The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-07-30
says UNCLE CIV

When you find yourself complaining
of the dread monotony of your sur
roundings it's pretty good Indication
that the main fault lies not with your
surroundings, but with you. You are
one of those persons who are constant
ly looking abroad for excitement, but
failing to find it at home, where to all
well-regulated minds excitement is
most readily to be found.
Anything you are interested in is ex-
citing. There is no such thing as
monotony to perfect eyesight and soul
sight. It's all matter of putting
enough of yourself into your work and
stamping enough of your personality
upon your surroundings to keep your
self interested in them. Possibly it
would be a good thing for you to es-
cape from your present surroundings.
If you still SO believe, after weighing
the matter carefully, pull yourself up
by the roots and try new soil. But if
you can't get away get busy and make
your own little desert blossom as TIE
rose. Then you'll never want to leave
it.
The commonplace life is always
longing for adventure. 1t keeps Its
eyes fixed wiStfully upon the horizon.
The road that leads over the hill to
new fields of mystery has an unfailing
fascination for it. Yet, over the hill,
the world is just about what it is here,
and there are no mysteries once you
meet them face to face. Perhaps you
would find your great adventures 'over
there" But the man who comes from
over the hills and far away finds his
adventure where you could find naught
to interest you.
Seek your adventure at home. It's
all mental process anyhow, and the
story writer's will tell you that one
adventure if you know one when you
meet it. OF late years We have learn
ed the adventurous quality of work.
of all common, homely things If you
don't believe it, pick up the next mag
azine you come across and analyze the
best story in it. Seven times in ten
it will deal with homely things-with
the adventures of the alert mind, seek
ing and finding something new in the
old, humdrum round of daily effort.
Happy is he who can find his adj
venture in his daily task. And why
not? The greatest story in the world
is the progress of the world and that
was made of elements such as this.
1t was made by men who went to work
each morning in an adventurous mood
and before the o'clock whistle blew
had put something new and fine and
exciting and adventurous into their
work.
| The new and the strange lie just be-
meath the surface Of you. Whatever
you do, that thing affords a means of
expressing these new and strange
thoughts and potentialities. To ex-
press them is the essence of adven
ture. He who each day puts some
| thing new and heretofore unthought
| of into his work needs not look farther
| than his work bench, his desk, his
| counter or his laboratory for excite
| ment.
The s+rangest nerson of all tho raoe
| is the man who is concealed from you
| by your own skin. Make him trans
late himself into new and useful tasks,
| give him a chance to make himself
known, to manifest the hidden things
that are within him. He is a good
deal of a prisoner. Set him free every
day. He's your real, your better, your
more adventurous self. Set him free
and follow him while he explores the
mysteries of your own back yard. He'll
show you adventure enough for any
lHone.-(Copyright, 1913, by the Mcclure
Newspa per Syndicate.)