The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1893-09-16
HIS NOTIONS CHANGED.
Why He Didn't Agree with his
Friend OH the Subject
of Vacation.

A little bunch of well known business
men were gathered by chance in front of
the Lindell hotel. They stood there for
some time discussing politics and enjoy
ing the sunshine. Finally, as they were
about to separate, one of the group
noticed that the overcoat pocket of his
| Wis Wis was crammed with railway
maps, steamers guides and time tables.
Il say, Charlie, he said, why are you
collecting all that rubbish? Planning a
vacation?
"Ies, he answered. Same old thing
every year. Go somewhere-go some
where. | think sometimes I'd rather
take my family cut here on the Maremac
and live in tent and fisl But no, it's
fashionable to hurry away on long and
| tedious journeys, stop at s.uffy hotels
rush home dead tired, weary. half sick
and altogether footsore. The very con
| temptation tires me.
Why don't you stop it then? said the
questiorer.
|
judge-when your family plans the cam
paign.
| Do IS | did. 1t took me just three
years TO accomplish it, and now 1--we in
peace. Ga cur first summer vacation,
which Was by rail, devoted ny spare
time to reading aloud the statistics and
descriptions Of horrible accidents on rail
roads. At the hotel | brushed up en- all
the hotel conf lgations since watering
| places were invented and mentioned
them in detail every possible occasion
1t was most exasporating and urcom
| Portable experience for all concerned, |
can tell you, but it worked. The next
| summer, when the vacation business
came up, merely asked il we were
| going over the same route as before and
was mot with a most unanimous and
emphatic chorus of roes. They were
afraid of railroads and hotels, and SO
they compromised on a long trip by
| steamboat up and down the river be
cause it would be entirely safe.
| prepared myself again, and when the
boat moved cat | had in my state room
| coupe of books which portage ed in the
| most heart rendering manner the firaI
| blowing up ci almost every steamboat
| that ever ran on the river. These |
dragged cut and read with much action
| and deep pathOs. In the holy calm of
the summer evenings in the glorious
hush Of the snnliJ mornings, read 'em
| aloud until We were all afraid we would
never get homo alive. Well, sir, it was
awful. The horrors of those days and
nights arc with US yet. Next summer
suggested the beauties OF river trip,
| but nobody sec OF ded the motion, and |
| soon learned we were to spend few
months at q small insland resort not
many miles distant from St. Louis.
This was an unexpected flank move
ment, but | loaded up with statistics,
| and on cloudy evenings | would lie in
the hammock OF the resort and tell my
family how cyclones are formed and
show them how they rush up the valley
| and sweep resorts from the face of the
| earth. | was compelled to manufacture a
| few facts in order to prove that cyclones
| had special foudness for summer board
| ers, but the scheme worked like charm.
We came home in month and have
| never gone anywhere since. Say, old
man, you don't know how | enj oy life
| now with week or two in the woods
with my fishing and hunting club. It's
| a great scheme.
And the ugly man laughed harsh,
discordant, exasperating laugh.
Nobody said anything for some time.
The group was thinking.
Yes, sir ee. It's great scheme, re
sumed the ugly man. Don't you think
so, john?
No. don't, said John, and I'll tell
you why. used to have your notions
of good time, and in consequence the
| summer outings of myself and family
werS anything but pleasant. But the
| little woman is lying out yonder in Belle
fontaine nov, and when these beautiful
days come along feel as though | would
give the universe for one more chance to
do something for the comfort and pleas
ure Of one who deserved SO much and
got so little. That's why.
Aud John aud Charlie aud the ugly
man turned away without another word.
81 Loms Republic.