Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-09-05
OUTSIDE PO INT OF VIEW.

cation Is the right one. He proposes on
end after q certain date to do nothing
that previous environment has com
PEELED the performance thereof. Said
environment generally includes teach
er who uses must" when study is de-
manded. And always there is parental
or other force that makes the doing OF
certain work or chores regular and to
the boy a tedious action. "A real vaca-
ton for the, boy means absolute freedom
from study and work. And SO 1t does to
all of US. 1t does not follow, to destroy
this argument, that what the boy does
during vacation is really harder work
than his accustomed and enforced du-
ties. What he does during vacation "he
doesn't have to-" He can walk five miles
to go a-fishing, and it's fun. For the.
father to compel said boy to walk Ave
miles on an errand would be cruelty to
tyoung) animals. So a real vacation
must consist of as one necessary part, q
liberty to do nothing that is in the
slightest degree duty.
And the majority of men. women and
boys get the most out of vacation by
doing the very opposite of what daily
falls to their lot. The old woman, who
expected to die and go to heaven, ito
do nothin' forever and ever" had 1t
down pat. Undoubtedly this good wonl-
en- had passed her life in always doing.
something Probably had actually
worked sixteen out of every twenty-four
hours every day in the week. There are
such women alive today. And so when
her heavenly vacation was to commence
the 'do-nothin" idea represented to her
complete happiness. And right here is
the place to mention the short-slghted
sisters who get so little out of their few
and far-between vacations. The relig-
ious woman who works fifty weeks in
year for our church" and then spends
the other two weeks in attending
Christian Endeavor Society meeting,
does not have real vacation. Or the
woman of fashion and society who takes
her party dresses in seventeen trunks to
Long Branch or Saratoga fails the same
as her religious opposite.
SO
The majority of men get much more
out of their vacations. The active busi-
ress man. the one who hustles, who is In
Chicago today, st. Louis tomorrow and
home the next day, making up by double
work for the two days absence,-wher
Goes he get rest? Why, he stops work.
Lies down under the trees, rides, plays
billiards, rolls ten pins. goes a-fishing,
sits in a rocker on the lawn, reads
novel, perhaps the only one during the
year, lies abed in the morning, sits up
late at night, and anything and every
thing the opposite of his daily life and
occupation. There's another business
man. perhaps, WHOSE duties are at the
desk. whose life is confinement, almost
equal to the inmate of a penitentiary,
and this man gets rest-has a vacation
by motion. Rides on the cars and en-
joys it. Rides bicycle fifty miles day
and calls it fun. Rows boat all day
and is happy. And think of the enjoy
ment the men who make living by
Just talking ministers. lawyers and
auctioneers-who can get off into the
woods and keep still! Get away from
the sound OF their own voices for two
weeks!
Strange to relate. many vacations
are spoiled by OVERRIDING it. The man
who goes to Okoboji with the determi-
nation and attempt OF going a-fishing
every day illustrates the point. In q
few days he discovers that he Is work.
ing exactly as the hired boatman, only
with this difference: the boatman gets
$3.50 per day and the vacationist moth
ing. This Is literally true-the days
when the fish don't bite. Now let our
friend lie abed the next morning, and
when the boats come in at noon, and he
sees the big string of bass and pike the
other fellow got while he was abed, and
once more comes renewed intrest. You
see he has. by lying abed. asserted his
right to do nothing, and the next morn
ing he can get up at 4 o'clock, go With
out breakfast. row boat In the hot sun
on a CLASSY lake for six hours, catch one
pike and go back to camp perfectly hap
ny, having a big time on his vacation.
all because he did't have to do any Of
these things.
This moralizing on vacations and the
people who are fortunate enough to
have them would be incomplete IL the
great chance to study human nature
was not mentioned. 1t is true many Of
the best traits of men and women are
shown on such trips. But much more
liz it in evidence that the vacation day
seems to bring out all of the meanest
qualities in both men and women.
Vanity, selfishness. cupidity, nervous
ness, fretfulness and bad temper are
the least of the crimes against society.
certain class Of our people seem to
leave home and with it all of the re-
straints numerous acquaintance encir-
Gle them. mo one knows u.s. is as
plainly acted as tho the idea was put III
words. The weakness, the pet weakness,
of the man or the woman becomes for
the time being the ruling passion. Pas
sengers on the big steamships tell us of
the goings on a six days trip to Europe
brings to the surface. And so 1t is every
where in vacation time. The author OF
the lines that Satan finds enough for
idle haSls to do must had in mind a
vacationist.