New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-07-18

weekday acquaintance with his wife and chill
drcn. But he can do more if he will only initiate
his boy, renquish all thought of work and
enter heartily into his vacation And why
should he not? A few years ago a respectable
citizen felt inclined TO make an abect apology
if he was detected in any fragrant form OF
recreation We have advanced far now that
it is recognized as the proper thing to rest, pro-
vided we rest in the orthodox way at our coun-
Try villa or in a crowded summer boarding
house. Why should it not be reputable and
fashionable to remain at home and rest Com
slider carefully the allurements set forth in the
seductive advertisements of any "resort," and
see bow many of them lie at the very doors of
the people who are woocd from their homes in
the city to find them. There are cool woods,
leafy ihlcllets and flower spangled meadows to
be explored in Central and Prospect Parks and
in the tens of thousands of rural aud sylvan
acres within a short half-hour's ride Here are
boating and bathing and excellent fishing.
The catalogue of objects of interest" which
can be reached any morning from any doorstep
i'll the city at an expense of few cents is prac-
tically incxhaustible. In short, no place in
the country begins to afford so many and such
varied facilities for summer recreation as New
York.
But after all the melancholy fact remains that,
in spite of these opportunities for enjoyment,
the father with all his superior experience has
more difficulty in amusing himself during vaca-
ton than the son. One reason of this is that
the boy has not lost his relish for simple pleas
ures But then II man with wholesome mental
constitution never loses this relish. Again, the
boy cares less for appearances. The father and
mother would enjoy a lunch from the family
basket under tree III the Park as thoroughly
rs the children, if they were certain that no ac-
quaintancc would discover them at their print
tive paStlme But, this aside, there is TOO often
another serious difference between the old and
young. The boy retains an alert and nquiSi-
tive interest in all about him, unless he has
been at school long enough to he educated into
stupidity. Everything he sees is a challenge to
his exploring and investigating spirit He has
a consuming hunger TO discover the constitl-
ton of things. He asks for reasons. His
senses are all wide awake. Nothing escapes his
attention, and nothing is too trivial TO be the
subject of Interested search and study. Later
on, after bis teachers have drilled him to re-
peat words instead of investigating biects.
after his memory has been cultivated at the
expense of his orher faculties, his inquisitiVe
habits are lost. He no longer explores and dis
covers for himself, but is satisfied with being
told what some one else has found out, and then
the world is IA less attractive place to spend Il
vacation III. At last he begins life in earnest
by devOting himself strictly to business. He
has been Taught that in order to DO one thing
well, he must do nothing else. Too frequently
the objects which interest him are bounded by
circle which grows more narrow as his labors
are more intense, until finally there is no pleas
ure nor attraction for him anywhere but in his
work, and vacation becomes a burden.
Happy is the man who aside from his calling
in life has some pet pursuit or study which at
tracts him TO nature. He will bc none the less
IA good lawyer or merchant or mechanic, and he
certainly will be broader minded and more
symmetlically developed man if he longs to
know the secrets of the forest or Of the sea or
sky. For such one vacation days will never
he altogether vacant, and every hour will offer
active recreation well rs rest. The time
spent away from his work will not drag along
a wcarsome and lisheSS blank. An his senses
will be quiclencd and SharDened i'm the pursuit
Of Il definite purpose. 80 that in ad,liion to the
absorbing pleasure of the pursuii he will have
Il kcener relish Tor every other form of enjoy
ment. His wcaried neigh Dor longs for rest and
yet Is unhappy when away from his work be-
cause he is interested in nothing else. He
would feel guilty if he should find himself with
microscope examining butterfly or Il flower
II he goes To the country he cannot recognize "A
Dlrd-sonT o name single tIcc He can
answer hm ly question which his child will
ask him con, crn ng the phenomena about him.
from the constitutions over his head to the
stones he Teads on. He does not know
Worse STILL he has no desire to know And
Saddest of all is the thought that there was a
time when he did desire 10 know. His duled
senses testify to life withered hy education
so-callcd, and an absorbing devotion to his
calling.
The teacher or parent is doing good work
when he interests any young person in an
aquarium, Il cabinet of minerals or IA case of
insects or birds. He is training Il human being
for recreation rs well as for work. \ shell. or
leaf, or pebble Suilces To stir into pleasing ac-
lVlty all the faculties OF a man who has a relish
for natural science. The ordinary objects
about him retain the sam, fresh and attractive
Interest which they possessed when he was a
child. TO this extent h. remains a child in
temper, and surely this is gain even if il does
nothing better than help the man to enjoy his
vacation as heartily as the boy does
The " audacity" of the robbers of tho vourg