Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1859-05-16
THE GAZETTE.
MONDAY MORNING, MAY Ii, 1859.
TAKING EAERClSE.

In the MAY number Of the Atlantic month
" slavery useful article ON the gymnasium,
written by DR.. David W. Cheever. Everything
which calls the attention of those who lead
city life to the Importance OF physical cultiva-
ton. will do as much good to the race rs all
that tends to the development of the intellect
does for those classes whose occupations are
most entirely physical and laborious. In the
daily attritun Of city life, the mind wears out
the body, the sword cuts through the scab-
bard; the ends of the nerves get laid absolute
lv bare, while the bone and muscle, which
make a strong man and healthy woman,
are utterly neglected. This deterioration
goes on in each generation increasingly, until
the cause of it is discovered and counteracted
10y proper physical cultivation. The body
can be cultivated and trained quite rs much
and as successfully Us the mind, and the
neglect of such cultivation will show itself
rs obviously in the one case as in the other.
The greatest fault of our city culture is
that it is too one sided-too exclusively intel
lectual, and too little either physical or moral.
Perhaps it is one of the most hopeful tea-
lures of the present time, in this respect, that
the old English and European amusements are
coming into vogue amongst us. Fencing
has of late been taken up in Boston with
great yigor, as suitable for a winter exercise,
and We hope it may be extensively cultivated.
But skating, both for gentleman and ladies,
is the hest of all representatives. Of consump-
ton. 1t expands the chest and invigorates
the limbs At time when fully one-tourth
of all the deaths of those living in cities arise
from diseases of the lungs, let the sendentary
folks shun chess and take mp with good
skating partner, in winter. if they want to
preserve health. Robustness Of constitution
is the main thing to be formed by all the re-
tary and combining.
The only question that remains, is wheth-
er exertion, for the sake of exercise, ever does
the good that might be effected by an equal
amount OF exercise with an mlteror purpose.
The common opinion is that the first does no
good But in one respect 1t is Of lar more
benefit than the involuntary and unthought
Of exertions that arise in the course of every
man 5 daily duty or pleasure, it fixes the at
tention of the performer upon the connection
between exc else and health. 1t gives him
faith in making his arrangements for this,
and the feeling Of conscious power, 80 that
his life and health are in a certain sense IN
his own keeping Another advantage OF the
gymnasium u.s. that it enables man to study
more accurately the particular muscles that
need to be developed, and direct all his ex-
ertions SO as to exercise them. When man
once learns how much can be- effected i'll the
way of development of the body by judcious
efforts he has got more than half way to
cure of a thousand of the ills that life is heir
to. We have known sedentary men to in
crease the circumference of the chest from one
to two inches in few weeks, by simply FL
ing the lungs by sucking in the air gradually
and gently through a quill or tube
When this consciousness OF power over
ourselves is once obtained, the more natural
ly our exercise grows out of our business OF
recreation, the better Of course. game OF
cricket at this season, which will expand the
arms and legs and lungs, will then be far bet
ter than any amount of exercise for its own
sake. The cultivation of a garden, brisk
canter on horse back, or drive into the coun-
try, to break in wild colt, will produce tho
most striking effects on the health and hap
piness The chief danger is lest they take
up so much time and become so interesting
that man is in danger of becoming mere
horse jockey. or cricket player, or amateur
gardener 1t is well, therefore for every man
to study TO take exercise in the way OF his
business and profession. Nearly all can do
this. Let the merchants go to market before
breakfast, and and fetch and carry his own
letters to and from the post. instead OF send
ing clerk. 1t will often save him from be
ing robbed, and give him habits OF exercise
daily, 30 as to save the necessity of Il visit to
the sea shore or Saratoga to recruit. Many
a preacher has found the physical benefit OF
preaching very animated discourse in loud
tone of voice, and the lawyer will find II little
daily pleading quicken his power of study =
Many physicians contriye i'll London, to let
their carriages drive on slowly empty, while
thew walk to the places where they have to
visit. In this way nearly all may contrive to
make their duties afford them exercise, even
if living in the heart of city.
HUMILITY ONE SIGN OF GREATNESS.
| believe the first test of a truly great
man is his humility. | do not mean by
humility doubt of his own opinion, but u
right understanding of the relations be-
tween what he can say and do and the rest
of the worlds doings and sayings. All great
men not only know their own business, but
know usually that they know it; and are not
only right in their main opinions. but they
usually know that they are right in them,
only they do not think much of themselves
on that account.
nyt h. ~