The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1879-05-15
Men Of One Idea In Amusement.

Gontlemans Magazine.
The autOmatism of recreation is bad in
every sense, and it is specially bad in the
present day, because of the quality Of it
as well as the limited quantity. There is
no such diversity of recreation as Is want
ed to keep the body in health by the ex-
ercise of the mind. With one man the
recreation is taken out all IN cards, with
another in chess, with another in billiards,
with fourth in debate or gossip on some
one persistent topic Of discourse or argu-
ment, and so on for what may be called
the indoor recreative lite. Nor is it much
different with outdoor recreative amuse-
ment. Some one particular amusement
claims the attention Of particular men,
and to this amusement the men ad-
here as if they had to live by it,
and as if, in fact, there were no
other recreative pursuits in the world.
This speciality of recreative pleasure Of
labor-for soon It becomes labor-leads to
consequences which are often Of the most
serious character. The man who takes it
first as an enjoyment. and indeed as re-
Taxation, is so absorbed that he strains
every nerve to be eminent in it, profess
sor Of the accomplishment. with local
repute for his excellence. The moment he
enters on this resolve, however, lie loses
recreation. He sets himself to a new
work, be it mental or physical; his mind
becomes an emporium for the produce OF
that one particular culture, and he is in
respect to that not far removed from a
monomaniac. From the day that he is
completely enamored OF the special pur-
suit it is little indeed be is good for out Of
it in hours apart from the common voca-
ton Of his life. He becomes fretful IL for
a day he be deprived of his peculiar
qualification: irritable if he joins with
others in it who are not no skil'ful
as himself; envious if he meets with
q rival who is better at it than hirs-
self; and often actually sleepless in
thinking and brooding over some event or
events that have been connected with the
previous play or venture. II the time at
nv disposal admitted the introduction OF
detailed illustration of TIE facts here re-
ferred to could supply from experience
instance upon instance. l have seen
an amateur chess-player SO infatuated
with the game, which he originally sat
down to as a relaxation, that he became
for months victim OF insomnia. He car
ried the whole chess-board. set out IN va
rious difficult problems, in his brain, if !
NAV use such simile, studied moves on
going to sleep, dreamt Of them, woke with
the solution solved, was sick and feeble
and irritable all next day. followed his
usual occupation With languid ability and
interest, resumed his play at night with
excited but not recruited determination.
got more and more sleepless, and at last
faIled to sleep altogether. ] have known
more than one illustration OF Whist play
srs, and great billiard players. and have
seen the result of these socalled recrea-
lions end in the most sad physical disas-
| ter, when the pursuit Of them has been
made matter Of living importance. and
when the PLAYER has ever had IN his mind
that pitiful II. IF had done this or
that-if I had made that move on the
board-if had played that cardiff had
made that stroke, how vould the case
have been?" II matters little what the
answer TO the question may be whether
il be that By such . move. card or stroke
the game would have been lost or won;
the perple1ing doubt Is 70 annoy, and i
keeps up An irrIta ion which imperoepti-
bly wears out tie animal power and does
permanent injury to life. You see men,
while still they are q :tually young, grow
rapidly ike old men under this supposed
recrea.ive strain. They grow prenaturciy
gray. prem aturely sIed in idea and obssi-
nate IN idea. angry at tr,ees. bafned By
TRIES. and. In . word. young seniiif,es.
Ru-lincfon Hzvkeve. Emma Abbott