Leaves from a Madeira Garden 



said of many pleasures and pursuits quite 

 innocent in themselves. It does not seem to 

 be in itself demoralizing, for it has been the 

 recreation of many of the greatest and most 

 honoured among men. If it is accused of 

 withdrawing men from more useful pursuits, 

 the same may be said of golf and beggar-my- 

 neighbour. It does not appear to do any 

 injury to the Commonwealth, for it is merely 

 the means of transferring money from one 

 man's pocket to another (as does the Old Age 

 Pensions' Scheme) ; and is, so far, less blame- 

 worthy than some forms of extravagance. And 

 it causes no suffering to any living thing, which 

 cannot be said of field-sports. So perhaps we 

 may conclude that the ladies and gentlemen, 

 and others, who are sitting round that revolving 

 wheel, are enjoying themselves in a very harm- 

 less, if rather stupid, way ; and that if we only 

 want to listen to the band, or to sit in a 

 pleasant garden overlooking the bay, we ought 

 to be obliged to them for paying for our 

 amusement. 



Yet it is a refreshment to turn from the 

 somewhat banal atmosphere of such estabhsh- 

 ments to the free air of the mountains. At 



48 



