Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-01-19
HOBBIES.
They Are a Relief From the Routine
of Life.

From Success
Arctic explorers tell of the dreadful per-
secution of the six months polar day. and
of the terrible depression produced by per-
petual darkness in the six months night.
But hardly less depressing is perpetual
work. work, work day after day in the
same shop or offie, at the same unchanging
task. in the same mill-horse round.
A hobby, to which a man springs the mo-
| ment the pressure of his customary work
Is removed, draws him out of his rut. 1t
breaks up the stagnation and monotony of
his life, and WHITES the faculties which
: have become blunt and dull. 1t enamel
| pates student from the books over which
he has pored too long, a merchant or
stock broker from the click of the telegraph
and the bondage of the day-book and the
ledger clergyman from his musty theolo
gy. and lawyer from his wearisome prece-
dents, Obiter dctums and f. fas Last. not
, least. 1T delivers jaded and fretted house
wife from the round of petty. monotonous
domestic cares which tyrannize over her
, daily life. and out of the toiler reproduce5
and recreates the woman.
Not the smallest merit OF hobby is that
1t liberalizes its rider. 1t delivers him from
| narrowness and ne-sidedness-that ten
dency to judge everything from a single
standpoint which is often the curse of
the toiler in one groove. 1t has been said
| that there is not an artisan in the country
VINO, III Out na0 q hODby-a pet vocation
would not be a more contented man. less a
victim of acridty, and less disposed to be-
ieve in the wrongs of inequality OF condi-
ton
In nothing are mems differences and idio-
syncracies more wildly seen than In their
hobbies. OF the odd tastes of collectors.
pecially. there is no end. a century or two
ago there was a mania for collecting old
hats, caps and bOots-of which last there
was famous collection at Hotel Cluny at
Paris, showing all the changes in the cob
bler's art since the fiood-also shoes. slip
pers, carriers, wigs snuff boxes. pipes. walk
ing sticks. brushes. gloves. watches. clocks
and even ropes with which men had been
hanged In our day there is a rage for old
china, armor. brasses and bronZes. bric-a-
brac. canoes. pictures, furniture books,
postage stamps. butterflies and bugs.
One of the pleasantest. but of the
most expensive, hobbies is that of the pic
ture collector. charming hobby for a
man with money Is that of rose fancier.
The favorite diversions of the greatest num-
Der Of persons are probably autograph hunt
ing and collecting rare books. Few men
ever experience a keener delight than that
of a bibl!omaniac when. after housing for
days and even weeks, about old book
stalls. he comes suddenly upon a rare old
volume, for which he has been long search
ing. and which, thanks to the ignorance Of
the owner. he bears triumphantly home for
a few silver coins.
One of the best of all hobbies, for one who
has the requisite natural gifts, Is music be
y.
and its delights are inexhaustible. Garden
ing is another varied diversion which is
healthful well pleasant. Sketchng
and natural history have similar attrac-
tons
The best hobbies are intellectual ones
science, art and literature. They not only
delight and recreate their ueyotees but are
also preventative against selfishuess vui-
garity and worldliness. They have, how
ever. one disadvantage-that they are apt
to be ridden too hard, and thus instead Of
refreshing and invigorating. TO send a man
back to his work fatigued and depressed.
Such was the case with that English glut-
ton of work, Sir George c. Lewis. who
when chancellor of the exchequer. home
secretary and secretary of war devoted
himself, in the intervals or his Official laEors
to the study of history politics. philology.
anthropology and antiquarianism. and to
the copying of Greek manuscripts in the
British Museum. The result was that he
died at the age of fifty-seven. when. If he
had had fewer hobbies and ridden them less
hard, he might probably have lived to four
score longer
Blessed is the man that has a hobby"
says Lord Brougham. who kept a whole
Stableful, and l agree with him; but l also
agree with Bulwer that It will not do to
have more than one at time. Zone hobby
leads you out of extravaganza A team of
hobbies you cannot drive. till you are rich
enough to find corn for them all.