The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-06-30
CITY VS.. COUNTRY COUSINS.

no visits any more, at least not such as there
used to be. Visiting has degenerated into
calls. With the vastly increased facilities
for travel which the railroads afford it would
seem that friends and relatives living in dis
tant places would be brought into more fire.
quent and closer contact with one another.
But this is not the case. The very easness
and cheapness of access appears to cut off the
desire to go; as persons living in the vicinity
of some great natural curiosity die without
seeing it, while others travel hundreds of
miles to behold the wonder. The thing
which can be done any day is apt not to be
done at all. We put off doing such things
until the putting off becomes confirmed
habit So, when we can jump on the cars
and run up any day in the year to see a
friend, the whole year, and not infrequently
several of them, passes without our seeing
him at all.
Visiting has its drawbacks, but it has its
advantages also. The comic papers are fond
OF picturing the distress of the country
light down upon them with saratoga trunks,
gripsacks, baby-cabs and a swarm of ravenous
children. Perhaps it is a severe inhiction, but
the picture is not without relief. If the
country cousin has the more work, perplex
ity and trouble for time, she has also the
comfort of rejecting that when the farm
work ceases in the winter and the city is gay
with sleigh-bells theaters and balls she can
get even with the city cousin by repaying
her kindly visit Besides and this is one of
the chief benefits of visiting, it brings a
change and breaks in upon the remorseless
monotony of her life. What if there is more
cooking and washing and baking to do for a
week or two? What if there is an unpleas-
ant strain temporarily upon tine dormitory
facilities? There is something positively ex-
hilarating in the way these dainty city folk
''catch on to her homely country fare. 1t
seems to make little or no difference what
she cooks, they have an appetite for any and
all things, The country air and sunshine
and exercise are more potent than Hop Bit
ters or Wellss Health Remover And the
children are a source of perpetual entertain
ment. The calves and chickens and pigs, the
ceaseless round of farm industry, the woods
and fields, the hundred doings and goings-on
which they never saw before, keep them in
kind of ecstacy and wildness that is anus
ing enough to pay for all the trouble they
Sc 1f
lightning-fash into the monotony of the
country household that is not without its
benefits. The talk takes on new freshness
The novelties of city life and doings are dis
cussed. Erroneous impressions are correc ted,
information given and gained, and new
atmosphere lived in for the time. Country
friends and neighbors drop in and the house
hold wears charm and novelty which is
pleasing and complimentary to its occupants. .
Soon the visit (or visitation, if you please to
call it SOY is over, the trunks, gripsacks,
children and rejuvenated city folks carted off
to the railroad, and the country cousins home
suddenly returns to its normal condition of
quietude Doubtless this change, too, is re-
freshing and the rest which comes after the
period of extraordinary tension is extremely
agreeable But in short time it is felt that
the visit was, after all, real pleasure. There
is no form of relaxation so cheap and so
good as friendly social intercourse and when
the occupants of the farm spend a week or
two in the hospitable city home, participant
ing in its enjoyments, and getting taste of
the novelty of town life, they will realize
that the exchange of Inequalities is mu-
tually pleasant and profitable, and will wish
to make it matter OF permanent contnu-
ance.
Americans take life much too hard at best.
If all work and no play makes Jack dull
boy, it does not have different effect upon
men and women. 'Variety's the very spice
of life, which gives it all its flavor" says
the poet. If this be so, how very flavorless
must many lives be. Some are so from
necessity, but far more from choice. 1t is
as much as we can do 10 go to a picnic once
year. Indeed, many of us can't do that
We haven't time for anything but work, it
seems. But little may a good deal) of
well-timed recreation would lengthen life
more than enough to make up for all the
time lost, so that even from the standpoint
of relentless production we should not be
the losers There is rather superfluity of
steam and electricity in modern American
life. We are OVERRIDING the productive idea.
1t is all very well to raise more corn and
wheat and pork than any other nation on
the globe, to build bigger bridges and longer
railroads to publish larger newspapers, and
all that but il shnnld nnt he formation that