ermelon.

There was also a watermelon hurdle race. The course was laid out with
big watermelons and time was kept for each hurdler.

The main attraction of the evening, however, was the minstrel show. On
a raised wooden platform sat the performers with blackened hands
and faces. They wore grotesque garb and each one fingered a guitar,
mandolin, or banjo.

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 artisti