Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1859-08-31
THE MrsER1Es OF PLEASURE SEEKING.

AS the summer months glide away, and the
suns shadows lengthen, it is seasonable for
disappointed pleasure-seekers to come up to
the confessional and shrive themselves Con-
fesson, if it is made only to a wooden confess
or, is not wholly worthless. If the truth were
all told, it would save innumerable headaches.
and disarrangements OF physical economy
hereafter. Future seasons would be exceed
ingly grateful if the thorns hidden under the
skilfulIy displayed rose-leaves of this one
were in any way exposed.
There is nothing censurable in pleasure
seeking as pastime and a recreation. 1t is
one of the most commendable of virtues. In
ships or in chariots they seek for happiness,
said Horace, abiding undoubtedly to the mid
summer excursions of his neighbors, in pleas
ant contrast with his own pedestrian tour to
Brundusium. We pursue the same phantom
which is an agreeable companion when it is
caught. If all sorts of people were to leave
their hard work long enough to become thor
oughly rested oftener than they do, if those
who are numbering the innocents and the in
nocents who are being murdered, would often
er pause in their sanguinary employment and
suffering, and engage in any proper and salts
factory recreation, our whole humanity would
be much better than it is. The over-tasked
and weary people who throng every city aud
working village in New England need nothing
SO much as, once in awhile, to look upon new
scenery, and breathe a new air.
But its nearly as difficult for Yankee to
play within reason as to work within reason.
fence, and not always that. If he is tempted
to fly he is sure to burn his wings. He re-
minds you of the bird in Pidcock's menagerie
of which the Snowman used to say, "This
ladies and gentlemen, is the golden eagle of
the sun, from Archangel, in Rooshay the otter
er it is, the igherer he flies" In pursuit of re-
creation he attempts to crowd the CREATES pos
ssiblea mount into the shortestpossiblet time and
exhausts himself in the effort. He goes on an
adventure extended enough to last three days,
and returns the same day at midnight, weary,
perhaps out of patience, and filled with trouble
some qualms of conscience superinduced by
excess of clans.
Perhaps we exaggerate. Perhaps the stere-
otyped assurance that nothing occurred to
mar the pleasure, &C., may be used against
us. Very well. We have often blushed lest
an expression, which, like many others in
common life, is merely conventional, should
have been supposed to be literally true. The
larger half of those who have participated in
long and crowded excursions know very well
that they were oppressed rather than elated by
the pleasure" which they paid for and
thought they should have that they were an
noyed by yexations which were not anticipa-
ted, and in crowd, could not have been
avoided; that they were in constant fear
and peril of meeting some of those pests
of promiscuous pleasure parties, who make
them the occasion and excuse for riotous
folly and excess; that they have been COM
PEELED to stand when tired nature commanded
them to sit, jostled in the streets, delayed upon
the railroad, and offered thousand side dishes
of misery in place of the entertainment to
which they were invited. For the sake of
ones selfrespect, it must be called delight
full excursion for time. But it is not neces
sary to carry the joke any further You con-
fess disappointment; let it rest there. 1t is
the result of mistake for which there is
kind of common and joint responsibility. The
method was not a good one. What better
method there may be the returning season
good as well as the evil thereof