~-Al~ 
     
     feuds, previous encounters, mutual dislikes and prejudices, came to the 
     
     surface and, of course, could be settled in no other way than by an appeal 
     
     to the fists. In these, as in the other parties held in rural areas, there 
     
     were no police available to maintain the peace ; the handful of organization 
     
     members appointed to keep order were hopelessly outnumbered, so that thing: 
     
     were bound to get out of control. 
     
    

    
     Fighting at tea parties was a "must" -- or so it would seem. Following 
     
     a tea party at Lot Sixty-five, a man who had not attended the affair 
     
     casually inquired of a neighbor who had been present; "Was there a big 
     
     crowd? And was there much fightin'"? | . 
     
    

    
     Although some provision was made for. the young fry at both tea and lawn 
     
     parties, they were still essentially adult-oriented. It was, therefore, 
     
     Only natural that we/torward eagerly to something that would be entirely 
     
     our own -- the annual school picnic. It was always held on a July Saturday 
     
     in some nearby field under the supervision of the teachers, assisted by 
     
     .a few women of the district. The program included ball games, foot races, 
     
     and tag games, but our real interest was centered on the preparations for 
     
     ‘the lunch that would be served at noon. An accessory that received special 
     
    
   
   
    
     attention was the ice-cream freezer; there was intense competition for the 
     
     honor of officiating at the crank. 
     
    

    
     The summons to lunch brought everyone scurrying to places around the 
     
     tablecloths that had been spread on the gbass.-There were sandwiches of 
     
     various kinds, apple pie, strawberry pie, large slices of watermelon, and 
     
     three or four kinds of cake -- all washed down with copious draughts of 
     
     lime juice. For dessert we had the ice cream. Full justice was always 
     
     done the comestibles; there were few "fragments that remained." And, thoug) 
     
     we all surrenedvineyieabie aftereffects, we judged the outing worth many 
     
    
   
   
    
     times the passing bit of discomfort.