The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1904-05-12
THE OUTDOOR FAD.


Benefits of fad to the person who wishes
to enjoy being outdoors. The study Of
birds, of flowers, of ferns, of mushrooms.
What it adds of interest to the vacation.
BY CHRISTINE TERHUNE HERRICK,
Author of Cradle and Nursery" "First Aid
to the Young Housekeepers, '"Housekeep-
ing Made Easy what to Eat, ""In City
Tents Etc.
Copyright 1904, by Christine Terhune Herrick.)
Some persons do not need to cultivate
it, being already SO we'll provided that
their chief trouble is to find time to
give each fad its needful amount Of eX-
ercise. They are the exception rather
that the rule. 1t is more common to
find fadlesS folk. Lacking some better
diversion they spend their summer
mornings on hotel verandas absorbed
in fancy work and know no more of
the country OF the seaside when they
go from it than when they came to it.
Coelum, non animum. Or to put 1T IN
the vernacular, they have changed their
spots but not their point OF view.
To such women as these the country
outing is not a success. Ii l do not III
clude men in this category it is because
they usually have something they do
when they are off out of doors. They
iSh or they go boating OF they hunt.
At the worst they will take hand at
ball with the boys or at least sit on the
fence and watch the village nine. Or
if they are remote from such opportun-
tiles as this they will make friends
with the men and talk with them about
their work and get the good of the
fresh all at the same time that they
are being amused. While the women,
if they wish to acqualnt themselves
with the occupations OF unfamiliar
women. must do this inside the house.
Great is the advantage of the outdoor
fad. IT gives new thing to think
about to study over and tins Is what
most women need. They are too much
confined Ill their own little rut or round
of duties and amusementS and they be
come narrow. The recent growth OF
interest in Nature as displayed III TIE
number of Nature books that are pub
lished every year is encouraging IN
more ways than one. 1t promises we'll
for the future health of those who read
Ittll anu USE llltIl SultlCo III llICll
summer outings.
The bird fad has grown immensely
during the past few years. For while
it was the study of only chosen few
who went out in the early spring and
followed the habits of the local birds
through the months, until the time for
migration. The study had enough fas-
ciuation about it to move more lovers
of birds to follow it up until now there
is very respectable literature on birds
alone. Our little brothers of the air.
are by way of being almost as we'll
known as the human brothers OF the
terrestrial regions and those who are
well acquainted with the former claim
for them qualities that throw the un
feathered bipeds into the shade.
Not ONLY in the country is the study
pursued with ardor. One young woman
tells Of an experience she had in large
city park where she and number OF
girl friends had been accustomed to be-
take themselves with opera glasses to
study the birds during the morning
hours They had evidently been OBJ
served by the gamins of the nelghbor-
hood, for one day as the girl who told
the tale was wandering through leafy
path she was suddenly confronted by
small boy, who made an imaginary
opera glass of his hands through which
he glared at her as he announced in
trumpet tones, Il see female"
Tie pursuit of the bird as an object
of scrutiny may not appeal to every
one. The near-sighted, even when arm
ed with field glasses does not find as
much enjoyment IN the bird life as she
could wish. Such work demands good
deal of patience and it is not every wo-
man who is willing to spend hours I'M
der bush for the sake OF determining
for herself just at what intervals food
is brought to the nestful of hungry
baby robins or tlickers or song spar
rows. But the benefit is great to those
WHO have this fad. Their enjoyment is
ready to their hand as soon as they get
into the country and it returns with
every recurring spring and summer.
There are other joys for those who do
not incline birdwards but seek their
amusement at their feet. Botany Is so
long and time so tieeting that those who
cannot give much study to all plants
must content themselves with striving
to possess themselves of the secrets OF
the few. The wild flowers of district
are generally sufficient to keep any one
person busy during the limits OF an or
binary summer outing. For an equip
ment she may perhaps provide herself
with microscope, but this is not really
necessary, unless she means to make a
more or less scientific observation of
the different species of fora. And
when she begins to do that, her play is
likely to become good deal like work.
She is better off if she endeavors to
make only collection of flowers of
certain kind. This will quicken her
Domore of ohaoruotinn Aa aha atr0lla