The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1884-05-21
Mhe eGneside.
Health by Inheritance.


without one days serious sickness. If
gladly do that much.
My family lived in a little hamlet
among the moors, where there was fac
tory, to which we all went when we were
about eight years old, working from six
in the morning to eight at night, with an
hour for dinner. The fever (typhus)
came very often and took the people to
the grave in great numbers; my father
was sure to be sent for to help, and he
always went, but he never took that sick
ness or any other.
Up to good age took no care at all
about my health never thought what /
should eat and drink and wherewithal I
should be clothed. l feared neither sun
nor rain. If my feet got wet, which they
did very often, they had to get dry again.
If the rain wet me through-and fair
weather is the exception among those
hills-1 very seldom gave it second
thought. Nothing ever came of it, ex-
cept once light touch of inhammatory
rheumatism.
Now when | try to catch the secret of
this blessed exemption, it comes to me in
some such way as this First, got from
my parents splendid constitution. NV
father and mother were both of perfect
health and strength. The second thing 1
think of is the way my mother managed
US through our childhood. She never
heard a lecture or read book about health
in her life that l know of, but she had a
code of traditions and instincts to which
she held always. She whitewashed her
cottage from top to bottom with quick
lime twice year, and once year painted
all the woodwork. Twice week she
scrubbed and secured the floors 80 that
they were as clean as hands could make
them; and how many times she swept
them beside, and covered them with white
sand, l should be afraid to say. She also
rubbed the better sort of furniture with
bees-wax and turpentine until it shone
like dusky mirror. We slept on chaff
beds; but she always cleared them out in
the spring, got new chaff; always had
her whole little stock of linen, white and
pure, to wear and sleep in, and once a
week, while we were small, put US through
untold torments with yellow soap and the
most intolerable towels. "Who hath red
eyes Who hath contention Who hath
strife ?" The boys who have to go into
tub, with woman like my mother to
work it. Then she gave us plenty to
eat oatmeal porridge and blue milk in
the morning, oatmeal porridge and blue
milk at night, very little piece of meat
at noon with plenty of soup and potatoes,
and on rare days, dumplings, oat-cake-
to fill up all the crevices--and wheaton
bread about twice week. Butter we
were supposed to have on Sundays, but
we all agreed that she scraped more off
than she put on. We knew what tea and
coffee was, but it never hurt our nerves or
kept US awake nights. Good shoes, and
stockings of her own knitting; two suits
of clothes, warm and stout, with proph-
ecy in them of the growth we were to
attain before they were worn out-one
suit for Sunday, the other for weekdays,
with no distinction between summer and
winter and Hobson's choice of the
wholesome fare; that was the way our
wise, strong mother gathered her brood
under her wings, and bred them into
sturdy chiefs and buirdly hizzies.
left home when was fourteen but
after that until | came to America, lived
in the same hardy way-a little better,
perhaps, and little worse. For the old
man believed in ale as we'll as milk, kept
it always in his cellar, and gave his ap
prentices about two pints each day. Some
of them, poor fellows, are now under the
sod, who, but for that, might still have
been alive. Drink also killed the old
man. But l had healthy nature and an
unfailing appetite. l could take my stint
but seldom more and there was more
variety of victuals of more generous
average in quality. So shot up to be a
great, strong fellow, fond of books and Of
long, lonely walks-when l could get the
chance-on the moors and by the river
a dreamy sort of chap, who used to won.
der what was coming when should &c
out into the world to fight my battle, and
not at all sure was going to win; for al
that time the chances in England were
very poor, and my only hope was in this
New World. Once, when had grown
to be young man, found myself going
to the tavern for an extra pint of ale and
good company. did not like that. The
old man was on his last legs then, and
saw what was coming; so / swore off fol-
two years, kept strictly to my purpose, and
got the reins back into my own hands.
think that was the turning point between
my own life and the life of my shopmate.
who have fallen by the way; but for tina
l might have been where they are, Of
been unable to hold this pen and tell my
little story.
Since came to America, in 1850, my
splendid constitution has stood out
against a new climate, with its trials O
heat and cold, the ordeal of the workshop
week. days and the pulpit Sundays thu
first nine years, and since then the subtle
enemies of the regular ministry, and
seem to be still as well as ever.
But can lay no special claim to thi
good health now on the ground of my owl
deserving. l never could, indeed; but
as you see, | was born to be well, raised
to be well, and then shut up TO be wei
on hard work and wholesome fare, unit
| began to come near the time whel
every man is either fool or physician
And so, if by and by get sick, after thi
vast advantage, shall know at least tina
am not the physician; but l hop
to stay we'll without brooding mucl
over the conditions of health, or TAX
ing medicine, or eating and drinking
messes," or wishing / might have littl
more of that rare cut if | burst, or saying
hard things about mince or apple pies. |
seems very sad to me to be all the tim
saying, g Did this man sin, or his parents
that he was born sick ?" But such ques
t;opo bava IN ha asked and answered