The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1874-07-25
The Essentials OF Summer vacations
rerom the Springfield Republican,

Il 3
rFrom the Springfield Republican,
aTo everything there is o season" satin
tha preacher. "and time to every purpose
nnder the heaven" Between birth aud
death. weeping and laughing, getting ana
losinp. loving and hating, there Is, ne says,
ga time to build up" offsettipg "a time
r. break down. The aptithesis outlines
sbarnlv the average life of men and women
in our burrying day. 1t would be better
for us IL It were not so apt-lf our WORK
were even, tranquil, and steadily develop
ing. instead of partial, buried, ana dls-
appointing. But such is the genius OF
the age. We rush to our tasks WITH
reckless ardor, and perform them with IN
terest and emphasis, all the time too much
absorbed in action to spend thought on
endurance. All this forms the process OF
q breaking down.; the building up" FOL-
lows il the individual comprehends the Wis
dom of Solomon, and takes the time Tor II.
The trouble with US is that we fancy the uni
verse. at least our portion thereof, would be
uncomfortable disarranged if we stopped
en- route, and thus it happens that every
nov and then brilliant writer, or sbreWd
merchant, or an eager student, or faithful.
housewife, drops out OF bis or her SPECIAL
place altogether. Perhaps these never know
that the machine moves on, hardly disturbed
for moment by their exit; perhaps they
Iipcer along to regret the blindness that let
sip the I" time to build up" Now they rest,
willy milly.
In this country, where comfort, il not
riches. is more evenly within the common
reach than in others, there ought to be few
of US who cannot afford, at least, brief sea-
sons of rest and recreation. Disproportion-
ate they must be, and yet, after long month
of work and worry that tend to wear out and
break down these bodies and brains Of ours.
| It is surprising how much few weeks, pro-
perly spent, can do to reanimate our spirits
and revive our faculties. The whole secret
of effective building up lies in the assiduous
cultivation of the virtue-we repeat it, the
yirtue--of seifshpess. Like other qualities
of the. human heart, this virtue has been
nightly abused, but, within bounds aud un-
der restraint, it is rs worthy and presentable
virtue as heroism or courtesy or justice.
| In fact, it has no distant relationship to jus.
tice, to generosity, to gratitude, and num-
Der of other virtues in good and regular
standing, and we propose, as tit adendum
| to Solomon's maxims There is time to be
selfish.
For that matter we have no doubt that it
could be easily proved that there are several,
but for the present we have only to say that
the time of all others is on q vacation.
A vacation is your own, or it is nothing.
You are the person to be refreshed, enter
tained, rested, and turned out q new man or
woman. Therefore, what your friends in
the country, your cousins on the sea'shore,
this neighbor with one plan or that with an
other, have to say about it isquite irrelevant.
You don't want to commit the amiable mis-
take of making your brief rest out of all the
year visit for the pleasure of some one else
You max think you do, but little eXamina'
ton will show you that the die
tates of an enlightened seltishness for.
bid it. With equal aversion should you re.
gard the house Of your excellent rura
friend, who considers you bound to put IN
YOUR society as sort Of equivalent to your
board, and makes the visit period of mild
but aggravatiDg slavery. Flee at once any
suggestion of an excursion to see the sights
listen to no deceiyilg recommendations OF
big hotels; shun miscellaneous camping-oul
parties; and, in short, free yourself from
objective points OF any sort. Above ALL
don't carry your business with you. where
ever YOU 90. Abandon your shop;' for
get that you buy and sell, write, hammer,
teach or sew; live freely while you can, and
live for yourself alone.
1t needs not to say that to speak of sum
mer vacations presupposes the country OF
the shore. In pursuing the purely selfish
aim, consult your nature as to the circum'
stances and Accomplishments Of your rest.
Doubtless there can be gathered parties tit
for fellow ship. whose members respect each
others indiyiduAIities in preserving their
own. When this ideal club is found, all j.
we'll, and camping out is delight i" tit for the
gods" But, usually. the fewer the better for
the thoughtful indulgence of selfishness. You
and your wife, or TWO friends like Jonathan
and David, would be sufficient company
Choose, then, house Of sojourn where you
are unknown, where nobody has either any
claim on your attention or the power to waste
your time, where you can be free of inter-
ruption or conflict, at liberty to wander, 10
croquet, to fish, to sail, to loaf, to admire, to
rest, and your summer vacation will not be
wasted. You will be admitted to the init
macy of nature, at home now, in the woods
i and beside the waters, and welcoming her
lguests with manifold and unintrusiye sym.
Il pathy. TO all her children that toll she of.
I fers generous sport and IMMIGRATION, e1'
haustess beauty and joy, ample quietude and
lrepose. Each to bis true taste, each to his
best self, where she, the all-embracing mo-
lther, enteltains.
BUSINESS CHANCES.
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