The southern sentinel. (Winnfield, La.) 1883-1910, 1885-10-30
RECREATION.

stinr to Mind and Body Than IN III
Spent Vacation OF Weeks.
The vacation season has its failures
as we'll as its successes. The Spectator
strives to explain why pleasure-seekers
who strive hard to enjoy the summer
holiday sometimes exhaust themselves
in futile attempts to find genuine en-
joyment. 1t lays stress upon the mis-
take of confounding rest with
recreation. since while it forms con-
siderable part of well-spent holiday.
it is not the whole of it Nothing"
it remarks. really tends so much to the
resting Of the energies which have
been Over-used as the bringing into
play of those which have been inactive
or suppressed" 1t maintains that in
order to have recreation one must not
only discontinue his usual routine but
also find something to do which will
awaken new sense of power distinct
from that which ordinary vocation
awakcns. Prec sely as . mathema-
tician employed his holiday in writing
..Alice in Wonderland" one must re-
fresh himself during the vacation
season by exerting dormant faculties
or disused powers, which receive no
stimulus in life's ordinary routine.
: The obvious criticism upon this spe.
cial regimen for recreation is that it
can only be recommended for men of
marked intellectual force. The effect
of mental elasticity aad freshness is
produced by unaccustomed intellectual
exercise. very much as one set of
muscles is relieved BY the action of an
other. But the world is largely made
up Of busy. overstfained. practical peo-
pie. who have no farorite studies to re-
vive. no scientific tastes to CRAFTY, no
intellectual pleasures to pursue. It
would be as absurd for them to UNDER
take any unwonted literary tasks in
quest of recreat on as it would be for
faded clergymen. wearied out BY long
season of parish activity. to apply
themselves to laborious farm work in
the hope of getting thoroughly rested.
Professor Tyndall may find both rest
and recreation in dropping his scientif-
ic studies for . season and writing q
review on theological work, but sus-
tanned intellectual effort after an active
year of business or professional
labor will ordinarily exhaust
both thu tired body and the
weary brain. Even If the mind could
be refreshed by the revival of former
studies or the awakening Of new inter-
ests. recreation would be obtained at
the expense of rest which after all
the essence of an invigor-
ating vacation.
The common mistake that ID made il
in allow ng ordinary occupations to
absorb so much time and energy as to
exclude everything else from ones
thoughts. The man Incapable of think
ing Of anything except his business or
his profession can not make the best
use of . vacation, since he has few II
any interests outsidA of his daily rou-
tine. Like Issachar COUGHING between
the burdens of his business life. he
sees that rest is good. but he has bowed
his shoulder to bear and become . SER
want unto tribute. The iron of ordi-
nary routine has entered into his soul.
The machine can scarcely stop running
during the vacation season. The mind
is preoccupied with business projects or
harassed with domestic cares. There
may be peace and quiet for the tired
body aud tho overstrained nerves. but
there is no real change Of thought
along with the change Of scene. He
may be satisfied to return to his busi-
ness with sense OF being thoroughly
and in that case his vacation
will be accounted . success. But if the
season has passed in dull. methodical |
way. almost As fatiguing as his worka-
lay life. he will go back to work with .
AIDED and hopeless feeling that he is
not fit for anything except hard work. |
Is there anything that tends to make .
man more discontinued and forlorn
han the feeling that he has tried hard |
70 enjoy himself and has made . signal
allure of itr 1t seems to imply that |
he mind has not sufficient elasticity to |
react under favorable physical condi- |
ions. To return after a vacation with |
depressed spirits and q consciousness
If intellectual debility involves . hui
confession OF lack Of capacity |
or recreation.
How different is the result II habits
VI relaxation are formed during the |
working year! Let the tension Of daily |
business be relieved every day BY . |
change of pursuit, an hour of reading /
n study, the cultivation of special |
astes. the awakening Of new interests.
md the annual vacation will not find |
wen the busiest man without resources
or recreation ~ celebrating to his
mind as the rest is invigoratinR to his
'ody. The professional man who
works in his own garden an hour or
wo day. and interests himself in
very thing that grows, will be happy
n the quietest farm village during Au-
,usk for he will dwell among flowers
nd birds. in the wholesome c0mpan-
onship Of woods and fields. an intelli-
'ent observer trained to comprehend
be manifold pleasures of rural
Put the over
vorked salesman. who occupies
10 leisure through the year in making
close study Of trees and native woods
! Central Park, for single fortnight
. the Adirondacks. and how keen will
., his pleasure in roaming through
hicket aud forest! Let the srtistic
enses BE- trained by frequent visits to
lecture galleries or BY familiarity with