The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1871-12-21
AMERICAN WOMEN.

to the New York EUenjng lGjt about
American women:
/ find great numbers of delicate women
everywhere who rash through life at a
pace that would soon kill race horse,
whose nervous energy sustains them for a
certain plumber of years while they burn
the candle at both ends" who drink the
stimulus Of ambition daily and nightly,
are each resolved to let no one Guido or
outshine her,while she every day performs
an amount OF labor which proves her to
be the reverse Of F" feeble" and who, each
one, when she sinks and dies exhausted,
or is laid aside confirmed invalid at
middle age, having lived out bur half her
days, will be found to have compressed
work enough and experience enough into
hel thirty-tv or forty years to have sat-
isfed three sensible people during long
lifetimes If our American women would
not live SO fast, and go through life in
such hurry scurry worrying way, the
majority Of them would be healthy and
strong.
COMPETITION.
Our little girls are expected to compete
with each other in all studies at school /;
their parents and teachers do not seem
to reflect that one may have facility in
memorizing history, but difficulty in
solving mathematical problems, while
another classmate shows exactly opp0s tie
powers of mind, and still another can
scarcely study at all, bus would spend
most Of their sine iii drawing or think
ing! all, however, are alike required to
be perfect in each class, and no goad
or incentive is Withheld, either at home Or
in school, to bring each pupil up to the
required MARIA Pr0crus can bed, in
deed, easiest to those who are ~ little too
tall for it, and must cramp their native
powers for awhile, but how torturing to
the short ones, who constantly are stretch
ed until diSjointing and even dismemher
ing of the hapless victim results. Many
a sensitive girl owes over strung nerves
and congestive brains to the stimulus of
school training. In childhood the little
creature will naturally run and play so
much out of doors, that she will generally
be oble to preserve pretty good health.
At this age the studies chiefly exercise
the memory, and do not demand great
mental effort, but as the girl is approach
ing fifteen her lessons require severe brain
labor, their numbers are multiplied, home
duties are exacted of her, musical prac-
tice must be kept up, not to mention
others of her accomplishments. Sue also
begins to go into "society," the intrcacies
If fashionable dress claim portion Of her
time and strength; young beaux begin
attentions, and her relations worry her
about who may and who may not be I" en-
couraged )" she has NJ time for the invig
Grating walks and romantic musings,
which naturally to her now take the place
of childish sports over stimulus of the
brain, the depressing effects of " worry"
and combined with these an unsubstan
tial diet, exhaust the girl just at the
time when she needs rest from OverwOrk
of any kind, but especially mental, perfect
freedom from all care and responsibility,
and generous diet.
HOW TO BE HEALTHY.
Let a girl, during the years from twelve
to eighteen, spend but one hour daily In
mental labor, taking up one study at a
time, walk another hour, labor at some
agreeable employment three or four hours,
reaC an hour, sleep all she wants during
the night, but,never take daytime maps"
and roast or boiled beef, and every dav
indulge in all the fun and frollc which
her youthful spirits can devise, and she
will become healthy, happy and intelli-
gent Then from eighteen to twenty-one
she may attend Vassar or any other col
lege, and will find herself better able to
carry off prizes then the girls who have
been always at school. But she will not
have developed muscular strength equal
to the young men of her own age, because
nature has forbidden it. A girl is pro-
vided from birth with more adipose It's
sue than boy, not, as some suppose to
keep her warm, but 20 render her muscles
more juicy, soft anG yielding than his.
The investigation OF some anatOmistS have
also proved that her body contains a
much greater number of nerves, and that
her arterial system ON approaching wo-
manhood becomes more developed than
his. I, therefore, cannot at all agree with
the writer who says, We sec no way out
of this difficulty but to commence with
the cradle, and educate girls as nearly
like boys as possible"
GROWTH.
Up to the seventh and sometimes the
tenth year of life this can generally be
done, but after that the physical exercises
of the sexes must differ the girl espe-
cially, if she grows rapidly, will suffer
from weakness in the lower part OF the
back because the fabric structure is widen
ing and charging itself Growth of
bone causes a peculiar aching When
this is felt she should refrain from much
exertion, should seldom go up and down
stairs, never carry heavy baby in her
arms, wear no tight clothing, nor sit long
at a time, but be encouraged to lounge
about" Let her alone as much as posi-
BILE, try to ammuse instead of worrying