The Sunday morning news. [volume] (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1886-1891, 1891-08-16
SOMETHING TO DO.
That Is the Prime Factor in
the Enjoyment of a
Summer Outing.
THE FATIGUE OF IDLENEsS.
Exercise for Mind and Fingers
Reading, Instructive and
Amusing.

Among the many dismal sights at this
season Of the year none is more melan-
choly than the summer boaraer who has
nothing to do. a large number OF
amlaDle and excellent ladies' annually de-
part from their city homes for one. two
or three months of quiet coun try or sea.
shore life. They have had household,
social and church duties which ha We kept
their minds and bodies active for three
lourths OF the year. and they naturally
welcome the summer as season Of vaca-
Ton, OF rest pure and simple. That rest
Is necessary no one who knows how hard
most wives and mothers work will cues
ton for moment; but there is no more
melancholy spectacle than the attempt of
active women to spend eight or ten we eks
II dolng nothing at all, with the idea
mat they are recuperating. 1t would be
no wonder il they came back less fitted
Tor renewal Of their tasks than when
tney left. Vegetation may be necessary
Tor some human minds. but it is mighty
seldom that it is.
TIRED OF DOING NOTHING.
remember spending summer at one
Among the guests was a welI.to-do New
York merchant. who had his venerable
mother with him, besides his immediate
family. Accident one day brought me to
The door Of the clean and well equipped
kitchen OF the hotel, and there with two
or three servants sat the old lady. she'll
ing peas as IL her board was to Be paid
by 1t. Now, she had no fondness for the
company of smiling mulattoes who were
the cooks assist nts; but the fact was
she had been completely tired out with
worsted work and sitting around about
parlors ana piazzas: She longed for oc-
cupat1on, and Smelling peas afforded it,
her fashionable daughter-in-law would
have been terribly shocked, but / did not
betray the old lady's weakness. having
suffered In the same way myself, and rec
ognizing in her kindred spirit.
Satan finds something still for idle
hands to do, and the women who get
bored by the rest which they are sup
posed 20 be seeking in country and along
snore do not always seek occupation Of
SO Innocent a character as shelling peas.
Gossip and scandal and worse things
afford diversion where there is no legiti-
mate and regular employment.
Therefore, let the women folks land
men folks, too. if such there be) who
spend month or two away from home
and freed from many customary ayoca-
tons in quiet place whore there is no
great amount of excitement provide
definite employment for themselves 1t
Should be, OF course, something as differ
ent from home life as may be feasible.
and it should not be anything in the line
OF sewing. The eyes need rest when no
kind OF sewing or embroidery will afford
and excepting an ode bit of easy work
for rare moments, the needle in any Of
its multitudinous forms should be
avoided.
s1Isf1sEp prAnrNc
A course Of reading should be adopted
for the vacation, bnt be it not understood
that women should be asked to spend
vacation time over books that are too
heavy. Let them read novels as silly as
Miss Holmes ever wrote, If they want to;
bnt let there be an appreciabIe portion Of
each day given TO reading. and read
ing aloud II possible II on more
serious Thought intent, there Is splen-
sid opportunity for the reader. There is
nothing more delightful for the country
than John Burroughs works, and it is
positively amazing how vastly they tn
crease ones ENJOYMENT of walks and
drives over the country roads. Thoreau,
too, and others may be found with Bur-
roughs in the public library.
An hour or two day devoted to the
study of a language viii prove to be we'll
spent, and the simple pleasures win come
with new zest after d little intellectual
labor of this kind.
Nothing is better for summer avoca-
tion in the country than little botanic
ing. Get 'Gray's Manual of Botany"
ana one of the numerous simple text
books, ard try to find out the names Of
the simpler flowers and plants along the
wayside. There is an enormous ignorance
of the names and habits of the most COM
mon plants in the country, aud one need
not expect assistance from the native. In
this same line is the study of trees, and
here again the text books are numerous
ana easily used.
The wise man or woman will purchase
book of games along with other pro-
visions for the vacation season. This
season especially has been notorious for
the number of rainy Gays, and grown
folks as well as children need indoor
amusement. Occasionally one will find
one of those useful persons who knows
innumerable games and pastimes and is
ready to get up something OF the sort;
but there are also books that serve the
purpose and yield big return for the
Investment, In sitting yawns if nothing
else.
However, every one to HIS taste, and
let no one prescribe universal remedy.
But let the summer sojourner do some
thing besides idling hours away on the
piazza. There is no true recreation in it.
and it leaves the mind at the end of the
vacation season haocid and feeble, less
prepared than ever for the work and wor-
ries for the remainder of the year.