The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1885-04-29

In tie April mum Der Of Hsrper's Magazine
CEs'le, Dudley Warner writes SO follows:
Noe two OF the vulgar notions of this lat
itucs ere nat we need "bracing up," and
ihst is useful product, consequently
ihEt more severe weather we have and
the more snow, the better off we are. And
people so on believing this TO their deaths
every Year. As to snow, there's 8 sentim6n-
tai notion of its beauty as we'll az of. its
utility. And good deal can be said for it
from an artistic point Of view. Bat We are
not placed in this stern world merely 70 in.
Gplge our sensuousness. We are put here to
maze the most of our powers in view of
hereafter; and long life is sduty, besides bs.
log, II the Old Testament view, a re yard of
virtue. 1t is probably necessary to have
snow ct the poles In order to keep the poles
cool and insure proper circu-
globe, just as 1t is necessary to keep the equa-
TOR so lot that il is as unpleasant to sit Oh it
SIS on kitchen stove. Snow, indeed, might
30 little harm in g land where the sun never
silne. bat in this region, where the sun
0ces shine, where half the winter days are
clear, the only effect Of the presence OF snow
is to FL the atmosphe. e with chilling moist
IRE, lung fever, preuroois and that sort CT
thing The pleasonteF ne weather, the more
sunshine We baye; WITH snow on the ground,
the worse is our condit'oa. And yet il Is ia
vsin TO argue this = ith people. They ars
welded TO tTsditionsl IDEAS and full of pre-
judiees. and IL seems impossible to convince
them that snow in tbIs region is harmful. Ii
does no gecd to demonstrate 70 them that
bet for snow We should have royal winter
climate. On g small scale We see occasion
ally what it might be. There we're such days
in January last. The SNOW had disappeared
the sun shone with the light IN, not the heat
like an electric lamp Of Ma. sud the air
was pure, exhilsratlug, bnt not damp Snd
Il rr-NY,lI hax- ,,,a
for the chill that came down from the vast
snow-he3ds Of Canada. where cold and snow
are worsblpped and feted all winter. and
yet after such experience, people con WINGED,
90 back to snow. The ignorance of this
scientific age IS discoursging. The other
vulgar notion is that 8 hand to.hsnd struggle
with extreme cold for months does q psrson
good-bTaces him up.
1t must be admitted that up TO certain
point any struggle or trial is invigorating to
the moral and intelligent nature. But we
see what TOO much INDULGENCE in this leads
10. The Esouimaux is bat little raised above
the polar bear and the seal. His whole ex-
istence is Just an effort to Keep alive, 70 get
blubber and skins enough to generate and
keep In his body vital heat. He eau think
of nothing else; be has room tor no other
mental effort. We see the same thing in the
diaries and accounts of the polar exploration
fanatics. 1t would be the most painful read
ing in the world il it were not so monoton-
Gus. Each one tells exactly the same story
the story of his physical story to keep alive
with the thermometer fifty degrees bslow
zero. Soon the mind has no other occupation
than this struggle. 1t almost ceases to work
in any other direction. This is interesting
to us at first as a study of the capacity Of the
human organism to resist the unrestrained
attacks of nature. The experience of q per
son who should in this latitude, in winter,
retire to an ice house. with q Ratchet and 8
| supply of frozen hash, a whale oil lamp, and
q fur overooat and body-bsg, and sit on the
ice in the darkness. and record his feelings,
concentration of the mind upon the numb
ness of his legs, would doubtless have q
physiological interest. But the second ex
| perimenter would not interest his read rs so
much as the first With his narrative.