a moun
tain woman living nearby bakes hot
biscuits tor the picnic and the addi
tion of fresh latter, buttermilk and
sweet milk, honey and preserves makes
a feast worth .as many cold dollars
as the play-house folk pay pennies
for it. This is one ot their favorite
! Plays.
, four mtles from them is a railway
station ami sometimes ;ust to hear
the train blow s*e 'lie wheels
go ?round ihey put r?n their tramping
garbs and "step over"' to HI nek moun
h it .
Five miles above them is t'ae sum
mit of a majestic mountain, Gray
i beard. The Climb up its steep sides
is one which taxes the endurance of
:!;<? little ladies more than either of
the other trips mentioned. Ihn they
are nature- loving, these maids from
the long-ngo, and they .gladly make
mud-pies, p; ck the lunch and make
, the c limb for the sake of 'he magnifi
cent view at (he top.
I I'-nt these p|ay-folks really enjoy
, their play most when they take a
trip to Mount Mitchell and hack:
I forty miles cf it. They spen.1 four
[ ('ays and three nights en this trip
and 'heir soul? sWell with the grand
eur and solemnity of their Ntaker's
handiwork aitd realize more (linn ever
[ ;hf:t ihe.V nr'fl hut dots on the fn>.f
the globe. They cniT.v donkeys find
j tents and blankets and ax"< rind pots
and pans ami kettles, mid Incidentally
useful little boys and uttidc. oh this
?
?
sehool^glrly ''play-like ladles" ant]
they gel get eXclled with (he real
ization that Ihey ore! f\ Hiding on the
highest spot east of the Uookbs and
viewing?but the mists and rains gi n
erally shut the view off considerably.
so that the less said a! out it (he bet
ter, it is at least something to hope
for and some cd the tourists have seen
it md can recall it in memory.
Another game is "going m Asiie
ville". For t 1:1b they dress Hp ex
actly like Indies and carry pretty fat
poc ket books along. t is a wonder*
fill thing, this going in a big springy
hack seventeen miles along the sides
cd the lovely Swanr.i.noa river. They
start from a romantic wild s;ot in
the heart of lite wihb rn^ss and stop
in a spick and sp;.n model village
ivhich a grc;.* millionaire has for Ills
play-house. They go into CCstacles
over the ir-o cream they buy here and
(ho street cars in which they whist
from the big man's plny-hotlSO to the
most whbiy known 'i'y in western
North Carolina. After a month or
o in their ptny-hdusc they t'md many
things which they must buy and like
true-true ladies they "shop'" in the
pretty storts. They buy new neck
rigglngs and new shoes, new maga
zines and post-cards. They spend
happy minutes choosing new things
for their play-house. They go on
the cars to several interesting points
they have found out about. When
they have filled every moment as full
of delight as it can be packed they
accomplish the feat of piling them
selves and luggage as bulky as them
selves into U.e hack iind roll back
home, singing as they go.
Hut it would be an ? v.,!!ess task to
describe ail the doings of the play
house l tdies. Long life nrid length
of di.ys shall surely reward all those
grown folk who like them, once in a
year, go hack to the elemental and,
one way or another, play play-house.
j TurnipSeed
That Grow!
Have jtisl received a fresh
shipment of the best Turnip
Seed.
Ruta Baga
Red or Purple Top
Seven Top
Southern Pvh'.e
Other Garden Seed too.
Now is the time to plant.
Dr. Posey's
The Old Reliable.
Glowing Springs
Mineral Water
88.OO
TO
WILMINGTON, N. C AND RETURN
VIA
COLUMBIA- NEWBERRY: AND LAU"
RENS RAILROAD
Ten day excursion tickets
oil sale each Thursday, May 271h
to \ugust lt,th, 1909. All tick
ets limited to reach original starl
ing point returning ten dnys in
addition date <>f sale.
All ?. xcellent opportunity
to visit popular Wrightsville
Beach, N. C, .it .1 small cost.
];or information call on
ticket agent, or write,
\V. 1. CR A10,
tt Passenger Trame Manager,
Cljtcora
tf-ivccn?iUc, s%>. ?.
THE
SOUTH
CAROLINA
PKKSBYTERI AN
COLLEGE
FOR
WOMEN
A Christian Home School.
A High Standard College.
A. Tuition, Board, Room and Fees
$183.00.
It. All included in proposition [A]
and Tuition in Music, Art or re
pression $L!o:; to $213.
S. c. BY Ft I). l> D. Prvr.lH.nt
dThis Piano is worth working I
I for. Get in our Contest to win. ?
i
?^ Above is illustration of the Piano we are to give in
^| to the Contestant receiving the largest number ^
of votes during our contest, it looks good and is |jj
m a good instrument. It is furnished us by L. A. ^
k McCord, the piano and organ man and is guar ^
U anteed by him.
Qo see him about this or any other piano. ^
Laurens Advertiser ^
II
NOTICE OF ELECTION.
State ot South Carolina,
La art as County.
Whereas petitions signed by more
than one-third ot the qualified elect
ors and tree bolders residing in the
Hunter School District, Hunter
Township, No. :\. Lnurens County,
South Carolina, asking for an elec
tion on question of Levying a Two
\2) Mill Tax upon property i:: said
Schoo] I ?ist riet to be us.-d for Scliool
purposes have been filed with the
County Hoard of ICleefloh, an election
is hereby ordered upon said t|u<.i
j said election td lie held on the -1st
day (if August, :''<:'. at Hock lliidge
day of Adgust, i:.t:'. ?| ;h.> Oakvllle
School House, under the inanagem' in
01 the Trustees of the said Seho<i|
-
? ). - . turn i
or personal property for taxation, i ml
? ,. . ? ? ?
registration certificates :is required in
?
Those favoring ihc Tax s!.;.M vote
a ballot containing tb?' word "Ye*
written or printed thereon; those
against the Tax shall \<>i<- a ballot
containing the word "No" written 01
printed thereon,
I'oils si.all open at (he hour ol 7
o'clock in tin- forenoon and remain
open until (lie hour ol t in Hie nftor
noon, when they .-hall be closed and
the ballots counted.
The Trustees shall report the res
ol said election to the County Auditor
??. it lilii It n days IlioreiifH r.
ciKoUci-: i.. i'i i ; s.
J-:i Co. Sujit. ol lldili aiion.
During l!<0S'; lfi,."?'J,S forcighot'-t laud
! ; t Yokoha tu
of .la|
" "7. Chinese Jetl '.. Ith < ? 51. lol
lowetl by !i43a lirilisli;
Angleworms may ||ve f illv t< n
? mehts made in Marburg. Germany.
! University of
SovitH Carolina
Schools of Arts, Sc;< n< c, Kduc.v
Ubn, I..;\v. 1 i;.-.: ? ? i luy an !
ir,,,!?a,e Stu.lics '
'J eii: difTeWili.t courses leading
:
":
1 C<?lujnl.i.!, S. C.
i Laurens Wholesale Grocery Co.
c
c
WZ. C. Gray, Manager
I We offer for this week one solid car
C Libertv Mills best Pat-'
p ent Flour, per barrel
f Corn per bushel
See us for best Grade
Hard and Soft Coal.
$1.00