The Press., 1884-01-03
Issued Every Thursday Evening.
lcoNTRIBUTED.1 sMUCH STUDY A WEARINESS,o

She didn't sleep well, had hardly any ap
 petite, was running down fast, and was ss
 nervous there was no living with her.
 don't see what ails children now days
 They've no constitution. There's John
 now, he managed to get through the higf
 school, and graduated last year at the hea6
 of his class, and he was only fifteen, but
 he hasn't been able to do much since. his
 eyts bother him so that he reasls but little
 and he isn't able to take up any real work.
 l can't see what the trouble is. I know
 John has been growing fast, and" "And so," laughingly interrupted wis.
 ltor, ''to hiader this abnormal development
 you put stone on his head, or rather in.
 sde his head, in that medley of Or. elk,
 Latin, mathematics, and so forth, which,
 probably, has more to do with his present
 condition than lack of constitution.
 "Klt and John were hearty enough
 while they ran about in pinafores and stir
 red mud pies by the roadside. You never
 thought to mplain of their constitutions
 tlll school began, the cramming process set il, and their minds were filled up much after old W's 'sreceipt for fattening turkeys {:
 keep their mouths open and stuff in the fodder
 "Your children must have great vitality. J ohn has come through alive, and Kit is a junior. She has been taking four regular studies, which, with essays and music, have given her about twice as much as a r asonably healthy child ought to stand. What has she been doing pbysi. ally t balance all this brain work ?"
 "Well, she has the charge of her room, walks to and from school about one- third, of mile, and she did come home to lunch before she got s" Jagged out Then, quite often, she goes for walk after school"
 "So, to put it roundy, she gets two hours of exercise, such as it is, daily. Splendid And this is the rule, rather than exception, with the diIigent school girl. Verify, tis about all that is left in the way of exercise for a proper young m'ss The boys may stand on their he ads or yell themselves hoarse, on their own do mains, without exciting much comment Such pastimes are not available for Kit She would hardly care for them if they were
 A boy of fourteen may, if he will, hop through the streets all day and develop muscle to his hearts content. This aveAaas5 is hardly open to Kit yet nobody will de- ny that she needs exercise, needs strength ening and toning up.
 There IS pleasant little story of Jane Carlyle and her agility in scaling the high old wall of church-yard near her home, but 'tis very much doubted if her skill was much but source of modification to her. At any rate girl of our school who show cd any aptitude for scaling walls might think herself very we'll used if she escaped with so mild an appellation as 'hoiden.'
 The skating season may afford little relief, but the chances are for over-exer- ti"n. The child, exhilarated by the exer else and surroundings, and anxious to ex eel, will make too much of good thing. What think you of a rather delicate girl | who, with the first sound ice, buckles on | her skates and makes distances of three. six and seven miles during the noon inter mission.
 Again-go into the average common 'chool. The temperature is uneven, the children nearest the fire, usually the small 1T children, are red in the face and painting or breath, while those further away are hivering with cold Not one-fifth of them ll are in erect, healthy positions
 A class is called; the pupils stand during he recitation, and, as the lesson progress s, one by one they slouch to one side hrowing the weight of the body almost wholly to one foot. Posing on one leg nay be artistic in stork, but quite the everse to green youth in his first tail oat, or to a tall fat-chested damsel. Don't lurry away yet, stay till recess, the legiti- nate time for exercise; notice the grace ul carriage of the majority of the pupils, he elegance of step, as they file out.
 The boys, on reaching the door, will i've whoop, which may expand their ungs,. possibly split their throats, certain y deafen the nearer, then rush away to a anne of ball and the jerky work of run ing bases, or they may prefer some one f the common running games, few of he more robust girls joining in this, and ( citing, perhaps, little benefit, more { kely much harm from its violent inter- i, aittent running most of the girls will, : owever, return to the school room, and { nger around the stove while nibbling at { hose detestable luncheons put up after the mall boys dire ction of: 'nopie, no biket, : Il gin 'erbread, the gingerbread frequent J being rich, heavy cake.
 We'll, we are not quite ready to turn the { chool room to gymnasium, and it will, robably, be some time before the average raduate gets the 'set up of West Point r, but something can be done for the | reat army of nervous, hollow -chested, t 'ose-lointed students. Certainly their I 'rms need not rival, in crookedness, that veteran convict grindstone turner. Fresh air,-in limited quantities. would a