Martinsburg weekly independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1873-1875, 1874-09-26
ENGLISH GIRLS.
How They Compare with the Greek
Maidens.

MaideHS.
Canon KingIey's new book on
"Health ard Education" is out.
It's views and statements bear
mainly on the training Of girls,and
are likely to be read with in
terest. Mr. Kingsley acknowledges
that there is in England what he
calls period of exhaustion fall
ing-off in health and vigor. for
which he seeks the causes. He
finds them first in the wars which
ragged from 1889 till1S15, and which
carried off "the stoutest, ablest
healthiest, young men, each OF
whom represented, alas mad
en- left unmarried at home, or
married, in default, to a less able
man. The strongest went to the
war; each who fell, left Il weaklier
man to continue the race; while of
those who did not fall, too many
returned with tainted and weak
ened constitutions to injure, it
may be, generations yet unborn"
The second and third causes of the
evil are the unwholesome lives
that people live, in bad air, with
insufficient exercise; and the prog
ress OF civilization and science
which keeps alive the class that
used to die, keeps them alive in
their weakness-"pressrves them
to produce in time still less DOW
erful progeny"
Mr.. Kingsley believes that not
among invalids only but in a great
majority of cases in all classes, the
children are not equal to their par
ents; and that this degrading pro-
cess goes on most surely and most
rapidly in the large towns, and in
proportion to the antiquity Of
these towns, and the time during
which the degrading influences
have been at work. The first step
toward the cure of the increasing
evil is, he thinks, to establish pub
lie schools of health, where every
girl, boy, woman and man shall
be taught physiological laws, how
to take care Of himself and guard
against the dangers which press
upon him; and where, 90, .
knowledge of drainage, of the val
ue of pure water and air, shall be
given to all young men and wo-
men. In these schools the sexes
shall be separated and the girls
taught by thoroughly educated
and practical woman, the boys by
man. He maintains, too, ana
thinks he finds his proof in the bis
tory of Rome, Alexandria, Bryan
tium and Paris, that the mental
work done by clever people with,
out health is not good or trustwor-
thy work. The type of brain that
belongs to weak, scr0fulous-
stunted body "may be very active
very quick at catching at new and
grand ideas but it will be apt to
mistake capacity of talk for capac-
ity of action, excitement for ear
nestness, viruience for force, and
too often, cruelty for justice.
With reference to the health and
hardness of our ancestors, Mr..
Kingsley reiterates that only the
strong and active lived. Popula-
ton increased very slowly in the
old time; and the devastation by
epidemics was terrible. The aver
age of human life in England has
increased % per cent. since the
reign of George l., owing to the
more rational and cleaniy habits
of life. So it seems that lifeis saw
ed by civilization and science, but
saved in miserable condition;
and now the study Of political
economists and philanthropists is
to improve that condition. Be.
sides the plan of health schools,
Mr.. Kingsley proposes some inn
provements in the English meth
DIS of teaching children. He says
they are kept too still and too sill
ent; they need move about q great
deal, to shout, sing and laugh
loud, and every teacher who en-
forces silence commits an offense
against reason, as well as against
her or his pupils. OF course there
is vehement denunciation of the
usual dress of women and of the
drunkenness Of both sexes, which
they eve to "this present barbar-
ism and anarchy OF covetousness,
miscalled modern civilization"
Ball-playing is especially recon-
mended for girls, and the account
Of the game as played by the Greek
girls: with accompaniment ofsong
sounds like the report of a kinder
gsrten. bathing does not meet
with like approval, and the pic
ture given ct ii is not attractive.
In comparing the modern English
girl, whom he calls Nausicaa,
with his favorite Greek maiden,
Mr.. Kingsley says:
"She goes to the seaside, not TO