Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1869-01-21

Srsrs OF CoN.rnPrloS We know Of
two families Of whom the following story
NAV be told. Two healthy brothers mar
rid two healthy sisters. Both had large
families Of fc'ildrcn One lived on the
old Homestead, on the southern s,'pe Q,
one Of the numerous beautiful and W ;ii
drained hill, in this State. The WAoie
house was bath d all day long IN sun
Gqht and censumI ton did not touch any
of the Young lives under its roof. The
other brother placed his house at very
short distance off. but upon grassy
plain, covered all summer with the rahh-
est vcrdurc. In It's front was lar@e
oren common" In the centre Of this,
water mp from between the spht
honfs Of the COWS, az they came lowing
homcward at evening and the bare.ooied
boy who wus drying them used to shrink
from the place and preferred to make
the circuit It It's edge rather than to FOL
low the lead Of his more quiet comrades.
B,ck If ,l.r house was large level mea-
dow reaching to the very foundation OF
the building Through this meadow
slugpishlv crcqt the millssrsam Of the ad-
accent yiIla-o. Still furthor, ali three
7snrrouudinrs were enclosed by lofty hills.
Thc life-giying sun rose later and set ear
lier upon this than upon the other far
homestead Till late in the forenoon,
and long before sunset left the hillside
home, damp and chilling etnanatlons
arose from the meadow, aud day alter
day cnyeioped the tender forms of the /.
children that were trying N ea'+ 70 gro~
up healtblv within them But all effort
was useless. Large tanlies were born
under both roofs Not one Of the chill
dren born in the latter homestead es-
caped. whereas the other family remained
healthy ana When, At the suggestion of
= medical friend who knew ali the fac;s
we have told. wc visited the place for the
purpose Of thoroughly Investigating them,
~ thought thrse two houses were ter
ribIy significant illustration Of the eAls-
tcpc, OF this all poNerful law. 7 these T
two bouscs had nothing peculiarly notice
able by the passing stranger. They were
si;natcd IN the same township AMI within
a very short distance oac from 'ha other,
and scarcely any one III the village w.th
whom We spoke on the SUBJECT agreed
with US in our opinion that / was The la-
cation alone, or chiefly that wmch gave
III, or leath to the inmates Of the two.
We IN yht speak Of other homcstcads
which seem to Us now 10 hc the very nests
IT consumption in consequence OF tins
law, and yet lot one parent IN hundred
..hnowledscs even theoretically his be
irf IN the truth of our assertion Pa
,,nts themselves, dasiag long residence +.
ma, escape hom the dire influences ot
location and therefore they Imagine, ii
tbeir children are failing, that some other
evil agency is at work rather than this
law.
Illustrative Of hi. error Oh the part Of
parruts. We cannot furbtar reiatlng the
following fact We know Of a house sl:-
uatcd about y foo; above and Just on the
,4co Of a small lake The cellar, if there
Ne one, must be below the level Of the
was,ps The house. buiit With taste, nls-
tles amid oycrhauglns tAivkiy leayed
trees. turoush which the sun /, rays can
scarcely penetrate even Al midday The
bomestrad IS oyerrun with the springing
soodlinc, clcmaut:s, aud honoysucho- r
Coolusss, damrness, and httie sunlight
ar, The characteristics OF the spot In
the midst Of summer II Is the htau ideal
Of quiet, refined country house, wh;cs:
any enc even the most tasti,Aous would
desire to occupy. Yet as we have look
ed at il. aud have remembered how one
by one Of the children born in It have
been cut off by consumption either at pu-
berity or at ay.earIy manhood or womau-
hood, we have turned with loathlng from :
all its external beauties. aud iaye regard
ed them all ~ 80 many false and fatal al
lurcmeuts. brlrginG inevitable ram to
those who should tall within ,he sphere
of their influence.
These tales are no creations Of our 5wn
Imagination, but positive and undenlatle