Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1873-11-21
Walking.

From the New York Herald.
There are many men in this city
and throughout the land who, tired
and ovcr-worked from business
too sedentary and exacting, either
feel no benefit from the brief apollo
gy for a vacatiorrthey took in the
summer, or who have had no vaca-
ton at all. None know better these
that their bodies and heads will do
more and better work in eleven
months if they can rest them the
twelfth than they will in the whole
twelve, with no rest at all; but cir
cumstances have seemed to conspirc
to keep them forever at their tread
mills. We would call the attention
of all so situated to the fact that an
excellent remedy yet rcmains-one
very easy to be had-by which they
may, even before the new year, get
get themselves into excellent condi-
ton. We mean simply walking.
OF all the months in the twelve, Oc-
tober and November are the best
fitted for this exercise. The roads
are for most Of the time in good or
der, the scenery in the country
beautiful and variegated even as at
no other season. A man could walk
six miles any day last week, for in
stance, with scarcely more effort
and fatigue than three would have
brought in the summer. Let every
one who, when evening comes, finds
himself fatigued and exhausted,
either break away from his work an
hour and a half or two hours before
supper time, and spend it in vigor-
Gus walking wherever he likes; or,
if he cannot do that, let him eat
heartily at supper and take the same
walk afterward. For the first two
or three days he may only seem to
tire more, and to get but little ben
eft; but if he will stick to it only u
day or two longer, it will soon be.
come less difficult, and the pleasant
feeling of increasing strength which
it brings will make him loath to
stop what is plainly bringing him
much good. Indeed, he will soon
find that food lie hardly cared for at
all before, goes uncommonly well
now; that he goes to sleep immedi-
ately on retiring, and, sleeping
throughout the night, awakens tho
oughly-retreshcd and ready for the
new days work; that, somehow, it
is easy to be agreeable and CHEEKY;
in short, that his whole system is
quite tuned up and strengthened. If
nothing better than brick pavements
can be had let him take brick pave
ments; but if he can reach the
country road then all the better.
The mere walk TO and from work
will not do, for mans mind dur
ing such exercise is too likely to be
on his work; but after it is over let
him start away at such = pace that
his legs will take the extra blood
from his brain, and make it so diff
cult to think protractedly that at
last his brain will get . little of the
rest it so much needs, while any
thing like nervousness or fever must
shortly give way to healthy calm
and quiet.
And if besides this daily consti-
tutional exercise he can capture an
occasional Saturday, or, better yet,
a Friday, too, and stretch his legs
over twenty-five, thirty or forty
miles, he will find Sunday such a
day of rest as he had not known,
and himself wonderfully fresh and
vigorous Monday morning. That
Americans need not be less rugged
and sturdy than Englishmen each
can bring instances from his own
circle Of acquaintances to prove;
and if the life of these favored ones
is inquired into it will usually be
found that sensible and systematic
effort has had much to do with this
valuable vigor. "rhe first wealth
is health," says-Emcrson, and here,
by the great majority of the over
worked it is to be had for the try
ing. All will recall how Dickens
would have his six to ten miles dai-
ly, ami see from this that Of the wri-
ter already quoted, that "for per-
formance Of great work requires ex.
traordinary health, holds good more
broadly than he thought. Every
man under hundred should have
a pair of capital walking shoes
broad, stout and comfortable, and
should use them until once he finds
what true friends they are, and
when he has once found there is
nothing more to fear, they will not
stand all the day idle. All, both
rich and poor, can afford our RENE
dy, and if they fail to use it and
benefit by it, they need blame no
one but themselves.
A Funny Mixture.