Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1875-09-02
NJ st and Recreation.


DuRlN g the prevalence of the SUNNI er
neat N any handwriting denizens of our
CLUES take a brief respite from office, shop
OF desk for rural repose and recreation,
his is not only right but quite essential
to the maintenance of that healthful bal
ance between brain and body which is
necessary to efficient successful activity.
1t is a great mistake for man whose
brain is kept entirely occupied when at
home to think that because he remains
vigorous, Notwithstanding the July heat,
he can labor on assiduously and come
out all right in the end. No matter what
his strength, his mind and body crave oc-
casional relief from the monotony OF one
constant routine, and, if denied, the former
will ere long commence to lose vigor and
grip. A writer in an exchange views the
subject from the right point of view,
physiologically and phrenologically, as
follows:
Multitudes of earth's t0iling millions
have died while striving to make enough
to retire from business, and in a beautiful
cottage on their farm to spend the remnant
of their days in rest, having nothing in
particular to do. Perhaps one in a million
of the hOpers does make money enough
to enable him to retire to his country seat,
and, for a year or two, while he is fixing
it up to his notion, all goes ON charming
ly, but when everything is completed to
his mind, and he has nothing more to
take up his attention, he eats and sleeps
and lounges around for a few months
longer, falls into disease and dies; or, if
he has unusual force Of character and pow
er of observation, he notices that both
health and happiness are passing from
him, and, tracingth this to the true cause of
an inactive body and an unoccupied mind
he resolves to ''sell OUT and plunge again
into the vortex of business.
Recently an old schOolmate-young
graduating in the same class thirty-seven
years ago-writes that "bOth body and
mind are worn out; the slightest physical
labor eXhausts him, . and any effort to
think, study, or even read, SO Wearies the
brain that life is felt as a burden" He
withdrew from his professional duties,
which he had performed in the place for
twenty-five years with honor to himself,
having secured the love, confidence and
respect OF all who knew him. He gave
up his calling for the purpose of obtaining
rest, as q means of health.
The number of families is increasing
Il
means of rest from family cares, and re-
sort to that miserable and most I'M
wise mode Of life, boarding at hotel or
in some private family, to get more dis
satisfied than ever in few months, mean
while falling into bad health and bad hab-
its of various kinds.
All these classes Of persons fail, misera-
bly, fail, in their object because they mis-
take the physiological meaning of the
word rest" Neither body nor brain is
safely, truly and happily rested by doing
nothing. The only healthfuI rest, as long
as our physical and mental constitution
remains as it is, is to be busy Men of
force and industry will everywhere tell
you: & 1t is the hardest thing in the world
to do nothing" No mortal man was ever
made to be a lOafer, to be a miserable
drOne. The true idea of rest is recreation,
a making over again, a return to our &C
customed vigor; and this is accomplished
not by allowing the machine to come to a
stand-still, for inactivity is rust and ruin
to all mechanical cOntrivances, and death
to all physiological structures. The true
object of rest is recuperati0n, and that
is best brought about as to the body
by exercising different set of
muscles and as to the brain by
calling into requisitiOn a different set of
organs OF powers, causing the mind to act
upon new objects. A better plan is not to
get into the unhealthful conditions named,
and they are avoidable by giving two
hours daily TO the exercise of a different
class of muscles, or to the investigation
and study of objects of comparatively
trivial importance and of a wholly differ
ent nature. The student should ride on
horseback, or cultivate fruits and flowers
the merchant should employ his mind in
liberal studies, in active personal and ele-
waiting charities, while the over-taXed and
worried wife should pay visit daily to
some prudent friend, some CHEEKY neigh
Dor or suffering sister or cnild-the main
idea of all cases being to spend two or
three hours daily in open-air activities
wholly different from the ordinary bust
ness.-PhrenologicaI Journal.
A New Game.