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  AMERICAN 
  HOMES 
  AND 
  GARDENS 
  

  

  July, 
  1907 
  

  

  A 
  BOYS' 
  

   SUMMER 
  CAMP 
  

  

  4* 
  

  

  By 
  Phebe 
  Westcott 
  Humphreys 
  

  

  Inexpensive 
  

  

  Vacations 
  Close 
  

  

  to 
  Nature 
  

  

  O 
  OTHER 
  summer 
  pleasure 
  is 
  more 
  helpful 
  

   to 
  the 
  coming 
  man, 
  if 
  it 
  be 
  reduced 
  to 
  the 
  

   proper 
  system, 
  than 
  camp 
  life 
  in 
  the 
  woods; 
  

   where 
  in 
  what 
  might 
  be 
  known 
  as 
  a 
  model 
  

   instruction 
  camp, 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  a 
  co-operative 
  

   camp, 
  the 
  boys 
  work 
  and 
  think 
  it 
  is 
  play. 
  

   Many 
  a 
  mother 
  is 
  anxiously 
  inquiring 
  how 
  

   her 
  boy 
  can 
  secure 
  the 
  most 
  desirable 
  rest 
  from 
  school 
  studies 
  

   and 
  derive 
  the 
  greatest 
  benefit 
  mentally 
  and 
  physically 
  during 
  

   the 
  vacation 
  months, 
  and 
  how 
  he 
  can 
  spend 
  his 
  summer 
  

   leisure 
  in 
  recreation 
  that 
  combines 
  the 
  greatest 
  amount 
  of 
  

   practical 
  instruction. 
  

  

  Let 
  him 
  try 
  camping 
  out, 
  is 
  the 
  reply 
  suggested 
  by 
  ex- 
  

   perience. 
  

  

  There 
  is, 
  in 
  addition 
  to 
  the 
  health 
  that 
  is 
  absorbed 
  from 
  

   the 
  open 
  air, 
  valuable 
  instruction 
  to 
  be 
  had 
  from 
  primeval 
  

   nature. 
  Camp 
  life 
  induces 
  self-reliance 
  and 
  resourcefulness. 
  

   Lessons 
  of 
  self-help 
  are 
  taught 
  that 
  may 
  never 
  be 
  gleaned 
  

   from 
  the 
  servant-aided, 
  mother-guarded 
  life 
  at 
  home. 
  

  

  After 
  all, 
  what 
  is 
  more 
  fascinating 
  to 
  the 
  average 
  boy 
  than 
  

   an 
  investigation 
  of 
  the 
  wonderful 
  storehouse 
  of 
  nature 
  at 
  

   first 
  hand? 
  Strolls 
  through 
  the 
  forest, 
  close 
  observations 
  of 
  

   bird, 
  animal 
  and 
  plant 
  life, 
  teach 
  him 
  far 
  more 
  of 
  hidden 
  

   knowledge 
  in 
  a 
  few 
  weeks 
  than 
  he 
  could 
  learn 
  by 
  poring 
  

   over 
  text 
  books 
  in 
  a 
  year. 
  In 
  addition, 
  the 
  playful 
  side 
  of 
  

   his 
  nature 
  is 
  compensated 
  by 
  a 
  variety 
  of 
  land 
  and 
  water 
  

   sports, 
  while 
  the 
  necessary 
  care 
  of 
  the 
  camp 
  and 
  the 
  prepara- 
  

   tion 
  of 
  meals 
  make 
  

   him 
  more 
  familiar 
  

   with 
  the 
  phases 
  of 
  

   domestic 
  economy, 
  

   that 
  every 
  boy 
  

   should 
  encounter, 
  

   than 
  he 
  would 
  prob- 
  

   a 
  b 
  1 
  y 
  ever 
  learn 
  

   otherwise. 
  

  

  When 
  estab- 
  

   lished 
  on 
  the 
  co- 
  

   operative 
  b 
  a 
  s 
  i 
  s 
  — 
  

   the 
  boys 
  composing 
  

   the 
  camp 
  sharing 
  

   equally 
  in 
  expenses 
  

   and 
  responsibilities 
  

   — 
  the 
  cost 
  of 
  the 
  va- 
  

   cation 
  outing 
  will 
  

   be 
  slight, 
  and 
  the 
  

   benefits 
  manifold 
  

   for 
  the 
  boys 
  thus 
  

   sent 
  out 
  to 
  gain 
  

   health 
  and 
  experi- 
  

   ence 
  while 
  shifting 
  

  

  EHUsSBHET'S 
  

  

  _Ju— 
  tafatsl/^V'l 
  

  

  

  

  

  7 
  

  

  R 
  

  

  

  \ 
  1 
  

  

  ' 
  3 
  

  

  < 
  

  

  

  

  

  ■ 
  ^ 
  

  

  - 
  

  

  Resting 
  After 
  the 
  Day's 
  Sports 
  

  

  Temporary 
  Shelter 
  Under 
  an 
  A-Tent 
  

  

  for 
  themselves 
  in 
  the 
  woods. 
  After 
  six 
  delighted 
  boys 
  were 
  

   well 
  established 
  in 
  the 
  woods 
  on 
  a 
  Pennsylvania 
  mountain 
  

   slope 
  last 
  summer, 
  the 
  mother 
  of 
  one 
  was 
  filled 
  with 
  anxiety. 
  

   She 
  feared 
  that 
  her 
  petted 
  son 
  was 
  suffering 
  from 
  lack 
  of 
  

   home 
  comforts. 
  So 
  she 
  paid 
  an 
  unexpected 
  visit 
  to 
  the 
  

   camp. 
  

  

  So 
  surprised 
  and 
  delighted 
  was 
  she 
  upon 
  witnessing 
  the 
  

   ingenuity 
  and 
  resourcefulness 
  displayed 
  not 
  only 
  by 
  her 
  own 
  

  

  boy, 
  but 
  by 
  the 
  en- 
  

   tire 
  six, 
  that 
  she 
  re- 
  

   turned 
  and 
  reported 
  

   to 
  the 
  other 
  anxious 
  

   mothers 
  : 
  

  

  "There 
  is 
  not 
  the 
  

   slightest 
  occasion 
  

   for 
  apprehension 
  ; 
  

   all 
  are 
  well 
  and 
  

   happy, 
  and 
  are 
  

   learning 
  more 
  dur- 
  

   ing 
  their 
  few 
  weeks 
  

   of 
  vacation 
  than 
  

   they 
  will 
  during 
  the 
  

   same 
  number 
  of 
  

   months 
  at 
  school." 
  

  

  The 
  idea 
  of 
  

   going 
  off 
  to 
  the 
  

   woods 
  entirely 
  alone 
  

   (for 
  the 
  idea 
  of 
  a 
  

   secret 
  chaperon 
  

   should 
  not 
  be 
  dis- 
  

   closed) 
  , 
  purchasing 
  

   supplies, 
  taking 
  care 
  

  

  