Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-10-25
SIGH TSEEING TO ADVANTAGE.
What Edward Everett Hale Has Derived
From His Experience.

Hrom MS experience.
From His Letter to the Boston Commonwealth
For sightseers / will lay down two or three
rules which have guided me more and more in
my habits of travelling and for which think
there is good foundation:
/. If you will STAY two or three davs in one
place you will get that sort of affection for it
and knowledge of its interior life, if one may
use so large phrase. which makes YOU always
remember it with pleasure. If, on the other
hand, you should spend the same three DAYS in
going to three different places, you have. in
each OF them. only the annoyances of dropping
your anchor and pulling it up again, only the
little trials which necessarily belong 10 the first
hours in an inn or a lodging house. and before
THESE little annoyances are well YOU have
gone on your way again. Nv experience is that
L have very little recollection of any sort of
places where 1 have simply spenta night or a
part of a day, and that for filling up that great
fund OF experience and memories the mainte-
nance of which is the great object of travelling.
II Is always desirable TO remain for a little
while where You are well OF. that you may be-
come acquainted not simply with the circuu-
stances, but with the real character of what in
q certain way, You may thus make a home
z l hold that no man should travel with the
mere idea of being amused. He has no right 20
walk into town or an inn and say to the first
II
show me what there is which is entertaining Z"
Wherever a man goes he should carry certain
tastes Of his own, should have certain objects
which have interested him in life. and he should
inquire with regard to those objects. as this
particular place may have an answer 70 give to
his inquiries.
8. And this saw with good deal Of hesita-
ton. know nothing in the mere crossing of
the water which should change us all into critics
OF hne art. am always a little amazed when
go by chance into picture gallery in Paris, in
Brussels or in Antwerp to find there some we'll
TODD Americans whom l never should by any
accident have found in the academy at New
York or the art gallery in Boston. cannot see
why we should all be compelled TO see paintings
IN Europe. and in every CITY in Europe when
at home We do not consider the examination of
paintings TO be our principal and especial bust
ness; like to see good picture, l think. as
much as ANYBODY does. But / cannot under
stand why the profession of traveller and that
OF connoisseur in art should be considered. as
certainly they are considered. as being very
much the same thing. So do not believe. as /
say. that person gains qualifications for an art
critic by the accident of his crossing the ocean.
4. 10 young travellers l am forever saving
keep scrap books" They are even better
than Journals; by which l mean. preserve little
queer bits OF printed information which will
come drifting into your hands every day. and
which in after wears will have a value from as
ISOLATION which, Of course, does not attach to
them. And. by the same token. whatever is
written at the moment has freshness after
ward which no recollection brought out on
rainy days can rival Here is the advantage of
fountain pen or half dozen sharpened pen
ellis, OF which You cannot very easily lose all
Your journal may be no sort of use TO ANYBODY
else, but it will always be of value to yourself
5. To young travellers, again, / should say,
avail yourselves of the local guide books
There Is always deal of information in them
which you cannot get hold of in MURRAY or Bac-
deker or in the cyclopedia In fact. the busi-
ness Of cyclopedias seems to be to reject ca
actly the points which an artist selects. as Civ
ing the broken lights or the local color with
which he has to do.