First they gave a number of well-known Southern melodies such as Old Black Joe, Swanee Riber, Dixie, Massa’s in de Cold, Cold Ground.  Some whistling numbers were much appreciated and My Alabama Coon, with its humming and strumming, proved a great success.  As a special item of their musical program they sang a parody of Apple Blossom Time called It’s Watermelon Time in Dixie.

The watermelon frolic was a great success and is recommended to any organization in town or country at watermelon time as a fun—­and funds—­producing social.

  Parody

  “When It’s Watermelon Time in Dixie"[1]

  After

  “When It’s Apple Blossom Time in
  Normandie”

  (Sing with appropriate motions)

  Repeat: 

  When it’s watermelon time in Dixie Land[1]
  Ah wants to be
    Right dher[2] you see
  In dat dear old melon patch
    To eat a batch! 
  When it’s watermelon time in Dixie Land
    Dat’s de time of all de year
    When Ah grin[3] with cheer from ear to ear
  Watermelon’s jes’ GRAND!!!

[Footnote 1:  Sway heads and bodies]

[Footnote 2:  Jerk thumbs backward over shoulder]

[Footnote 3:  Grin broadly—­stretch hands from corners of mouth to ears.]

A JAPANESE GARDEN PARTY

A girl who wished to entertain for a visiting school friend one evening in midsummer sent out invitations to a Japanese Garden Party.  She wrote them on the pretty little hand-decorated place-cards which are to be found in most shops now.  The Japanese writing paper which comes in rolls is another possibility for them.

She had a wide porch and a big lawn which she decorated for the occasion with strings of pink, yellow and green Japanese lanterns with electric bulbs inside.  Settees and wicker chairs were scattered in cosy groups through the shrubbery, and there was a faint odor of burning incense.

For entertainment there was dancing on the porch to the tune of a phonograph and a program of Japanese music, including some selections from “Butterfly” and “The Mikado.”

A clever reader gave one of the Hashimura Togo stories, and also the hostess had arranged some artistic tableaux in Japanese fashion.

When it was refreshment time, cunning little girl friends of the hostess appeared in Japanese kimonos, hair done high and stuck full of tiny fans or flowers.  They bore Japanese lacquer trays with tiny sandwiches (filled with preserved ginger), cherry ice and rice wafers.  A wee Japanese flag was stuck in each portion of cherry ice.

The favors were wee Japanese doilies which the guests were bidden to hunt for under a certain group of trees.  While doing so, a sudden surprise shower of seeming cherry blossoms covered them with pink and white petals.  These were really confetti petals obligingly scattered by the nimble little waitresses perched in the branches above.