Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1878-06-13
Walking.


. consequence, the amplest provisions
for the relief Of the human legs aud feet
from the drndgcTy Of locomotion are
eyerywere at hand. To ride is cheap
er and more expeditiods than to walk.
Time and shoe-leatheT are both econo-
mixed, and the natural desire for ease
graiiEed. What WONDER then, thai
walking has fallen into almost complete
dcsuetude amongst a. that il, amongst
civilians and people engaged in The or
dinarv business oflife4 Eyenthe COM
nnH laherer proceeds Is h4 aaIs Ea1
bv hcrse-cAr. fKe ceftdIniy Il excusA-
bic, berause. as the very nature Of hSs
employment involves 4 continual and
strenuous expenditure Of vital force, he
j. rightIn outstanding il IN eundo et re-
deRndo, to and from the scene Of his
Iabors. He does not need the exercise
Of walking, as he gets more than enough
Of that in earning his bread. Horse
cars are in his case a most admirable
and iustiGable device for locomotion.-
As an nerus between business centres
aud very remote suburbs, enabling .he
iaded merchant, lawyer, broker. banker
and clerk, to immerse himself at the
close OF each day in quietude and every
way salutary environment ofthe country,
horse-cars are admirable and promo
tive OF health
But when business, distance, and
health will permit, when there Is SGRRm
corpus and an employment in which
the brain is principally, active, and
where the distance is not over five
miles, for example. walkingis to be pre-
ferred to riding. For be it remembered
shat we are not yet spiritual creatures
purely in this state OF existence. We
are spirits served by organs, and those
organs require constant exercise to de-
velope them properly and keep theia in
fitting condition. Soul and body are
SO mysteriously and intimately intercon.
nected in this life that if they are not
exercised and developed pari Passu, the
man deteriorates. The brain the ma
terial condition Of mental phenomena,
with its delicate, involved and labyrin-
thine structure, wants below il full
chest, buoyed and distcndcd by we'll
inflated lungs, aud highly assimilative
stomach and sturdy columnar legs,
thewy and sinewy. To be constantly
sitting on chars, stools and cushioned
car-seats-in other words, to relieve the
legs constantly from duty, is to finally
unfit them entirely for the performance
Of their natural functions; and as each
member Of the body acts uS0n every
other and Is reacted upon in turn, the
disuse and inertia Of one impairs all the
rest. II is said that our atmosphere u
unfavorable to walking, that whereas N
the moist air of the British islands ten
or twelve miles stretch is followed by
little or no lasitude and exhaustion,
here Il is otherwise. II may be so, but
non constat--itis is not probable. Sher-
mans army, after their long circuit
through the south, came in fresh and
strong, with their muscles wonderfully
developed and strengthened. The talk
about the exhaustive quality Of the
American atmosphere is weak inven-
tion Of the enemy. Our atmospherei is the
fnestin the world, equal to that most pure
and brilliant air OF Athens, "native TO IA
nous wits, or hospitable, f" of which the
ancient Attic poet sings. II is just the
thing wherewith TO initiate the lungs and
feed the brain with sparkling and exhil.
arating blood. Indeed, during the great
er part Of the year we may be said, like
The old Athenians. to be always walk
ing lin our case, however, il should be
riding) through most luminous atmos-
pherc." The experience Of our SOL
diers, and their fine and vigorous physi-
cal condition after marches OF almost
unparalleled length, sufficiently dispose
Of the SANDER against American air a.
untavorable to walking. This being so,
what excuse is there for somuch riding,
where walking would be every way
more conducive to our health aud gen
ersi well-beings
The reader OF Rousseau's Confession,
will remember with what gusto and lin-
gering delight he dwells upon bis many
pedestrian rambIes in youth amongst
the inspiring scenery Of Savoy and
Switzerland. To read his glowing ac-
count Of bis youthful and wayward 70.
wings on foot is enough 10 make one try
the experiment of a similar excursion.
Rousseau represents himself during his
pedestrian rambles as glowing with
physical and mental excitement, hIs
mind inspired by The charming rural
scenes through which he was passing,
being full OF reveries or actively engaged
in building castles in the air. la fact,
one of his works il entitled TIE Rsreries
Ofa HoEker. Walking Is indeed most
exciting exercise, and soon kindles q
glow in the blood, which imparts a de-
lightfIl exhiIaration to the mind. In
fact, the practiised walker feels 10 sense
or WEAKNESS when his blood is fairly
warmed up, but a pleasant excitement
peryadihg mind aud body both. We
believe that our scholars, artists and
writer's are getting to-be great walkers,
fully aware Of the pleasure aud bealth-
fulness Of the natural method Of loco
motion. Thorean set a good example
In this respect. He was a walker, an
accomplished pedestrian, otherwise be
could never have become SO familiariy
acquainted with our natural scenery,
and his writings would never have been
20 thoroughly imbued with its spirit
If we are not mistaken, it is getting 10
be fashionable for The students Of our
academies, colleges and other semina.
ries OF learning. during susnmeF vaca-
tions, to travel long distances to the