Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-06-21
"Hardening,, Children.

HOW WHAT Is GOOD IN ITSELF, PURSUED UNDER
WRONG CONDITIONS, MAY PRODUCE DISEASE.
The next series OF dangers in recreattons of
the young are contracted by over competition
and by the equality Of effort enforced alike on
children and youths of different build and con-
stitution. Nothing can be more absurd moth
ing, indeed, more cruel, than the infictions
which, In the name OF recreatfons, are perpe-
trated IN the manner named. Let me give one
was at aswimming BATH where some twenty
boys, all under twelve years OF age were swim.
Ing or learning to swim. There was no compar-
1son between these lads In matter OF physical
outline. One, short lad, had a narrow and
pointed chest, fragile form, and almost trans
parent skin, a chilly surface of body and blue
up: another, tall, broad-shouldered, broad
cheSted youth, had q full and ruddy complex
ion, a warm surface and firm muscular build
The others varied between these two standards
such were the physical conditions OF the SWIM
menced their recreation. Swimming is a health
full recreation, when properly carried out, as
well as useful and necessary. But here was the
mise mlscnef from 1t IN the case OF the boys In ques
OF recreation. The boy with the pigeon chest
and blue lip had quite as much Of It as was safe
for him at the end OF five minutes; but, to keep
him up to the same standard as the swimmer
with the broad chest, who had such buoyant
lungs that he could hardly sink even II he tried
the boy was encouraged and almost driven to q
On and Keep on until he had passed through the
same ordeal as his more favored comrade. The
result was that the weak boy came out of the
water blue all over, an hour Later was as blue as
bilberry In the lips and cheeks, and was cold.
shiverlng, feeble and sleepy. could see those
boys as plainly as II l had followed them going
back to school and at the afternoon work, I
could be as sure as could be of any physiologi-
cal fact that it would require six hours under
the most favorable OF circumstances In relation
to food, rest and warmth, to fully revtalize that
feeble boy up to his own imperfect standard.
while no number Of hours would ever bring his
vitality up to the standard OF his more fortunate
fellow student.
Look now at the error, at the long series Of
the feeble boy. His animal warmth had been
robbed unduly, and he was therefore langllid
ana unhappy; His blood was aerated less freely
Ing blood more slowly than he ought, and
breathing with excess of labor He was more
susceptible to every depressing influence, and
his nervous system was dulIed In the same man
ner as it would be from sitting In a close and
badly ventilated room. He would be drowsy,
ard perhaps the master OF his school would say
idle or apathetic. For this he would be rated at
his lessons, compared with other boys VINO got
on better, and If not punished corporeally, IN ide
irritable and anxious In mind, which IS another
FORM OF punishment. This nervous lad, never
0ver-strong, would be again unduly taxed And
now, what else must follow as results? When
the nervous system is low and depressed, the
digestive power is enfeebed. When the diges-
tive power is enfeebled, the nutrition of the
body Is degraded In every part. Then the vital
organs, On which life depends, and In which the
activity OF nutrftive changes ought to be most
ioPiu 0uu lCS udI, dIc Luc IlfSG 10 SuI1of, Wllle
even such passive parts as those which make
up the skeleton do not escape scot-free See
then, what modification OF healthy life may
pe easily erected by one apparently trifiing err
ror OF recreation. Let that error be repeated
many times, or let some equivalent error be
performed and repeated many times, and what
Is the almost necessary result? The almost
necessary result is the institution In that feeble
BODY, In active form, Of the phenomena of dis
ease toward which 1t had proclivity. on which
the feebieness depended.
VI Vooo alxr h,r
cess OF making these feeble BOYS competa With
stronger boys is intended to invigorate the fee
Dle: For similar reason, these same naturally
coid weather TO harden them" The Ignorance
Is peyond pardon. AS you cannot gather grapes
OF anoIns nor ngs OF thlstles, so you cannot out
Dy taking 1t out OF the bank of llfe TO the nre.
mature shortening OF the inherited store of life.
ars nd Know OF these facts better than faith
t tr anu mothers are often laughed at because
their knowledge is the knowledge of love. and
passion ana anxiety rather than OF cold, calcuat-
ing, reasonable had almost said commercial
expectation. But the mothers are none the less
right, and, indeed, men know better when they
are dealing with lives that have to be bought
anu an s4ia: Inc great breeders OF locks and herds
90 not try to harden or overtax the young lower
animal they want to perfect. They use a wise
alscIetlon, and they succeed In what they do.
Az TIE same Time they are often indiscriminate
Wnom l much esteem for his quick insight,
once brought to me for consultation feeble boy
WI Nun cohsumptiye tendency, In order to settle
Tue question whether the mothers fostering or
me IatheT's hardening system should prevail.
SIne lather," said my friend, sis clever man;
ne Is most successful in the management OF
cattle, and II he would be only half as clever In
the rearing OF his children all would be well
But ne Is very hasty on this point, and the other
aayma, cay bitterly cold-he did two OF the most
inconsistent things / ever knew q man to do.
He quarrelled like fury with his poor wife for
senolng Charley to skate with his legs in warm
stockings. and i've minutes later dismissed his
groom for taking colt out for exercise without
clothing 1t In horse cloth. "-[Benjan,in ".
Richardson an the Gentlen,an's Magazine.