The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1872-11-21
THE SCIENCE OF LIVING.

~ MADE physical education the subject al
an address before literary institute, but
rather excusing than defending him fol
his choice of q topic because he is so well
known as an apostle OF Muscular Chris
tianity." This name, though undoubted-
ly given originally in derision, has more
significance and more truth in it in Eng
land than in this country, whore the class
of persons who are considered fit objects
of missionary labor, is much smaller, and
with whom that muscular proves capa
bic of encountering mere brute strength
is not held to be an evidence of superb
GRITTY. Whether it be to our credit OF
discredit, it is certainly fact that this
sort of training has less consideration with
us than with the E glish people, though
it always commands certain degree OF
respect 1t is considered there as neces-
sary part of every gentleman's education,
while here, at least till very recently, it
has been held rathersas the indication OF
"fast" young man, more to be dreaded
than encouraged. We remember the story
Of an American gentleman who. if now
living, would be an old man, who was in
duced to put himself under the tuition of
a professor of the "noble art of seli-de
fence" because he was once relieved from
an unpleasant predicsment among some
London roughs by passing noblcman,
who, seeing his trouble, jumped out OF
his cab, drew off his gloves and easily
punished" some three or four raymen
much his superiors in weight and muscle.
HIS proves gave him certain disrinc
ton and respect In England; uut the like
proficiency in handling his f>ts, which
the American gentleman soon learned and
which he sometimes put in practice, on
occasion, on his return home, acquired for
him a reputation by no means desirable.
Not that such proficiency always leads
to such results even in this country. A
artificial and perfectly natural state of
society sometimes has the same tendency,
and mere muscular skill will command
the same respect in both. We know a
distinguished western lawyer who was
once engaged as council for man accused
Sf capital crime in raral Heig borh0od,
whose Reighbors had made up their minds
as to his guilt, and were not at all pleased
at the probability of his acquittAl. The
lawyer Was waited uDsn by the represent
o delegate because of his inches and the
size OF his biceps nuscle, who told him
that it would MT DO safe to be seen again
within the precincts of their courthouse,
as the neighbr re had concluded that the
man must be hanged. The very women,
he said, would see to it that counsel, in
such case, should not show himself
among them with impunlty. The answer
of the lawyer was that he thought him q
tit smissary of women, and taking off his
coat, and throwing his suspendcrs from
his shoulders for ease OF motion he beg
gsd him to begin the lyAching then aad
there, failing in which he should pitch
him down stairs; which he presently did.
The delegate returned to HE c0nstll uency
and reported that that lawyer would not
listen to reason. The act turned out to
be As mastery stroke of professional
kill ss if it had been performed in the
Inns OF Court.
These two cases mark extremes, per-
haps. in our civilization, and en- medic tu-
t&ssSnaus may be .he wiser rule. Never
theless, though Muscular Christianity"
may have q distasteful SQUAD to our ears,
the thing itself, when we call it physical
train ing, is far less o tended to than it
should be. II is hopeful sign that mil
itary drill is resorted 20 to develop
strength and grace in some of our schools,
a. Notably ia the Institute of Technology
Ia Boston; that rowing is becoming COM
non for ether than mere racing ends; that
riding on horseback aad out, door Sports
are growing in favor, though we must say
we do not draw so much hope from the
prevalence of the ''nAtion al game" OF base
oatl, to which the public Is admitted al
fifty cents or dollar head to git quietly
under awnings to see other people take
exercise. But physical training has not
generally become, as it should, an indis-
pensible part of education, 1t is not
necessary that our boys should become
athletes. or "heavy weights" or blight
weights" or perfect masters of fence, or
sixgle stick, to secure thorough muscular
development But the law should be as
generally acted upon as it ia generally
acknowledged that the sound mind re-
quires to be sn corpoTs sGuo.
SO far are we from Obdlencs to ID that
even the more ordinary laws of health are
disobeyed, and in public and private
buildings, including schools, no attention
is given tt the air we breathe. Volumes
have been written upon ventila-
ton, yet it's necessity is almost uniformly
disregarded In the construction Of our
public and private houses, as if it had
nothing whatever to. do with either our
health or comfort. We welcome higher
art in the form and characterization Of our
public architecture, as in the beautiful
Academy If Design, and yet the pupils,
rs in that building, where class after class
is made To breathe over and over again
an atmosphere which at the outset Was
unfit for human consumption. If asked
TOR o reference to some scientific gentle
formation as to the constituent parts, the