he pebbles from the
beach, and the bad cooking, and the smiles of the head waiter, of the
waiters, of the chambermaid, of the hall porter, of the baggage porter,
all of whom have to be tipped! And the extras on the bill! How you rub
your hands with delight when at last you are in the train on the way to
that dear home of yours, where you are going to sleep in your lovely
bed, sit on your comfortable chairs, stretch on your soft sofa, eat the
appetizing, simple, and healthy meals of your good cook, where, on a
rainy day, you will go and take down a favourite book from the shelves
of your library; where you are going to be all the time surrounded by
your own dear belongings, able to look at your pictures, at your china;
where you are going to put again in their usual places the photographs
of all your friends; in fact, where you are going to live once more,
after an interval necessary to your health, perhaps, through the rest
from work and the change of air it has afforded you, but for all that an
interval, nothing but an interval in life.

The only enjoyable holidays that I know are either those spent in a
house of your own which you may possess in the country or by the sea, or
those spent in travelling, making the acquaintance of new, interesting
and picturesque countries; but these holidays are only within the reach
of the privileged few.

Very often loving couples, fearing they should get too much accustomed
to each other, part for a few days, just for the sake, epicures that
they are, of experiencing the ineffable joy of meeting again and of
proving to themselves that each one is absolutely indispensable to the
other--a fact which, although they may be well aware of it, is always
pleasant to be reminded of. The holidays are to the home what the
parting for a few days is to the loving couples--a reminder of the
priceless treasure which you possess, and which you do not always
sufficiently appreciate.

Think of your children, too, especially of those young boys who are
boarders at school or college and can only know the joys of home life
during their holidays. How they would prefer going to their own homes,
playing with their own things, looking after their animals, to being
trotted out and taken to a hotel where children are not tolerated to do
this or allowed to do that! When parents live in a house of their own,
and in the country, it is absolutely wicked of them not to let their
children enjoy their holidays at