Glasgow weekly times. (Glasgow, Mo.) 1848-1861, 1852-01-15
Exercise.

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but benevolent friend of ours TO the startled
ears of fine lady-"Get out"
"Well never!'' exclaimed the lady.
The reader knows the perfection ofmean-
ing implied by that sentence, 'Well, new
er!" However, the lady was not only fine
lady, but a shrcwd woman;s SO she 'got out, "
and was goer out afterwards, and lived
happily enough to benefit others by her ex-
ample.
Many people take no exercise at all, be-
cause they cannot take, or think they can
not take, great deal. At least, this is the
reason they give their consciences. 1t is
not always a sincere one. They had better
say to themselves at once, Il am too idle"
or IL am too accustomed to sit still to make
exercise pleasant" Where the fault is
aware of itself, there is better hope of its
nlending. But the least bit of exercise is
better than none. A walk, five minutes
before dinner, in garden, or down a street,
is better than no walk at all. 1t is some
break, however small one, into the mere
habit of sitting still, and growing stagnant of
blood or corpulent of body. a little tiny bit
of the sense of doing ones duty is kept up
by it. A glimpse of reverence is retain
ed for sprightliness of mind and shapeliness
of person; and thus the case is not rendered
hopeless, shonld circumstances arise that
tempt the patient into a more active system.
A fair kinswoman of ours, once reckoned
among the fairest of her native city, a very
intelligent woman as far as books went, and
latterly very sharp observer INTO the
faults of others, by dint of certain exas-
peration of her own, literally fell a sacrifice
to sitting in doors, and never quitting her
tavorite pastime of reading. The pastme
was at once her bane and her antidote. Ii
would hrve been nothing but blessing had
she varied it. But her misfortune was, that
her selfwill was still greater than her sense,
and that being able to fill up her moments
as pleasantly by the same process when she
grew older; and this wouldn't do.' For
our bodies are changing, while our minds
are thinking nothiug Of the matter; and in
vain attribute the new pains and weakness
which come upon them 10 this and that
petty cause-a cold or heat, or an apple
thinking they shall ''be better tomorrow,
and as healthy as they were before. Time
will not palter with the real state of the
case, for all our self-wll and our overween-
ing confidence. The person we speak Of
literally rusted in her chair-lost the use of
: her limbs, and died paralytic and ghastly TO
look upon, of premature old age. The ply
sicians said it was clear case.
On the other hand, we heard some years
ago of gentleman of seventy; medical
man, (now most probably alive and merry
f we hope he will read this who meeting
a kinsman of ours in the street, and being
congratulated on the singular youthfulness
Of his aspect, said that he was never better
, or more active in his life; that it was all
owing TO his having walked sixteen miles a
i, day, on an average, for the greater part oft;
and at the age of seventy, he felt all the
D lightness and cheerfulness of seventeen.-
This is an extreme case, owing to peculiar
J circumstances; but it shows of what our ma
r ture is capable, when favorable circumstan-
n ces are not contradicted. This gentleman
9 had cultivated a cheerful benevolence o.
mind, as well as activity ofbody, and the two
n together were irresistible, even to old time
S The instinct which sets people in exercise
S is one of the most natural of all instincts
n and where it is totally stopped, must hay,
been hurt by some very injudicious circum
stances in the bringing up, either Of pam
: pered will, or prevented activity. The rest
u lessness felt by nervous people is nature
: kindly intimation that they should better
l. themselves. Motion, as far as hither ha
: been known, is the first law of the universe
: The air, the rivers, the world, move; th
II very fixed stars" as we call them, are NOV
ot ing towards some unknown point. As +
/ ones self, one must either move away iron
y death and disease, or they will move u
: with a vengeance, ay in the midst of ou
n most sedentary forgetfulness, or while W
n hatter ourselves we are still and as SCUM
n as marble. Time is all the while drawn
lines in our faces, clogging our limbs, put
l. ting ditch water into our blood; preparin
RS us to mingle with tho grave and the rollin
Is earth, since we will not obey the great law
l. and move of our own accord.
p Come, dear readers, now is the season fc
t. such of you as are virtuous in this matte
On to pride and rejoice yourselves; and fc