Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1911-08-26
TOUCH AND
90 TRAVELLING
BY The REV. r. L. JACKSON

Many Americans travel as COM
muters--take their breakfast-they
touch and go. They rush into a
place and rush out OF it. having seen
all the points Of interest, learned all
there is to learn about the natives,
their habits, ways of speech, etc, and
acquired an intimate, accurate ON
niscience touching everything about
the spot, all In twenty-four hours
Touch and go travelling has It's ad-
vantages. II enables one whose time
Is limited TO cover a considerable
stretch Of territory, to meet varying
types Of people and see large variety
OF scenery. To those who have
taste for panoramas 1t is most salts
Tying, but to those who want TO take
their views more leisurely it is far
from satisfying. The touch and go
travelling In the first place fails to get
the real atmosphere of the hotel or
Inn he stops at A good morning TO
the chambermaid, or a short chat
with the clerk while you are paying
your bill will not suffice to put you
enrapport with a first class house.
You must hang around it a week or
two, and sometimes longer in order
to get its personal equation. You
must see II In all weathers. You
must study It in all the moods before
you can correctly report its character.
Then again there are the guests.
They will not rush out the moment
you drive up and shout their several
identities at you. Give most people
time and they will tell you who they
are but do not expect them to tell all
about themselves at one meal or one
sitting on the veranda. II is not good
form. to say the least But stay
awhile with them and the facts will
emerge. For example, there Is a GER
tain young lady sitting about FIVE ap-
petites from you at the table who you
are sure lives I'm the country. Maybe
she is a country school marin. She
has allowed her figure to fall into ne
glect so that it refuses to carry her
gowns with much urbanity On'
evening you two go for a walk to see
the sun set and the moon rise. Tc
your surprise you find out that she
is bona fide lecturer on art 10 Bos-
ton club women. With the demands
Of her vocation in mind she has pack
ed her trunk with authorities on Art
instead of summer finery. A touch
and 90 tourist could never have learn
ed her identity Take one more case
that of a certain man not far from
your right. You are certain he is
prosperous harness maker, a count
enance such as his would be familiar
with harness, horse blankets, saddles
and so forth. To your surprise he
turns out to be head professor of San
scrit in q leading New England Uni
versity Such information is not
gathered over night.
And then there are the natives, as
tourists horribly call them. Many
touch and 60 traveller thinks them
quite primitive. Let him settle down
among them awhile and he will find
them as fully abreast of the times
as himself. They may not know all
the popular songs. A few of the rag
ing slang words may not have reached
them, but he will find their minds
stored with good poetry and prose
and their hearts possessed of noble
aspirations and intelligent, kindl,
sympathies. II is more than likel.
that he will have found in then
friends whom he Will be glad to retail
as such for many a day. And, final
ly, there is the little place itself.
does not yield up its charm from tn
railroad station nor from the insid
of rapidly driven carriage. Yo
must get on loafing terms with It, 70
must hang around the postofhce Will
the mail is being sorted You mus
go down and see the trains come il
Before long you will have become S
enamored Of it that If you are VIC
man you will want to join one of It
numerous sewing societies so that 20
may be posted on all its vital happen
ings Or If you are a man you wi
want to Join the volunteer fire dc
partment, or it may be to erect
drinking fountain to the memory {
one of your ancestors in the cente
of It. One achieves an intelligeI
responsive intimacy with one of thes
modest summer resort villages, an
there is no telling the length to whic
your generosity will go.
. In conclusion Il is the travell'
who settles down for a stay Of sewers
weeks that gets what Americans /
much need, but so seldom enjoy
good recuperative rest. We often r.
turn more worn and weary than v
were when we set out. This is n
as It should be. We owe 1t to on
selves. our friends and our work
come back with tougher nerves, keel
er brains and fresher hearts.