Year: 1876

We Americans used 10 De cnaTScu WIN oe-
ing too fond of work and too shy of recrea-
ton, to the great injury both of body and
mind. just now, if we are likely to err 1t Is
in another direction, since the public passion
for games, sports, matches OF all sorts by
land and water is manfestly increasing.
Horse-raccs are numerous; the baseball con-
tinues to fly; rifle shooting il more popular
than ever; the preparations Tor yachting show
no loss of interest in that diversion; the
coaching mania maintains itself steadily; the
boat clubs will soon be aflOat pcdestrianism


i'm spite of the humbugs to whom 1t has given
notoricty, is by no means dead; here and
there the velocipcdc is yet stIaddlcd by
amateurs the mustang matter, after grievous
failure, shows signs of revival; the billiard
champions are shaking their cues in defiance
at each other nor have we by any means
heard the last of polo. Thousands upon
thousands of people are preparing for pleas
ant day or week in Philadelphia; the Summer
hotels rural and marine and mountain, are ad-
vcrtising their many attractions aud their
moderate rates; while the ocean steamers will
carry the usual number of pleasurc-hunters
and health-scckers far eastward. There is Il
cheerful Summer before us in spite of the
naru times. i ne UOt W
have matters all their own way.


OF course, the oyer-rigid moralists will find
n good deal to censure and ground for un-
pleasant apprehension in the signs of the
Summer vacation. We shall hear, perhaps, of
the waste of time which mere amuscmcnts
seem to imply. Most of us go to bed at night
and 90 to sleep with no thought of time
wasted in snoOzing and snoring and dreaming.
We may lose something by it, but we clearly
| gain more than we lose, in recupcration of
heath and strength and capacity for work.
Change of air and scene has well recognized
advantages. Many n labor is n pleasure for
its own sake, apart from what may be gained
by it if it were not so, there would be less
cyert0n even in the higher departments of
literature, science, and art. lie is the
wisest who knows how at proper
time to be calmly and complacenty lazy
to read novels, to build air castles and to
doze under the trees. But there be those to
whom this inertia would really bring no rest,
| and to whom the sense of doing nothing would
| be unwhOesomely irritating. Active rest is
what they require; n total change of daily
pursuits at which they have tagged themselves
to eyertiOn, is their mental and physical need /;
and yet for their own comfort they must be
doing something. Perhaps, for such an emor-
| gency, travel is the best resource yet discOv-
ered-travel which rests all the senses, while
it keeps the mind from rustng. But the pa
| tient must choose his own medicine, and it
must be also within his reach-angling, sea-
fishing, swimming, boating, racing, shooting,
walking up hill and down or loungng by the
sounding sea. Only let him be sure to engage
in what he likes for otherwise it will do him
no good. 1t is absolutely necessary that he
should be his own doctor and apothecary; so
that all the advice we have to give is: Do, if
you can, all Summer what you wish to do, SO
| it be harmless and sensible and wise