"Where there is no vision, the people perish." It was his remark that he retired because he wanted "to play" that Edward Bok's friends most completely misunderstood.

"Play" in their minds meant tennis, golf, horseback, polo, travel, etc .-- (curious that scarcely one mentioned reading!).

It so happens that no one enjoys some of these play-forms more than Bok; but "God forbid," he said, "that I should spend the rest of my days in a bunker or in the saddle.
In moderation," he added, "yes; most decidedly." But the phrase of "play" meant more to him than all this.

Play is diversion: exertion of the mind as well as of the body.

There is such a thing as mental play as well as physical play.