Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1920-02-17
TRAVEL THAT PAYS
BY H. Addington Bruce


TRAVEL is often extolled as wonderful
means of education. 1t iS/applauded for
its broadening influence on the mind, its
refining of the SenSibilitcS its cultural value in
general.
All of which is true enough-provided one
travels Alright
know a man who in his day has been a
great traveller He has visit d most of the cap
italS of Europe He IS almost as familiar with
London and Paris as with New York.
He has not only gone where tourists usually
go, but has adVentured into strange, out-of-the
way regions. His gaze las rested on beauties
of nature unseen in picture by most of his
fellow countrymen.
Yet this same nan-amable, agreeable, 20,
lite-iS to be quite c; ndid, one of the least ed
ucated men of my acquaiI..,'c2.
He has profited SO little from his travels
that he is not even good company for any
length of time. His conversation is of the bana
and the insignificant His mind is pathetica1ly
narrow, one may almost say is osSified with
prejudiceSY
Question him about his many journeys abroad
and you receive little illumination.
He can tell you of good restaurants. He
can warn you against hotels where he ex-
perienced discomfort. He can list rather vaguely
numerous sights" which "you really ought to
See.'
That is about all
Of the habits and v"wpoints of foreign
peoples he has absorbed next to nothing. The
scenic glorieS of the WildS wherein he wan
dered have made no abiding impression on him.
So far as that goes, h. cannot adequately
describe even the Sights he insists ali trav-
elerS ought to zee. His travel memories that is
to say, are thin, pale, confused
The trouble is that this poo. man has merely
travelled for the sake of going from one place
to another. And, lie far too many travellers,
he has kept perpetually on the 60.
He has neither taken the time nor made The
effort necessary to g,in educationally from
travel His procedure has been as remote as
the pole from that long ago prescribed by
sage adviser:
"To travel with profit is to gain some fair
and complete idea of the topography and OF
the productions of country, to have some idea
of its government ii detail, and of its peculiar
educational methods; to know something of the
characteristic manners and customs of the peo-
pie
ITO chase madly from one splendid building
to another signifies little unless the investea-
ton results in your realizing the character of
the architecture of the country as whole, and
what has Abeen its special contribution to the
worlds architectural wealth
Running through file great art galleries of
the world will be of no permanent value to you
unless you thereby secure some more ADEQUATE
idea OF art as whole and can recall the I'M
preSSionS made upon heart and mind bv the
great masterpieces of painting and sculpture
"And to gather knowledge is not enough if
you are to secure permanent benefit from the
new outlook you have obtained. Your knowl-
edge must be classified and from it conclu-
SionS OF your own Z g be dr. Wi or else what
you have seen in your extensive tours will leave
no permanent impreSc on your mind"
Thus alone can travel be made really of ed
ucational value. Oh, that more travellers ap-
preCated this!
Copyright, 1920, by the. Associated Newspape S.