show place, or its ruins, its ruined abbey or its castle, its romantic
scenery, and its fine views, its hills or its dales, its waterfalls or
its glens. The southern and western counties are as rich in these
respects as the eastern counties are barren.

When a picnic party is to proceed to its destination by rail, a saloon
carriage is engaged beforehand, and arrangement is made at the nearest
hotel to supply the party with luncheon at from 5s. to 10s. per
head, according to the style of luncheon required; or hampers of
provisions are taken under the charge of one or two men-servants.

If the picnic party proceeds by road, a coach is the favourite mode of
conveyance, whether driven by the owner or hired for the occasion. This
is a more sociable way of going to a picnic than dividing the party into
detachments and conveying them in separate carriages. This is sometimes
unavoidable, and if the party is assembled for a start, it occasions no
little discussion as to how the party should be divided and conveyed in
the various carriages, and it takes no little tact to arrange this in a
satisfactory manner--to overrule objections, and to make things work
smoothly. Again, the members of a picnic party occasionally find their
way to the place of rendezvous independently of each other; but,
although this plan saves trouble, it does not promote sociability, and
parties of four or six are apt to clique together during the day,
instead of making themselves generally agreeable. The provision question
is a very important one, and the heads of a picnic party should arrange
in concert what each is to bring in the way of fish, flesh, fowl, fruit,
and wine.

The services of one or two men-servants at a large picnic party are
generally required to arrange the table, to open the wine, and last, but
not least, to collect and repack the articles used in the way of plate,
china, or glass.

* * * * *

=A picnic luncheon in September= is not always the _al fresco_ spread
under the greenwood tree that it is in July, and oftener than not is
held in the best parlour of a rustic inn, or, by permission, in a barn
or shed, when the weather is not favourable for camping out.

Usually, when a large picnic party is arranged and got up by some three
or four ladies and gentlemen, they divide the expenses of the
entertainment between themselves, and determine how many shall be
invited, each having the privilege of invit