Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1919-02-14
NOT ROUND OF JOY
Some Few Drawbacks Connect
ed With Simple Life.
Man Who Goes Back to Nature Finds
That He Has in No Way Escaped
the Curse OF Adam, Laid
on Us All.

Back to nature? Well, what about
1t? For twelve hours out of the twen-
ty-four am now immolfted In forest
near VashOn Heights, bordering the
clammy beach, trying to feed the hun
cry nav of the camp stove, the while
hopping my streaming brow and get
ting back my wind. The other twelve
hours Of the day am dashing across
twelve miles of water in a saucy craft,
getting to work, working, and dashlng
back again at eventide to prepare the
frewood for the evening repast. We
would get along fine in this world were
1t not for the fact that we are obliged
to eat.
My poets have lately referred much
to natures wOndrOus beauty that we
of the city lose, and | am now engaged
in investigating the matter, but | find
the little intimate matters connected
with living close to nature take so
much of ones time that one has few
moments for nature, except, perhaps,
If one be profane, to swear at the en-.
tangling brush, the beach barnacles,
and the thickness of the log one is
trying to saw through
Some day when get, perhaps, two
days flrewood ahead, and the pancake
-four, butter and bacon, crackers, tea,
coffee, bread, etc, all in, if the boat
is not whlstling for the dock, intend
to lift my weary head from my sodden
task, brush the perspiratiOn from my
eyes, and absorb some of this beauty
Of nature that hear so much about.
Last night l tore away few mo-
ments from wood saving to get into
the waters of the Sound. 1t was ap-
parent at once that the Sound water
is experiencing a very late spring, and
that its winter freshness has not yet
worn off. However, after one is in
after the first shOck-One gets recon
ciled to the change, and the tonic eff
feet is highly eXhilarating. After the
dip | sat on the veranda of my shack
and felt so well that | saw my way
clear to buy my winters coal and pay
the last half Of my taxes. My good.
ness, it would be worth while for ev-
eryOne to take to beach bathing if only
for the optimism 1t induces | can
even stand it to have Willie sit around
and tell me how to do things. Willie
is only fifteen but he has an enormous
knowledge on every subject. He is
here in the wilderness for the first time
in his life, yet he instructS me how to
saw log and prepare the tirewOOd and
on other seasOnable topics and the
only way can get even with him is
to send him two miles after milk,
thereby giving him opportunity to get
still closer to nature.
One would greatly enjoy cOmmun-
ing with nature, no doubt, If one had
time to commune in this busy, stress
full business life. And there are hints
of it, Yesterday the sun came up on
q world as fresh and bright as though
II had been made overnight; the soft
sea breeze came in through the win
dow. a strange forest bird chirruped
outside; the tapping of the water on
the beach wooed to further slumber,
and was about to take another eyeful
and another earful when the camp cook
lowled hoarsely foA fuel, summOning
ne hastily back to this material world.
If l can arrange to get S.ong without
eating, | think am gang to like this
1ack-to-nature life of the camp.-Se-
little Post Intelligencer.