Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1853-11-18
From the IIorticul;uratist.
The Fav0rite Poison of America.

somebody mast say it) touching our pres
ent condition and appearance, as nation
of men, women and children, in which w
; Americans compare most unfavorably Will
the people Of Europe, aud especially tLos'
Of northern Europc-England and France
for example. 1t is neither in religion OF
morality, law or liberty. In these grea'
essentials every American feels that hi.
country is tie birth place of larger mum
Der of robust and healthy souls than any
other. But in the bodily condition, the
signs Of physical health, and all that consti
tutes the outward aspect Of the men aad
women of the United States, our country
men, and especially ccuntrywomen, and
compare most unfavorably with all but the
absclutly starving classes on the other side
of the Atlantic So completely is this the
fact, that though We are unconscious of i,
at home, the first thing Especially Of late
years. which strikes an American return
ing from abroad, is the pale and ..sickly
counteuauce of friends, ac4uaintances, and
almost every one lie meets in the streets Of
large towps-every other man looking as
if he had lately recovered from fit Of i'll
ness. The men look so pale and the wo
men so delicate, that his eye, accustomed
to the higher hues of health, and the more
vigorous physical condition Of transatlan
tic men and women, scarcely credits the
assertion of old acquaintances when they
were "never better in their lives"
With this sort Of impression weighing
disagrceably on our mind, on returning
from Euro. a 'el y, VIC fame ell it worth our
while to plunge 200 or 800 miles into the
interior of New York. 1t would be pleas
ant, We thought, to see not only the rich
forest scenery opened by the new railroad
to Lake Erie; but, also, (for We felt con-
fdent they were there, some good, hearty,
fresh looking lads and lasses among the
farmers sons and daughters.
We were, for the most part, disappoint.
cd. Certainly the men, especially the
young men, who live mostly in the open
air, are healthy and robust. But the
daug ghtcrs of the farmers-tLey are as del
icatc and pale as lilies Of the valley, or
ladies of the Fifth Avenue. If one catch
es glimpse of ros. in their delicate checks
it is the pale rose of the hot-house, and
not the fresh glow of the garden damask
Alas, we soon discovered the reason. They,
too, live for seven months in the year in
unventilated rooms, heated by close stoves
The fre-placcs are closed up, and ruddy
compilations have vanished with them
Occasionally, indeed, one meets with an
exception; some bright-cyed young, rustic
Hebe, whose rosy checks and round, elias
tic figure would make you believe that the
world has not all grown delicatc;' and,
if you inquire, you will learn probably
that size is one of those whose natural
spirits force them out continually i'll the
open ai., So that she has, as yet, in that
way escaped any considerable doses of the
national poison.
/ Now that we arc fairly ahoat on this
dangerous sea, We must unburden our
heart sufficiently to say, that neither in
England nor France does one meet with
so much beauty-certainly not, so far as
charming eyes and expressive faces 60 to-
wards constituting beauty AS in America.
But, alas, on the other hand, as compared
with the elastic figures and healthful
frames abroad, American beauty is as s'-
anescent as dissolving view, contrasted
with real and living landscape. What
is with us sweet dream, from sixteen to
twenty-five, is there a permanent reality
till forty-6ve or fif.y.
We should think it might be matter
of climate, were it not that we saw, as the
most common thing, even finer complex
ions in Frauce-yes, in the heart of Par
is, and especially among the pcasantry,
who are almost wholly in the open air
than in England. q
And what, then, is the mystery Of fine
physical health; which is SO much better
understood in the old world than in the
new?
The first Transatlantic secret of health,
is much longer time passed daily in the
open air by all classes Of people; the sec
ond, the better modes Of heating and ven
tilatihg the rooms in which they live.
Regular daily exercise in the open air,
both as duty and pleasure, is something
looked upon In very different light on
the two different sides Of the Atlantic.
On this side of the water, if . person
say professional man, or merchants
seen regularly devoting certain portion
of the day to exercise, and the preserva-
ton of his bodily powers, he is looked
upon as valetudinarian-an invalid, who
is obliged to take care Of himself, poor
L.: 4, J,;l,, ,,oot hin, With