Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1869-02-03
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! We know of two families in Massachusetts,
OF whom the following story may be told
Two healthy brothers married two healthy
sisters. Both had large families Of children
One lived on the old homestead, on the south
ern slope Of one of the numerous beautiful
and well-drained hills in that vicinity. The
whole house was bathed all day long in sun
| light, and consumption did not touch any of
the young lives under its roof The other
brother placed his house at very short dis
tance of, but upon grassy plain, covered all
summer with the rankest vcrdure In its
front was a. large open common" In the
centre Of this, water oozed up from between
the split hoofs of the cows, as they came
lowing homeward at evening, and the bare
footed boy who was driving them used to
shrink from the place, and preferred to make
the circuit of its edge rather than to follow
the lead of his more quiet comrades. Back
Of the house was large level meadow, reach
ing to the very foundations of the building.
Through this meadow sluggishly crept the
milstream of the adjacent village. Still
| further, all three surroundings were enclosed
| by lofty hills The ife-giving sun rose later
AMI set earlier upon this than upon the other
fair homestead. Till late in the forenoon,
and long before sunset left the hillside home,
damp and chilling emanations arose from the
meadow, and day after day envelopcd the
tender forms Of the children that were tryi,g
in rain 10 groio up healthily within ther.--
But all effort was useless Large families
were born under both roof. Not one Of the
children born in the latter homestead escap-
ed, whereas the other family remained
healthy and when, at the suggestion of a
medical friend who knew all the facts we
have told, we have visited the place for the
purpose of thoroughly investigating them, we
thought that these two houses were a terribly
significant illustration of the existence OF
this all-powerful law. Yet these two homes
had nothing peculiarly noticeable by the
passing stranger. They were situated in the
same township and withina very short distance
one from the other, aud scarcely any one in
the village with whom we spoke on the sub
jeet agreed with us in our opinion that it was
location alone, or chiefly that, which gave life
or death to the inmates Of the two.
We might speak of other homesteads which
seem to us now to be the very nests of con-
sumption in consequence Of this law, and yet
not one parent in hundred acknowledges
even theoretically his belief in the truth Of
our assertion Parents themselves, during
long residence, may escape from the dire in
fluences Of location and therefore they
imagine, if their children are falling, that
some other evil agency is at work, rather than
this law.
Illustrative of this error on the part Of
parents we cannot forbear relating the fol-
lowing fact. We know Of house situated
about foot above and rust on the edge of a
small lake The cellar, if there be one,
must be below the level of the water. The
house, built. with taste nestles amid over
hanging thickly lcayed trees, through which
the suns rays can scarcely penetrate even at
midday The homestead is oyerrun with the
springing woodbne, clematis, and honey
suckle. Goodness, dampness, and little sun
light are the characteristics of the spot In
the midst of summer it is the bean ideal of a
quiet, refined country house, which any one,
even the most fastidious, would desire to oc-
cupy Yet as we have looked at it, and have
remembered how one by one the children born
in it have been cut off by consumption either
at puberty or at early manhood or woman
hood, we have turned with loathing from all
its external beauties, and have regarded them
all as so mony false and fatal alurements
bringing inevitable ruin to those who should
fall within the sphere of their influence.
These tales are no creations of our magma
ton, but positive and undeniable facts.