Spirit of the times. [volume] (Ironton, Ohio) 1853-1858, 1854-10-03
JOHN HOWARD.

o"mV" UbuitS OI IIIe. ne
bathe daily IN cold wator ; and, both
on rising and going 10 he'd, swathed aim.
se!i with coarse towels, wet with the
FDi4eAwater. In that state he remain.
ea hsH an hour or more, and then threw
them of, refreshed and invigorsted, as
ne said, beyond measure. He never put
on a'grest coat in the coolest countries;
no. vas ever minute under or over the
''me iof an appointment for twenty six
years. lie never continued in q place
or wrth1 person. q single day beyond
The period preiixed for going 10 his life
ana ne had not, for the last ten years Of
h'" existence, ate any fish, flesh or fowl +;
nor sat down to his simple fare of tea,
milk, and rusks all that time. His Jour.
neys were continued from prison to pris.
on' from one group Of wretched beings
TO another, night and day ond when he
!, could NOT 20 in a carriage, he would
walk. Such thing as ar obstruction n
was out Of the question.
Some days after his return from an at.
tempt TO mitigate the plague at Constan.
.tlnoPle, he favored ne with morning
visit to London. The weather was so
very terrific, that | had forgotten his in.
vetern'e exactness, and yielded up the
hope Of expecting him. Twelve at noon
was the hour. and exactly as the clock
struck, he entered my room; the wei
Tor II rained in torrents-lrippins from
every part Of his dress, dripping like wa.
ter from the back Of a sheep just landed
from its washing. He would not have at.
. tended to his situation, having sat him
sell down with the utmost composure,
and begun conversation, had not made
an offer Of dry clothes. "Yes," said he,
smiling, 81 had my fearsas knocked at
your door, that we should 60 the old
business Of apprehension about a little
rain water, which, though it does no, run
OF my back, as it does from lha, Of a
duck. does me as little injury, and, after
long drouth, is scarcely less refresh.
ing. The coat that have on has been
as oflen, wettcd through as any ducks in
the wosld, and inleed, gets no other
cleaning. ! assure you, good soaking
sho w,r Is the best brush for broadclolh.
You,like the lest Of my friends, throw
'-away yeur pity on my supposed hard.
ships, with just as mnch reason as you
commiserate the common beggars, who,
being faeailiar with storms, necessity and
akedness, nre thousand times ESQ for.
J IbIe is anbi) less to be 'compassioned
sihan the sons and daughters Of ease and
luxury, ~hn, accustomed TO all the en-.
feebling rrGnements Of feathers by nigh,
hn fires by day, are taught 10 shiver at
"a tfeeEe. All this is the work Of art,
my gooI (iend nature is intrepid, har'
dy and adventurous but it is the p,ac.
lice to spoil her from the moment we
come inlo the world. A soft dress and
soft cradle begin our education in luxu.
ry, and we do not grow more manly the
more we are gra,iied on the contrary
our feet must be wrapped in wool or silk
we aust tread upon cnrpets-brcathe
as it were, in fire, and fear the least
change in the weather"
"Yor SMILE" said Mr.. Howard, after
D pause, "5ut | am a living instance o.
the truths | insist upon. A more puny
youngster than myself was never SEEN
/ II wet my feet. | was sure to take cold
could not put on my shirt without it,
&being aired. To be serious, am convin
ced whatever emasculates the body de
\ biIitates the mind, and rcnde's both un
6t for those exertions which are of such
..s. ~ US as social beings. therefore
htered upon reform of my consttu
ton, and have succeeded TO such de
gree that have neither had q cough
cold, the vapors, or any disorder since
surmounted the seasoning. Formerly
mulled vines AMI spirits. and great fires
we're to comfort me, and to keep out the
/ cold as it was called the peris Of lh'
!, ylay were 10 be bafllel by something ia
fken hot on going to bed and before
pursued my Journey the next morning. I
dram. was To b, swallowed to !ortfy th'
stomach! Believe me-" said Nj. How
ard, "we are TOO opt to invert the rem
e]ies which .we ought 10 prescribe 70
ourselves. Thug. we are forever giyin,
hot things when we should administe
cold. We baihe in hot instead Of col'
water, we use a dry bandage when VI
should use wet one and we increas
food and clothing, when we should, b.
degrees, dimirish both.
"If we would trust more TO nature. ant
/ suffer her to apply her own remedies T.
cure her own diseases, the fofmidabl
c tslogue Of maladies might be reduces
IL, one half, at least, of its presen. mum
lbsr."
| While the biography Of the illus'riou
4Howard is before US, we cannot withhold
he following admirable article from tn
hen of Doctor Aiken:
"TRuE IIERoIsM. = You have read
nv Edmund. the stories Of Achilles, an
Eiexandes, and Charles Of Sweden, an
have, l doubt not, admired that big
coursge which seemed to set them abov
ell sensations Of fear. and rendered theI
capable Of the most extraordinary az
lions. The world calls these men hsros'
6ut before we give them that noble sI
(osIlstion, let us consider what were u
motives which led them 10 act and suft
ss they did.
The first was ferocious savage. go'