Ionia High School - Ionian Yearbook (Ionia, MI)

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A VISIT AT CAMP. 1 ) next morning, and also not to go near the logs, for there was great danger of their being hurt. They had hardly walked out when down went the littlest one, about three years of age. The mother saw him sitting on the sand below the water, which was over his head. There he sat, his eyes wide open, gazing around, wondering what was the matter, too startled to say '‘boo.” He was hut just rescued when his sister, a very bold little thing, walked out to the boom, forgetting the previous warning. She climbed upon it and walked around, trying to maintain her balance. Hut this was too tame, so she began to run, and the slippery things began to roll over, and over she went. As the water was shallow she received only a good wetting, which she was very glad of, especially when her mother told her she might as well stay in now she was wet. It was quite a common occur- rence after that to hear a splash and see a child soaking wet from head to foot. But who could be so cruel as to tell them to come out? Soon the afternoon was gone and it was supper time. A campfire was made aind a part of the meal gotten over it. When we all sat around the table again, we were surprised to think that so much really had been left from dinner. When all had satisfied their ravenous appetites, there was a cry. “Do look at the glorious sunset!” We hastened down to the lakeside once more, and there, far beyond the head waters, which were about a half mile out, we beheld one of those beau- tiful sunsets for which Lake Superior is noted. There were rivers of gold. The banks were high and there were rocky cliffs on which were dark and gloomy castles inhabited by those formidable giants we used to hear about. Over there in that reddish-purple lake was the very island in which the enchanted princess was kept. The lake itself reflected this brilliant coloring until it seemed like a part of fairy-land. Gradually the sky grew paler and the evening star shone bright, and the lighthouses twinkled at the ends of the break- waters. All was still save the songs of merry campers some distance away, and the splashing of the water along the shore. Suddenly we heard the hoarse whistle of a boat coming up the channel. “ Tis the ‘Wenonah,’ ” they said. Soon it appeared, longating marvelously as it drew near. It was one of those long freighters, in fact, one of the longest on the lakes. It was

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THK KMANON is A VISIT AT CAMP. What is more fun than a visit at camp, if the weather is fair, the stay not too long, and several other “ifs”? But a day and night are just enough to make one want to stay longer. At least we thought it so when we visited a camp on Lake Superior. The camp was situated on the brow of a hill covered with woods. At the foot of it was the lake, while on one side was the channel through which ships pass going to and from Duluth, rather than rounding Keweenaw Point. The first thing to do was to inspect the premises. There were two tents, the sole furniture of which were beds made of mattresses of balsam over which were spread blankets. Outside was the table, a very important factor at such a place. A cupboard was just being made of boards fastened between two trees. The dinner was even now in progress and very soon a famished lot of people sat dow1n for their first meal in the woods, and you may be sure not one left as long as there was a morsel of food in sight. All were in despair when it was realized that nearly all the week’s supply had disappeared. Dinner being over, it was time to go down on the beach. One of the children reached it more quickly than she meant to, for after rolling over and over, she found herself on her nose in a pile of sand. It immediately began to swell, until she was mostly nose, and a very black and blue one at that. We at first feared it was broken, but when it turned out to be nothing serious we took it as a matter of course, feeling that it was one of those trifles which one expects on such an occasion, to vary the monotony. I say we took it as a matter of course, all but the victim, for her wails could be heard loud and long, and we felt sorry to see that nose walking along with two little eyes on each side and the rest of the child beneath. Our attention was next called to the water. Just off the shore was a boom of logs waiting to be towed off. It was formed by a chain of logs forming a circle which enclosed many loose ones. At once there was a cry from the youngsters to go in wading and jump them. ‘‘Yes, you may wade,” they were answered, “if you are careful not to go out too far. They were explicitly told to keep their clothes dry, for these were all they had with them, as they expected to leave the

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L THE EM A NON. lighted from one end to the other. As it passed out of sight, which it did with surprising rapidity, it seemed to be one great light skimming over the waters. It grew darker and darker, later and later, until night settled over the land, and it was bed-time. The owners of the camp had not expected any visitors, so when we came it made rather close quarters, to say the least. There were about sixteen in one tent, which was not an extraordinarily large one. I »nt the scent of the sweet pine soon put us to sleep. It was as one of them said the next morning, It was so crowded that when we wanted to turn over we had to wait and all roll over together. In the night the rain commenced to fall, an event which almost always happens, or one wouldn’t know he was camping. Immediately there was a great scattering and scampering to put things under cover as much as possible, and to remove things that were touching the canvas, so that the rain would not soak through. It soon stopped, however, and all was still once more. Morning dawned, and as soon as breakfast was over it was time for us to leave. We felt that all the things that Fate had in store for campers had happened to us that day and night, but nevertheless we were very loath to go. —KATHERINE WAR DEE, ’09.