Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1886-12-10
VOL &C..
Burden Of Sightseeing.

dox round ofslght-seeing. We say
the orthodox round, for there are
Unauthorized spectacles, out of the
regular routine, which are always
pleasant. What traveller has not
chanced on some picture gallery, or
museum, or ancient building, not
enumerated in the guide book or
included IN the list of orthodox
81 iehts, and which he consequently
visited with enjoyment never expe-
rienced while "doing' the regula-
tion of travel? 1t must be a sur
viyal in the belief Of the education
al value Of beholding "nOtable ob.
iects," which induces so many peO.
pie TO toll on during their autumn
holidays through a succession of
picture galleries, churches, and
museums, while all the time they
woald far rather be taking rest
in sweet shady gardens, or lying
lazi'y ON The sea shore. Still, hav-
ing embarked on the tour, it would
never do to return home and con
lesS 10 list OF sights unyisited.-
"There is rot a halfguinea's worth
of pleasure in seeing it, but there Is
halfgunea'S worth Of interlority
innot having seen it, was the acute
remark of DR.. johnson, when BOs-
well complained that the Pantheon,
the last new sight in London, was
not worth the money paid to view
it,. Would any one have courage
20 confess 10 having stayed at Flor
cnce and omitted to visit the pic
tule Galleries ? or to have soiOurn-
cd at Naples, and neglected 10 make
au excursion to POmpeii though
the traveller might possess neither
artistic nor antiquarian tastes.
Sights, rs a rule, are sadly dis
appointing; even where the trav-
eller visits them dc bon gre they
often fall short of his preconceived
ideals. 81 looked around me and
wondered that was not more af-
iected." writes Sir Walter Scott,
describing his visit to the haunted
castle of Glamis. Could all travel
lcrs be induced 20 be thus candid,
we believe that slight sensation
of disappointment would prove to
be "a very general cTotion in be.
holding some celebrated "world's
wonder which it has, perhaps,
been the.day.dream Of the tourist
TO visit. There is a legend Of a
discoutented sisht.Seer who had
announced that he had expected to
see "more water" at Niagara Falls !.
The uaseen wonder is often pre-
senlcd 20 the mental vision in a
light "that was never on land or
sea" and no reality can come up 10
the drcam.picture. Indeed, it is
not uncommon to hear travellers
acrcely disputlng with their guides
regarding the authenticity Of the
sight they have come 10 behold -
"This cannot be the house. it IS too
modern = "that isnot the mountain,
II is too low:" but when the truth
is impressed upon the visitor, how
disappointing is the reality com
pared to the visionary ideal
What may be called physical
drawbacks also initiate against the
enjoyment Of sightseeing. We do
not speak Of the personal fatigue
of the traveller; sightseeing is con-
fessedly only anamusement for the
robust. But il is difficult to behold
many orthodox spectacles in the
proper frame Of mind. The filthy
beggars who throng the steps Of
the Italian "lurch seriously inter
fere with our ml.oories of the saint
~ lypreachers who ace filed It's pull
pit. or the world-renowned artists
who decorated It's walls The dust
and the flies and the Arab donkey
boys sadly detract from the TO
nance OF a visit to the Pyramids.
"Jemma was cross, and lost my umbrel-
la,
That day by The tomb Of Cecilia Mctella,' "
is too common reminiscence OF a
visit to some celebrated "lon,'
when the prosaic present blots out
the poetic past.
The most enjoyable portion of the
professed sight-seer's existence is
usuallv the time after his return
home. lie can then at leisure re-
view the history Of his travels /;
above all, lie can tantalize his home
keeping friends with the accounto
hisadventures. Then does he reap
the benefit of his unhinching devo-
ton To the directions LAID down in
his guide. book. 1t was weary work
doing thirty churches under the
ravs of an Italian sun, but the tour
ist who heldout to the end can now
exult over the weaker brethren,
who gave up the task after explOr.
ing a dozen; and can assure them
that "ail the best altarpieces' were
in the churches they did not see
a pang of disappointment had
been experienced at beholdlug the
reputed birthplace Of saint, artist,
hero but it is now forgotten in the
pleasure Of being able to exclaim,
'Did you not 90 To-? Why, 1t
was the most interesting sight OF
our whole tour" The hardwork-
ing sight seer "hath his sweet com
pensations.7 Still We believe that
the stoutest-hearted traveller has
ovperienced a thrill of satisfaction