Tobereallyhappyandreallysafe,oneoughttohaveatleasttwoorthreehobbies,andtheymustallbereal.Itisnousestartinglateinlifetosay:“Iwilltakeaninterestinthisorthat.”Suchanattemptonlyaggravatesthestrainofmentaleffort.
Theneedofanalternativeoutlook,ofachangeofatmosphere,ofadiversionofeffort,isessentialforanyoneandeveryone.
Themostcommonformofdiversionisreading.Inthatvastandvariedfieldmillionsfindtheirmentalcomfort.Nothingmakesamanmorereverentthanalibrary.“Afewbooks”,whichwasLordMorley’sdefinitionofanythingunderfivethousand,maygiveasenseofcomfortandevenofcomplacency.Butadayinalibrary,evenofmodestdimensions,quicklydispelstheseillusorysensations.Asyoubrowseabout,talkingdownbookafterbookfromtheshelvesandcontemplatingthevast,infinitelyvariedstoreofknowledgeandwisdomwhichthehumanracehasaccumulatedandpreserved,pride,eveninitsmostinnocentforms,ischasedfromtheheartbyfeelingsofawenotuntingedwithsadness.Asonesurveysthemightyarrayofsages,saints,historians,scientists,poetsandphilosophers,whosetreasuresonewillneverbeabletoadmire,stilllessenjoy,thebrieftenureofourexistenceheredominatesmindandspirit….
“WhatshallIdowithallmybooks?”wasthequestion;andtheanswer,“Readthem,”soberedthequestioner.Butifyoucannotreadthem,atanyratehandlethemand,asitwere,fondlethem.Peerintothem.Letthemfallopenwheretheywill.Readonfromthefirstsentencethatarreststheeye.Thenturntoanother.Makeavoyageofdiscovery,takingsoundingsofunchartedseas.
Sincechangeisanessentialelementindiversionofallkinds,itisnaturallymorerestfulandrefreshingtoreadinadifferentlanguagefromthatinwhichone’sordinarydailyworkisdone….
Butreadingandbook-loveinalltheirformssufferfromoneseriousdefect;theyaretoonearlyakintotheordinarydailyroundofthebrain-workertogivethatelementofchangeandcontrastessentialtorealrelief.Torestorepsychicequilibriumweshouldcallintousethosepartsofthemindwhichdirectbotheyeandhand.
Manymenhavefoundgreatadvantageinpracticingahandicraftforpleasure.Joinery,chemistry,book-binding,evenbrick-laying,ifonewereinterestedinthemandskillfulatthem,wouldgivearealrelieftotheovertiredbrain.Butbestofallandeasiesttoprocurearesketchingandpaintinginalltheirforms.IconsidermyselfveryluckythatIhavebeenabletodevelopthisnewtasteandpastime….
Paintingisafriendwhomakesnounduedemands,excitestonoexhaustingpursuits,keepsfaithfulpaceevenwithfeeblesteps,andholdshercanvasasascreenbetweenusandtheenviouseyesofTimesorthesurlyadvanceofDecrepitude.Happyarethepainters,fortheyshallnotbelonely.Lightandcolor,peaceandhope,willkeepthemcompanytotheend,oralmosttotheend,oftheday”.
