The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1905-04-08
A New Equation.

In the school girls estimate. are there
| any other two things so diametrically
! opposed as work and play? The one
may be called the negative, the other
! the positive pole of her ideal world of
| pleasure. Work is a punishment from
the first and nature shirks it; play is a
relief, a boon, and everyone seeks it.
But as there is no theory, however well
established. which is not open to dis
pute, it may not be amiss to consider
the possibility of equating these con-
| Trajectory terms.
Children are sent to play, and how
often they choose to initiate in their
childish fashion, some familiar but Sc
rious work In which they see their
elders most frequently engaged. The
little girl plays at housekeeping, the boy
drives a cart, or cuts wood. Even chill
dren of an older growth" sometimes seek
pastime in what is deemed lowly labor.
Did not Marie Antoniette and her
friends amuse themselves by assuming
the role of dairy maids in those care
free days at Trianon? And Edward VII
is said to have diverted, himself in for
mer years by scientific experiments in
volving a. deal of study. Look at any
ordinary game: is there not a certain
degree of labor in it, mental or physical?
Most sports, indeed, are enjoyable by
very reason of the eXertion they re-
duire. The ball player. the hunter, the
cycler, the pugilist, the card or chess
player-any of these will expend more
energy in a given time than the plough
man or the factory hand; but the ex-
liberation of spirits in the former case
obviates the sense Of drudgery or ia
tigue. These instances suffice to show
that play and work are not opposed to
each other. but on the contrary quite
interchangea BILE.
Now, let us. look at the other side
of the question and see if work, in any
sense, may be proved identical with
play 1t is truly difficult TO perceive
any Of the features of recreation in
the case of the poor toiler in the mines,
the hardy tiller of the soil or the never
resting housewife, whose weary limbs
resting house wife, whose weary limbs
ache for rest from day to day But let
any of these be interrupted in their
occupations by sickness or some other
cause, and with what alacrity they re-
sumo Their laborious pursuits!
In the case of the artisan or the
student, this is doubly true. The
musician, however hard he may
practice his beloved art, is still
only playing" his instrument, and
the actor plays the part that has cost
MINI DAYS, perhaps IHOilIIS VI dIuuOuS
study The mathematician, who has
discovered the powers of his mind in
that branch, takes positive delight in
attacking and solving the most intri-
cate problems. Indeed, the expert in
any craft or profession finds, in his
work something of the nature of play.
This is doubtless what is meant by
the play of genius" which must truly
be the finest of all sports. Did any one
ever score a more gratifying point at
cards than Thackery when, hitting up
on some happy effect in writing Van
ity Fair" he struck the table and ex
claimed: That's genius!"
All, if we could only reach the first
degree of that enthusiasm in our daily
pursuits which would thus eliminate
all their irksomeness and transform
them into cheerful pastimes, if not in
deed into veritable play.
MARY DESMOND, '06.