Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1906-07-19
A Rookless Vacation.
(Zion'S AdVOcaite.)

(/iOn'S AdVOclte.)
What shall we take to read on our va.
cation" 1t is the annual question. All
the year we had it in mind, ana nave
been ying aside the books that we nave We
thought we should need When l IN Oh
on my vacation next summer we ilave
said, I'm going to read that DOOR, DfuSii
up on that subject, review my STUDIES IN
that branch of knowledge Bless US! ~
we should take all the books we nave hau
i'm mind, the trunks would nave 10 DE en-
larged and multiplied. and the morals ol
tn. baggageman would pc ehdanse1r,eu;,
And if We did one half the reading that
we have planned to do vacation would
prolOng itself irdefinitelv. and become IN
fact vocation. So we must cut out SIT.
handful is left as the irreducihe mini
num-" And, even then,-'itell it not IN
Gath and publish it not in ASkrlon w:
shall probably come back days or Weeks
even unopened, saying IN shane-1aced eN-
cuse. You know how it is IN vacatioh'-
YOU never get time for anything
And this brings us to the point OF TINS
little preachment. Why not try bookless
vacation this year. Why not leave all your
books at home, and solemnly VOW not to
time tim - Of your absence2 Are you sho.
at the SUGGESTION. &c l~.use to retract.
We stand by the heresy. if 1t D." hereSS.
We say that the very best thing ior
certainly for those Of them who al
wearicd in brain worn IN nerves, Woulu
be to let books alone for the brie1 resting
period. Leave that novel behnd YOU
time enough for that when you get nome.
Put that scientific treatise back on .ne
shelf: it will be there when you return
and will be no drier then than 1t Is now:
1t is not altogether necessary Even I'VE l,rI
did the day before; it is possible 10 e MS
without the daily paper. Spare your eyes
for time the spelling of print. 60 OUT
into the great open. everywhere stretcn,
ing world of out-of-doOrs. There's
book for your reading. nova book that
God wrote ages before man came lito
being with his puny types. Inc plue
heavens and the green meadows are lts
pages, written all over with letters OF
stars and daisies and buttercups an
spelling out wonderful things to MN VINO
". The swelling tides of ocean are Ihe
rhythmic stanzas of mighty poems; Inc
songs OF the birds. the chrp of the IN
sects, the lowing of the cows the muir
murirg of the winds through the pines
these are the inarticulate speech OF Ma
ture irving to commune with you. =
bookshelf a book as man makes-woulu
spoil it, You can't see clearly when your
eyes are filled with tears over the hctiti-
Gus woesJ of Lady Geraldine: you can
understand when your mind is following
the perilouS adventures of the Count OF
Weissnichtwer. Nor can you best com :
prehend by studying books which tell you
all about what their writer's suppose Ma
ture to be and mean. Never nina Seol0-
CIV, get out dIttoIlse tilt iN,N'' e'''
Them for yourselves and romance about
them to your hearts content. Put up
the Rotany: the flower is more than the
sum of all its parts. You can stuux ABOUT
il next winter; enjoy it for itself now
Don't make such n conscience of finding
out the names and laws and principles OF
everything. Just let yourself loose. ana
revel in the glad tree. swelling lie 81
the great world Of out-of-doors, for a
week. a month, until you get the cob
webs out of your brain. and the kinks
ont of your stiff back. and the creepy
feeling out of your nerves. until your
eve clears mp, and your flesh comes
again like the flesh of little child
and the old Zcst of living comes pack'
ont a Bit of shame that you have done no
reading in your rest-time. You are fitted
for reading row and for the whole rou-
tine of daily toll. Your vacation mas peen
r, croatiOn -re- creation.