SCIENCE AND PHILOSOPHY OF RECREATION. 779 



must be some further reason probably to be sought for within the 

 limits of the nervous system itself why a flow of happy feelings 

 serves to re-create the nervous energies. But, be the reasons what 

 they may, we must never neglect to remember the fact that the influ- 

 ence of all others most detrimental to recreation is the absence of 

 agreeable emotions or the presence of painful ones. There is, for in- 

 stance, comparatively little use in taking so-called constitutional exer- 

 cise at stated times, if the mind during these times is emotionally 

 colorless, or, still worse, aching with sorrow and care. If recreation 

 is to be of good quality, it must before all things be of a kind to 

 stimulate pleasurable feelings, and while it lasts it ought to engross 

 the whole of our consciousness. Half-hearted action is quite as little 

 remunerative here as elsewhere ; and, if we desire to work well, no 

 less in play than in work must we fulfill the saying, " What thy hand 

 findeth to do, do it with thy might." 



Having stated this practical principle as of paramount importance 

 in all recreation, I shall devote the rest of my space to giving a vari- 

 ety of suggestions concerning the recreation of all classes of society ; 

 and, for the sake of securing method to my discussion, I shall pri- 

 marily consider the community in its most natural classes of men, 

 women, and children. 



There is not much to be said on the recreation of men belonging 

 to the upper classes. That most objectionable of creatures, the gen- 

 tleman at large without occupation, has a free choice before him of 

 every amusement that the world has to give ; but one thing he is 

 hopelessly denied the keen enjoyment of recreation. Living from 

 year to year in a round of varied pastimes, he becomes slowly incapa- 

 citated for forming habits of work, while at the same time he is slowly 

 sapping all the enjoyment from play. For, although yariety of amuse- 

 ment may please for a time, it is notorious that it can not do so indefi- 

 nitely. The intellectual changes which are involved in changes of 

 amusement are not sufficiently pronounced to re-create even the facul- 

 ties on which the sense of amusement depends ; the mind, therefore, 

 becomes surfeited with amusement of all kinds, just as it may become 

 surfeited with a tune too constantly played even though the tune be 

 played in frequently changing keys. For such men, if past middle 

 life, I have no advice to give. They have placed themselves beyond 

 the possibility of finding recreation, and their only use in the world is 

 to show the doom of idleness. They, more even than paupers, are the 

 parasites of the social organism ; and we can scarcely regret that their 

 lumpish life, being one of stagnation self-induced, should be one of 

 miserable failure, to the wretchedness of which we can extend no 

 hope. 



Turning next to gentlemen of active pursuits, I may most fitly 

 begin with those who are beginning life at the universities. At our 

 larger universities both the provisions for recreation and the manner 



