The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-05-20
ABOUT VACATIONS.

well as of the children, to whom play is
life, will be more and more intentIy di-
rected to vacation. Many a foolish man
and woman will conclude before the time
has passed that it will be impossible to
get away. 1t is so easy to reach such a
conclusion, and in measure so comfort
ing to ones egotism to say something of
that kind. But the really healthy per-
son, and lie and she who deserve to be
healthy, will never think of paltering
with their vanity in any such fashion.
What is vacation? With some it means
the packing of trunks and the moving off
in great state to some inaccessible place
which can only be reached after a long
railroad ride supplemented, perhaps, by
blackboard journey through some
wretched wilderness, in order to reach a
wilderness even more insistent in it's
bowling proclivities than those which
have been passed in the effort to reach
1t. With others it means going out to
some fashionable lake resort, staying at
fashionable hotel With still others it
means going from place to place seeing
strange communities; in word, it means
travel.
But there are a few Of Gods choice
creatures who are not to be led off by
guide books or big exhibitions, whose love
of style will never induce them to make
their bodies miserable, who will not SUBJ
nit to the eating and drinking Of utter
ly indigestible food merely because it is
offered to them somewhere besides in
their own homes and away from their
daily surroundings. These few turn to.
the gentle mother of us ALL They seek
rest on the broad and placid bosom Of ma
ture. 1t may not be that they race over
parallel lines Of steel rails for thousands
of miles to reach the desired goal. It
may even be that they will not seek. her
with crowds of half frantic people going
off on so-called excursions, and even that
they cannot get away for longer than
from Friday or Saturday till Monday,
but they are the people and the only ones
who go off on vacation at all, or whose
vacations do not aid in bringing them
so much nearer the grand rest which is
found nowhere this side the grave
Vacation means, If anything at ALL
re-creation-the creating over again of the
lost tastes and habits Of childhood Chill
dren really love nothing that Is bad. Give
them but intelligence to guide them, such
as the man and woman have who go On
vacation, and they realize In their
daily conduct the dreams of the poets and
the visions of Arcadia. 1t is these things
that we should all go after on our vaca-
lions. We should leave the cares and
worries of life behind This can not be
done always Or best by express train.
The clump of trees which one sees as he
passes UP or down the cycle path not
mile away from his home may conceal
the secret of this blissful forgetfulness.
The canvas tent hidden away on the
shore of a little lake, which is not an
hours ride away, much more frequently
holds the secret within its white folds
than do the pretentious portfcoes of the
fashionable lakeside or watering-place
hotel
1t is comfort, not discomfort, which we
should get when we go take our outing.
1t is neither fun nor rest for instance
to go out of hot summers day on the
waters of a broad lake in an open boat
to exercise with oars or to STAY harm
less and, when caught, worthless fish It
does not help the processes Of recreation
to shiver in a leaking tent and remain
awake part of many nights in succession
nervous from fear of things which are
neither seen nor known. but which are
thought in a vague way to be abroad in
the woods at night time.
No; the vacation which does good for
him or ner who takes it is open to all
alike. 1t does not cost money. 1t is
entered upon with clear understanding
of our own tastes and preferences, with a,
view to getting rest and forgetfulness and
being surrounded by those whom we Ike
best, even though, favoring our own So
ciety above all others, we indulge our
selves in that society alone. A good
book IS always an aid 1t does not in
sist on forcing it's wisdom or humor on
one, and it entails no feeling of weari-
ness, as long Journeys and stupid com
panions do. What one loves best that
one should seek through vacation, never
consenting to be guided by the tastes or
preferences of others unless they accord
strictly with our own.