American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1872-06-15
Walking.

As nation we love to ride. Steam
cars, horse cars, and all sorts of vehicles
have quite taken us off our feet. Old
men lead and young men follow in
patroniZing fast horses and fast hobbies.
Both in moral and physical sense we
need to do more walking. In the city,
after attempting to swallow both a break
fast and the morning news, a rush is made
forthe cars. After waiting for them at
the street corner and getting chilled, the
only place left is standing room on the
outside platform. Having thawed out by
the hot office register, work is pushed at
express speed until it is time to take the
cars for home This ride morning and
evening is robbing many of one of the
best sources of life and happiness. Try
walking. The first few days the muscles
may feel little sore but that will soon
give place to greater strength. Instead
of chill, freezing the feet and hands, the
blood will circulate warmly through every
part of the body, and dyspeptic symptoms
will vanish before half dozen blocks
are passed. Do not walk as if the police
were after you. Keep both eyes open
and enjoy the morning kaleidoscope CT
human life that is always to be seen on
the streets of the city. If possible,
manage to meet some pleasant companion
with whom you can interchange thoughts
on the topics OF the DAY. W alklng anu
talking go well together.
AS the result of this morning and even
ing pedestrian exercise, glow of health
would be seen where now the cheek is
pale and sunken; the lungs would expand
and the heart grow CHEEKY under the
tonic of an abundance of good fresh air.
Are you ashamed to Walk The best men
in the city are not.
The poet-editor, Bryant, in the enjoy
ment of hale and hearty old age, some
time since gave the reasons to which he
attributed his uniform health; prominent
among them was his daily walk, in all
sorts of weather, between his home and
place of business. In travelling for pleas
ure and improvement, both at home and
abroad, we ought to walk more. Two
neighbors attempt the grand tour of
Europe in two or three months; the one
who gets home the soonest congratulates
himself on having completed the trip a
week in advance of his friend Very lit
tie idea can be formed of a country from
the windows of flying express train, es-
pecially after night passed in a sleeping
car. Give up large plans of visiting every
spot of interest in the country within a
vacation of a month, buy knapsack and
staff, and examine some particular points
with leisurely care. What you see on
foot does not fade out of the memory like
the cream OF a night. Inc enjoyment OF
travel is never measured by the number
of miles passed over or places visited.
The best lessons and thoughts are lost
and distracted by a multitude of half-seen
pictures. In the country, nothing can
take the place of walking. A man on
his feet is free. He can do as he wishes
about keeping the beaten highway. In
stead of going round the mountain he can
climb its sides and examine the rocks,
with the MOSES and ferns and flowers,
which always grow most beautifully in
such places. Rest can be taken at any
time, best of all at the summit. People
who ride in the valley have faint concep-
tiOns of the views enjoyed by those who
see the long trial of smoke left in the wake
of the swift-tying engine which hurries
on its way far below. When old age
comes, and the stiffened limbs refuse to
do us service, we can afford to ride; but a
young man, in vigorous health, ought to
take more pride in good walking powers
than in owning fast horses. The one in
sures firm health and strength, the other
often leads to fast living on the road that
ends in moral and physical ruin.-Phreno-
logical Journal.