Wichita eagle., 1888-07-22
THE GOSPEL or RECREATION.

Too 3Ineh 'Tuxh" and '-Go"-Fv@ the
American Point Of View.
II ever people needed to have preached to
them gospel Of recreation, the Americans
need it now We work too hard, and toe
fast, and with too much friction, and, above
ell, too constantly. We are proud OF our
speed We believe in push and go We
are careless of the fact that haste makes
waste because we have plenty TO wassa we
DO not understand nor practice ror care any
thing about economy, because We have Cos
felt, IS most peoples have, the need OF econ
omy. Our business man hnIr1es from nls
home N the morning On the fastest train be
can get, reads the newspaper al the way TO
his Office, and grumbles at delay OF two
minutes He rcshes through his business at
break NECK rate, snntches lunch at md
day, dictates letters to his typewriter. leaves
himself Just time enough 70 catch his tain,
AID rushes home At tie same pace. Oncs
thera, be enjoys himself BY taking ride be-
hind the fastest horse be can afford 70 OWL
After dinner he plays game Of whist, or, as
that is generally too slow for kim. OK poker,
Until after what ought 70 be his bedtime. II
he lives in the city his evenings are spent al
the club or the theatre, or IN the hotel corrl-
doris taking business. Rest be has none,
unless perhaps on Sunday, when be spends
most Of the morning locking through tho
papers, and most Of the afternoon doing. or
perhaps taking another ride behind his rroe-
ters Americans do everything fast, espc-
cially IN New York. They take their drinks
standing. and at q guip. They eat one meal
a day In about the same fashion They walk
fest, talk fast, make and lose money last,
ride fast sail fast, est fast drink fast, and II
a way could be discovered Of sleeping fast
they would do that
After one gsss into It there Is q swing and
a movement In all this that il fascinating.
It is contagious, and we ali catch il There
is the same sort Of pleasure IN doing business
fast that there Is in driving q fast horse OF
sailing a fas. boat That is enc reason why
New York is the nest fascinating OF Auleri-
lean citiea After It's go" Others seem
little tame One becomes used 70 excitement,
and wants to keep strung up 20 concert pitch
all the time Beyond doubt, too, there Is
something good and admirable Ia this rapid
itv II enables Us 10 accomplish marveA
We have come nearer than any other people
to aanihilsting time and space
But, after ell when one thinks It over
calmly-if perchance he can ever End time
to think caluly-is this hurry worth our
whiiei Or, TO put it from the American
point Of view, does 1t pRys The answer 70
that question depends upoE tie goal We have
in view. Most men ara making al this haste
in order TO get rich; bot when they get rich
do they take things easy" and enjoy hfei
Possibly few of them may, bus the vast
majority do not When they get 81 income
of SIC, 600 they want SEQ CSC; when they have
gotthat ehey want $4,000. Notone in million
of Us ever gets rich enough, and the few who
do leave OF business generally find that they
have lost, from dlsuse, whatever faculty OF
enjoyment they once had, aside from the
hurry and push OF tho business world. The
capacity for enjoyment has TO be cultivated,
like any other capacity. and it VIII lot grow
except by constant use.-Ths Epock-