Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1876-06-23
From the N. Y. Tribune.
THE SUMNER PLAY TINE.

We Americans used to be charged with being
too fond of work and too shy of recreation, to the
great injury both of body and mind. Just now, if
We are likely to err it is in another direction.
since the public passion for games, sports, match
of all sorts by land and water, is manifest,y in
creasing. Horse races are numerous; the base
ball continues to fly; Iitie shooting is more popu
lar than ever; the preparations for yachting show
no loss of interest in that diversion; the coaching
mania maintains itself steadily; the boat clubs
will soon be ahoat pedestlianism, in spite OF the
humbugs to " HON 1t has given notoriety, Is by no
means dead !; here and there the velocipede Is yet
straddled by amateurs; the mustang matter, after
grievous failure, shows signs of revival; the bill
lard champions shaking their cues in defiance
at each other nor have We by any means heard
the last Of polo. Thousands upon thousands Of
people are preparing for pleasant day or week
in Philadelphia the summer hotels, rural and
marine and mountain, are advertising their many
attractions and their moderate rates; while the
ocean steamers will carry the usual number Of
pleasure hunters and heath-seekers far eastward.
There is cheerful summer before us in spite of
the hard times. The "doleful dumps are not to
have matters all their own way.
OF course, the overnight morallsts will find q
good deal to censure and ground for unpleasant
| apprehensions in the signs ofthe summer vacation
We shall hear, perhaps, of the waste Of time which
mere amusements seem to imply. Most OF US go
to bed at night and go to sleep with no thought
of time wasted in snooZing and snoring and
dreaming. We may lose something by it, but we
clearly gain more than we lose. in recuperation Of
health and strength and capacity for work.
Change of air and scene has well recognized ad-
vantages. Many labor is pleasure for its own
sake apart from what may be gained by il; if it
were not So there would be less exertion even in
the higher departments of literature, science and
art. He is the wsest who knows how at proper
time 10 be calmly and compacently lazy; to read
novels to build air castles, and to doze under the
trees. But there be those to whom this inertia
would really bring no rest and to whom the sense
of doing nothing would be unwhoesomely irritat-
ing. Active rest is what they require; total
change of daily pursuits at which they have tagged
themselves to exertion, is their mental and pbys
cal need; and yet for their own comfort they
must be doing something. Perhaps, for such an
emergency, travel is the best resource yet discov-
ered-travel which rests all the senses, while it
keeps the mind from rusting. Bat the patient
must choose his own medicine. and it must be
also within his reach-angling, sea fishing. swim
ming, boating, racing, shooting, walking up hill
and down or lounging by the sounding sea. Only
let him be sure to engage in what he likes; for
otherwise it will do him no good. 1t is absolutely
necessary that he should be his own doctor and
apothecary so that all the advice we have to give
is: Do, if you can, all summer what you wish to
do, SO it be harmless and sensible and wise!