tion the fact that May Yohe, a famous vaudeville star of a generation ago, has been recalled to the stage and is playing a leading part at Keith's Theatre in Boston. Our searcher sees nothing of interest in this statement, but his eye lightens as he glances at the next statement, to the effect that the theatrical managers had brought May Yohe from a life of obscurity in the mountains of New Hampshire, where she was the proprietor of a tea room. Letting the newspaper fall idly to his lap, the curious one closes his eyes, tries to remember what it is about that name that is familiar to him, and what it all has to do with the sign of "The Blue Diamond Inn." And then suddenly it comes to him, and with a startled interest, he realizes that he has indeed stumbled upon vivid, spicy romance, hidden away in the little New Hampshire town of Marlow.

Of all the famous and precious jewels that have ever come to the attention of the world perhaps the best known were the Hope diamonds. These glittering gems have taken to themselves an individuality because of the fact that a strange and tragic story has ever been connected with them. They seem to bring disaster and sorrow to each one of the

various world-famed personages who were in turn their possessors. They brought misfortune to Lord Hope, a peer of one of England's oldest families, in the shape of May Yohe. To be sure, at the time he met her she must have been an exceedingly attractive misfortune. She was in the prime of her famous stage career. She was surrounded by admirers. She was something of an institution at Yale, Columbia, and some of the other universities within easy distances from New York. Suffice it to say that Lord Hope married her and lived to regret it. In a short time he had lost both May and the diamonds.

Even while her divorce proceedings

were still in their immature stages she fascinated the son of Mayor Strong of New York to such an extent that he is said to have forged checks in order to support her in the proper style for a reigning beauty. Young Strong was at that time an officer in the army but he managed to find time to take May upon a rather unofficial honeymoon to Japan. It is probable that she shook up Japan nearly as much as the recent earthquakes.

Enough of this, however, for the escapades and episodes of May's life would probably fill a book, and those which have been recounted here are simply the current gossip of the theatrical world. There evidently came a time in her life when she wearied of breaking hearts, or perchance the growing years and avoirdupois lessened her popularity upon the stage. She found her way to the quiet hills of Marlow and there opened a little inn and tea room for the accommodation accommodation of passersby. There she served them in a most gracious and hospitable manner, making her hostelry famous for its appetizing dishes. The only remnant, perhaps, of the recklessness of her stage career, was her rather brazen use of that famous chapter in her life in naming her wayside arbor, "The Blue Diamond Inn."

The story is told. Once more laying aside her domestic cares, she is now convincing the theatre goers of Boston that she is still a mistress of her former art. A citizen of Ohio once boasted to a citizen of New York that Ohio had given the country more presidents than New York, whereupon his friend responded by asserting that New York had had more murder cases than Ohio. It is a poor state that can't win fame in more than one field of activity. Let those who consider New Hampshire merely as a place of beautiful scenery, peopled by unpolished rustics, remember that for a dozen years we have held hidden in our hills one of the gayest of the gay.

A

visitor in Claremont one August evening saw a picture that brought a thrill. It was not a cinema, nor was it a fire or a remarkable sunset. It was a community at play.

On the city playground, five hundred citizens were watching a twilight baseball game. Next to the baseball field, five tennis courts were filled with enthusiastic youths, while the adjoining playfield was crowded with happy youngsters making enthusiastic use of teeter boards, swings and slides. When the baseball game was finished, the whole body of spectators moved up the hill to the Common and listened to a band concert. And the visitor learned that people would come to these concerts from many miles around, even from the country, and often arrived as early as 7:00 P. M. to secure a good vantage point, although the concerts did not commence until 8:30 P. M. This was community recreation-the home-grown variety,

and all the gradings and shadings of the city's population were enjoying it.

New Hampshire, often referred to as America's playground, has like California and some other states learned that physical advantages and climate alone do not fully meet the recreational needs of the people. Forethought, planning and organization are essential to the full use of and the supplementing of the resources that nature has provided. New Hampshire is one of twelve states that have paved the way for adequately supplementing existing resources for play through the medium of the "home rule bill." Section 1. of this bill reads as follows:

Any city or town in this state may take land within the municipal limits in fee or gifts, purchase or right of eminent domain. or lease the same and may prepare, equip and maintain it or any other land belonging to the municipality and suitable for the purpose, as a public playground; and may conduct and promote thereon, play and recreation activities; may equip and operate

This law is a great advantage to New Hampshire municipalities "Go ahead," it says in effect, "and provide generously and adequately for the play needs of your citizens." Under this law and due to the enthusiasm and energy of friends. of public recreation in recent years, New Hampshire cities have made encouraging progress in municipal play. This year especially has been one of achievement, particularly the the summer playground work.

To-day more than ever before, recreation activities are planned with an idea of getting out of them for America's coming citizens the greatest benefit in a physical, moral and educational way. Games and athletics improve physical health, develop character, fair play, obedience and concentration; story-telling and story playing stimulate the imagination; constructive play develops ingenuity and creative ability; gardening, pet shows, nature study and camping increase the natural love for out-door life; self government and citizenship activi

ties develop a sense of justice and civic pride--all of these and many more are supplied in a well rounded program under trained leadership. In the larger New Hampshire cities and towns the summer playground work is carried on under the direction of trained workers.

The daily programs are most varied and children may be seen at any time of

the day consulting the Playground Bulletin board to find out what special surprise is in store for them, or when the rival playground is scheduled to play the interplayground game, or whether they are to be on "police duty" for the day. In some cities the children plan their own daily bulletin and make the posters and announcements.

Baseball leagues not only for the boys large and small, but for the girls as well afford much competition and the importance and excitement and surely the cheering rivals that of a Big League game. Sunset Leagues afford recreation and interest to the young men who are employed during the day and in many cities the playground diamonds are reserved for the Sunset schedules. Volley ball, schlag ball and basket ball leagues are equally as popular. nants are usually awarded the winning playground. Where municipal tennis courts are provided the courts are oc

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cupied from early until late. Tennis tournament officials are the city champions or country club players. Simplified golf is a popular activity of the boys' own choosing. They have improvised their own golf clubs and in one city the boys laid out a regular nine hole course on the common. The Athletic Badge tests, standard physical efficiency tests are being generally used and in several places follow up the work done in the public schools. Interplayground track and athletic meets for both boys and girls have created much friendly rivalry and the honor of the playground not of the individual is kept in mind. As one little playground girl expressed it "I'm not running for myself-I'm running for the playground." And again where an undersized team appeared to represent their playground a playground boy from a rival team said, "Of course they couldn't expect to win but just the same they ought to get a ribbon for courage."

In game contests points are given not only for actual winning but also for sportsmanship and reliability. The number of points granted for sportsmanship are twice as many as those granted for winning and in order to win a contest by this method more character than skill is necessary.

Handicraft and constructive play was an important feature on most of the summer playground schedules and in the heat of the day one finds interested groups of children in shady nooks busily engaged in the making of baskets, toys, kites, birch bark canoes, paper flowers, beads; in knitting, sewing, embroidery and the making and dressing of dolls. Such activity teaches the children useful occupations and effective workmanship. At the end of the season the work is exhibited and in most cities the merchants are very willing to clear a window for the display. In one

city this summer two large windows were used and votes were cast for the best piece of work. Kite and lantern making always creates interest especially when followed by kite flying contests and a laughing lantern parade at dusk. For many of the festivals and dramatic work the children are taught to make their own costumes and also taught to dye materials. The little children enjoy making gay scrap books which are often passed on to a children's hospital.

New Hampshire with her wealth of lakes and rivers and bit of coast offers opportunity for swimming to most communities, and facilities for swimming have been provided as part of the recreation program in most cities. In Concord a section of the Merrimack River is used for a bathing beach and the daily attendance averages 200 a day. The Beach and two portable bath houses are under the supervision of two expert in