Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-10-18
GRACEFUL IDLiNG.
The Art That Is Not Always Cndn God.
The Charms Of VARIETY

The Art That Is Nos Always Linden God.
The Charms Of Variety.
Some PEOPLE never understand dolce far
niente. There are souls 20 restless that, when
their longed for holiday at length arrives,
they fly OF, in utter disregard Of all the tire
some trials of travelling, to climb mountains
in Switzerland, or to explore miles Of picture
galleries in Italy. Others, rashly giving
themselves to the keeping Of hospatable &C
quaintanoes, find themselves, jeded and worn
out, involved in all the doings of friends
fresh enough to crave exercise and excite
ment, which torture their exhausted guest.
How can people who never put pen to paper
save to write some hurried note realize the
brain WEAKNESS of those to whom pens are
bread winners? It is to them thing incred-
ible that long eventle8 days, utterly en-
crossed in lounging on turf and gazing on
trees, can have charms for any one. Shoot
ing, fishing, cricket are sweet enough, but
that utter unoccupation can be sweeter they
viii never believe. Yet it is complete ouies-
cence which makes the happiness Of tired hui
mainly. Not to read, not to write, not to
think; merely to eat sleep and lounge as
much as possible, is the ne plus ultra Of ex-
hausted systems
No one who has not been utterly wearied
can realize the delicious feeling of repose
when body and mind grow gradually rested,
until slowly, slowly, a wish to do something
once again springs up. The energetic beings
who devote themselves to travels tolls miss
this delight; they may, perhaps, return in
vigorated if they have not worn themselves
to thread papers by violent climbings, for
which stroll down Piccadilly or st. James
street has been their only training; but the
repose won by these who understand the dolce
far niente is an unknown quantity. To trav-
elers keen remembrance Of lakes and noun
tains makes the commonness Of London
streets intolerable, the atmosphere seems obi
GUS and the whole thing horrible. The disci-
pies of dolce far niente, on the other hand,
have garnered in such store Of reposeful mem
cries that they have but to close their eyes to
find themselves again dreaming where the
waves break close to their feet where heather
scents the air. OF in some sheltered nook
where stately trees shut out all sight of ev-
erything, save a patchwork dome of blue sky
softened by white deecy clouds. Even to
those whose business is but pleasure, this do
ing nothing is most sweet-only for a time
of course. and probably a very short time;
but for that brief period the joy of having no
dinner to be late for and nowhere to Ego on"
to is very great
In Corney Grains magnificent sketch Of
the different periods of the London season he
makes every one wind up somewhat despair
ingly with thoughts of the 'bills to come In
by and by" but butterflies do not, as rule,
allow themselves to be much disturbed by
bugbears of this description. Butterfly busi-
ness seems an absurd anomaly to the bees,
but to the butterflies themselves it is most
real; and an escape to regions where there e
no necessity to be agreeable, no one to be
amused, or, more arduous task, to he amused
by, Is peace indeed Such peace will proba-
oily pail with great rapdity but it is real
enough while it lasts The butterfly seekers
after dolce far niente number many more TO
males among their tribe than do tho bees,
although it is hard, we'll nigh impossible, to
persuade people that any London lady can
exist without some dissipation. Probably
she could not for any length of time, but for
the nonce she revels IN an eventless existence
which would be utterly intolerabe to any
country cousin. If the town rat visits tho
country rat her life will be probably wearied
out and vexed by endless tennis parties, to
which the country rat will drag her, deem
ing them he one thing that makes rural life
endurable No arguments viii convince her
that on the weary Londoner they exercise
the contrary effect She cannot be made to
see the boredom caused by strange billiards,
whose efforts to amuse London beauty, DIFF
ficult to interest at any time, goad her, in
desperate WEAKNESS, to call for the carriage
and insist on being taken home.
10 one ever seems to take that most excel |
lent maxim, Variety is charming" to heart.
Every one tries to give his or her friends
what they are used to, when it Is Just for |
what they are not used to that they are pin |
ing. It always seems strangely difficult 70. |
ANY one to understand tastes diverse from his |
own; and the person who likes to be taken |
somewhere every day, to have people to din |
ner every night, and to be perpetually enter
tanned, cannot be expected to sympathize with
the man whose ideal household Is one where !
they let you do nothing, and where "there are
never any ruins to sec after luncheon" In |
one such elysium for exhausted humanity tho
hostess is won't to remark, when Apologize |
guests appear desperately late for $50 |
breakfast, ''What does it nattara there is |
nothing to do" She fully comprehends the !
dolce far niente, and makes her house heaven |
to all who, saying with Calverley,
Under the trees, who but agrees
That there is music in woods such as these!
are fain to stretch themselves yielding |
turf, and spend long days revealing III all the |
sweetness of blissful niente.-London World |