The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1878-06-20
CAMPING OUT.

The instiet OF bafbarism that leads peo.
pie periodically to throw aside the habits
of civilization and seek the freedom and
discomfort OF the woods Is explicabe
enough, But il is not SO easy TO under
stand why this passion should be strong.
est in those who are refined and most
trained in intellectual and social fasti-
diousness. Philistinism and shoddy do
not like the woods, unless it becomes
fashionable TO do SO, and then as speedily
as possible they introduce their artificial
Injuries and reduce the life in the wilder.
ness to the yulgarity of a well fed picnic.
1t is they who have strewh the Adron.
dacks with paper collars and tin cans.
The real enjoyment Of camping and tramp
ing IN the woods lies in a return to
primitive conditions of lodging, dress and
food, lin as total an escape as may be
from the requirements OF civilization,
And II remains TO be explained why this
is enjoyed most by those who are most
highly civilized. II is wonderful TO see
how easily the restraints OF society fall
off. OF course II is not true that courte-
sy demands upon clothes with the best
people, but with others behavior hangs
almost entirely upon dress. Many good
habits are easily got rid of in the
woods. Doubt sometimes seems 10 be
feh whoihor S"~aap is ios@l hsiiass.
there. II becomes question of causuis-
try with clergyman whether he may
shoot at a mark on Sunday II none Of his
congregation a"e present. Heintends no
harm; be only gratiGes curiosity to see
If he can hit the mark. Where shall he
draw the line? Doubtless be might throw
stone at chipmunk, or shout at loon.
Might he fire at mark with an air gun
that makes no noise? He will not fish
or hunt on Sunday although ke is no
more likely TO catch anything that day
than any other,-but he may eat trout
that the guide has caught on Sunday, if
the guide swears that be caught them
Saturday night? Is there such thing as
vacation in roligion2 How much Of our
virtue do we owe TO inherited habits.
BY the time twilight falls the cook has
prepared supper. Everything has been
cooked in tin pail and a skillet, ,-pota-
toes, tea, pork mutton, fapjacks. You
wonder how everything could have been
prepared in so few utensils. When you
eat the wonder ceases; everything might
have been cooked in one pail. 1t Is a
noble meal, and nobly ii is disposed Of
by those amateur savages sitting about
upon logs aud roots of trees. Never
were there such potatoes, never beans
that seemed to have more OF the bean in
them; never mutton more distinctly
sleepy; and the tea, drunk out Of tin
cup, with lump Of maple sugar dissolved
in it, 1T is the sort OF tea that takes hold,
lifts the hair, and disposes the drinker to
anecdote and hilariousness. There is no
deception about II; ii tastes Of tanning
aud spruce ereosote. Everything, ia fact,
has The flavor Of the wilderness and free
life. 1t is idyllic. And yet with all our
sentimentality, there is nothing feeble
about the cooking. The slapjacks are a
solid job Of work, made 10 last, and not
to 60 10 pieces in persons stomach Ike
trivial bun; we might record on them,
in cuneiiorm characters, our incipient
civilization, and future generations would
doubtless turn them upas Acadian bricks.
Good, robust victusls are what the prim
tive man wants.