Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1852-04-17
miscellaneous.
From the Independent.
American and European Social Life.
ny our (LArr) PEDESTRIAN coRarsroyDrSr.

A returned traveller il privileged to say
hisagrecable things. Contrasts arc fresh IN
his mind-und he may well lie allowed Tor
u little while, to talk of his country MS
stranger. For myself ] return here, iulIy
feeling that n more grand, more nagnIilccht
field of action was never opened than Is ~
this new world. The nation Is IN its iuli
spring of power. There is greatness
about the thoughts of men; tircless
and tremendous energy in every depart
,ncnt of life ; brightness and kcenncss of
intellect, such as have seen in no country
of Europe.
The very folcs of our people, which
they so laugh ut abroad have something
heroic in them. But perhaps my very pccti-
liar experience in the Social Life OF Europe,
makes me more than usually sensitive 10
our national defects II is very evident
TO me, grand as the nation seems, ii is not
happy.
In the first place, coming down to n very
"every-day" but very essential matter, there
is no good national health. ! had not been Mt
oil prepared for the surprising contrast in that
respect. OF course | had known of Our thin
American faces, as compared with the Euro
pean. But it is not in that, or in the worn,
nervous looks, or in the marks of scrOlula
everywhere, or in the dyspepsia which curses
every studying and business man, that see
the contrast most-but in the universal sick
hnesS Of ieomen.
sat down with q lady lately and, out of
wide circle of ncqunintanceS in every paIt
of the country, we attempted 10 reckon the
healthy, and we could not think of more than
three really healthy women.
What is the rule in Europe, seems the ex-
ccpton here The ladies come before one
hero N q ,,.1t ron
oily with more of certain graceful beauty,
than in England or Germany, but with far
less robust health There are so few full
healthy compleNions, or vigorous iOruIs.-
Those who are well, are so plainly weak |
with constitutions which the first rude shock |
of pain or exposure, will shatter. Aud this
does not seem confined TO one class. Indeed
il is even more true Of the village than of the
city. The pale, worn looks ofthe mechanics,
wives or the sicky faces which you see in
no many farmers household, show it sadly
enough.
1t is very seldom, indeed, one passes
through the village here, where the rnd'|y
complexion, the bright glance of health,
the full developed form meet the eye, ~
they do SO invariably in tie European vii ,
lagos.
The average life Of woman may he MS long
is far more "fllcd with trouble" as far ny
health is concerned. 5
Surely nothing need he said Of the results ,
of nil this 1t is sad enough without talking ,
much of them. To see n life which should ,
be frightened with health aud overlooking
with activities all sOurcd aud craupcd with
these ills Of the body, usefulness checked, ,
merry households darkencd, character itself ,
weakened, and worse Than all, infinite all
ments transmitted to other generations, is +
bad enough and docs not need many words ,
wasted on il. |
But whit are the causes OF all this? is the ,
practical question. $
| conceive for ono causc, that the whole ,
rnco is not thoroughly dcciimaied, and HAT
the effects are felt most by the weakest part
of 1.-THE women. But the great aud all
sufficient reason is most plain'y TO he found
in'he habits of our women. 1t is one OF the
best tokens of American civilization, Tint
women hold hero so high II placc-lIighcr
than in any society have yet known. But
there is danger of taking too much care of .
her. We can certainly honor her sufficiently .
without resorling TO such n lol-house system
MS our present. There isnO country OF Eu /
rope believe, where women take so little
exercise in tile open air as they do III this
In England, on many day, WHEN no lady
here would soil her shoe out o. doors, have
walked with ladies miles and miles through
mud and snow or heavy mist In Berlin
there WINS never n bright winters afternoon,
in which we did not make up skating
party on illc "mcadows," where indeed all
the "belles" of tie city were collected. In
Hungary, n horseback scSinpcr over the
plains, or a walk in the gardens with the
ladies, were as common rs the meals. Aud
throughout Southern Germany, Italy, France,
even where there are no more vigorous eX-
crcises, an afternoons promenade III the
parks or on the bastions has come TO be al
most nccessarx of life. 1t seems ns IL nll
the people of those countries delighted in the
sun light, much more than we. The ladies
read, sew, eat in the open mir, in arbors and
gardens, far more than is ever the custom
here Then, in the lower classes, tho women
nre Obliged 10 work much IN the fields, Ia
some respects thing not 10 be approved,
yet on the whole, hy no mems so degrading
custom as we often think in America. i
brings as one happy result nt lenst, the full,
cheerful health which God "designc" TO
bc the natural accompaniment OF life. There
is an unnatural delicacy among all our Wo-
men about exposure. II people only would
learn that rain aud frost and snow are not
hall snch p0isOus us the close, vitialcd
mir, which sleams al day within heated
walls
An English lady with her stout boots
aud shortened skirts, makes no more of n
mud or sDow-walk than of the plensnut-
est ramble. The walk becomes MS much
~ necessity .as dinner, aud there is soon
n real pleasure in breasiug the rough wen-
iher.
No one appreciates enough here the
value of mere sunlight to the health. i
have often wondered to myself whether It
might not affect our more delicate her-