New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-04-20
U(JBBIES.

Recently gentleman of exemplary character and
| great wealth committed suicide in d tic of nervous
ness He was suffering from malady which has
not been described in works on pathology. but
which is serious nevertheless. He was million
naire, but he had nothing to do. He had retired
from business to villa on the Hudson he was be-
loved by his and esteemed by all hi, ueighbors
he was q plain man, courteous and sympathetic
prefcrrng 70 yield to Others rather than to assert
himself. His chief happiness had been in his bust
ness. He surrendered that to go and enjoy himself
for the remainder of his days and was miserable
ever afterword. From the hour that he retired to
the day he died he underwent slow torture until he
could bear no more. lIe was perishing for want of
his business cares. lie was like the Swiss mountain
GERS who in the palaces of French kings pinned for
their native air.
The remedy for this maady il I'm what are called
hobbies. When tho knight must leave the big wars
that make ambition virtue and dlsmOunt from his
high-mettel charger, he has the resource of the
lobby-horse. When mans career goes from him,
or when he deserts IT, he will suffer according to his
strength and there IS no refuge. from his misery
save in the creation of other pursuits or in death.
Had Lord Give been able to ride hobby he
never would have died by his own hand. But for
the man that chad created an empire gardening was
too mean an occupation. In vain lie whispered to
himself that Dlooletian had raised cabbages on his
Adratc villa He tried to be interested, but his
thoughts went another ways and though he looked
ON rose bushes 10 saw no blossoms, but only the
stately durbar and the crowds of creeping Orientas
making salaams, and the pomp ana power OF
Governor IA an Indian province lie tried to ride
hi, humble little hobby, but ho could not, and. lac
ended the internal strife by suicide.
Many sagaclous men. even IN Their busiest time,
lool, ahead and see in the future the long, dreary
stretch of unoccuped days. As Il refuge from the
killing monOtOny they may create some oasis of
Archaeology or paleontology or cthnOOgy, or phil
ologyi NAV investigate tho religion of tie Druds or
the ethnology of the Ligurians. Men whose minds
run neither in literary nor scientific grooves have
still the resource Of art. And III collecting much
il reouired beyond tho mere possession Of mouey
that no one. however rich. can attain to emInence
IA IA collector who does not possess gifts of mind
The collector soon discovers that he must master
intnity Of details, and that In some matters he must
possess special power of sight. No meIe study Of
books can give him the knowledge Of color IN ga6es
if he is q ceramic collector 1t Is not enough TO
know the letters Of the Chinese signatures of the
seventeenth century, because out of thousand
genuine pieces of hawthorn there will be- Just one
where the blue has obtained. through the trlng and
in combination with perfect glaze, pitch of color
which il not only raro In high degree, but Is also
exquistely beautiful in itself Even the eye
slant examination of color Objects the only differ