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WHAT'S YOUU HOBBY? 



Evei'y good man has his Hobbj', aud every hard-workiug man should have cue. — Athe/upum. 



RATHER a vulgar question, aud withal a 

 somewhat ioipertinent one ; but we 

 hope that the reader really has his " hobby," 

 and, in that case, he is sure to grant us a 

 free pardon. By a " hobby " we mean some 

 study or pursuit which is his own free selec- 

 tion, and to which he devotes himself in his 

 moments of leisure ; something in which he 

 takes delight after the toils and labours of 

 the day are over, — when the rough struggle 

 and mechanical routine are past, by means of 

 which substance is earned to supply the 

 wants, wishes, or luxuries of life ; a some- 

 thing which comes " like sunshine after rain," 

 to brighten an otherwise monotonous career, 

 to supply food for reflection, and give zest 

 and interest to a country stroll. They deserve 

 little respect who can lay their hands upon 

 their hearts and affirm that they have no 

 " hobby ; " that all besides " daily work " in 

 their life is a blank. It may be that the 

 " hobby " is one the name of which may 

 scarcely be quoted : it may supply no food for 

 the mind, — nothing for reflection, — no last- 

 ing pleasure, — yet it is a hobby nevertheless. 

 Our present object is to induce all whom we 

 have the good fortune to address, to answer 

 for themselves the question we have pro- 

 pounded ; and if they cannot do so with 

 satisfaction to themselves or their friends, to 

 set about acquiring a " hobby " at once. 



To enable all v.^ho may desire a scientific 

 hobby of their own to make such a choice, 

 we will volunteer one or two suggestions. 



Let it be remembered that whilst we do so 

 it is by no means with the desire of depre- 

 ciating good hobbies of another kind. A 

 man may be an amateur artist, mathematician, 

 linguist, engineer, or devote himself to the 

 study of history, poetry, philosophy, logic, or 

 many other subjects equally as praiseworthy, 

 as eff^ectual in supplying food for the mind, 

 and as certain to elevate his intellectual 

 character, as aught we may have to suggest. 

 Such, and such, we heartily wish "God speed." 

 But if you have no hobby, it is cheap and 

 easy to acquire one. Ask of some friend, who 

 has been in the habit of strolling away from 

 your side whenever you have walked ten 

 miles into the country together, and come 

 suddenly upon a quarry or a chalk-pit, what 

 he thinks of a little geological knowledge as 

 an experiment, in the way of furnishing food 

 for reflection, that shall supply material on 

 vdiich it can exercise itself, it may be, during 

 the merely mechanical operations of daily 

 life. He shall be your evidence that the toil 

 is lighter, and the day shorter, because the 

 intellectual as well as the physical man has 

 received food. He will probably finish with 

 the inquiry, " What is your hobby ? " 



It msij be, that instead of seeking "ser- 

 mons in stones," your friend has been led 

 aside by the unknown whistle of some bird, 

 by the eccentric gyrations of some unknown 

 insect, by the desire to explore some silent, 

 muddy puddle, or ditch half-choked with 

 weeds. Ask of him whether there is any 



