Evening star., 1897-05-15
GOOD IN WIDE OUTLOOks.
The Influence of Physical Surround
inKs on Character.

The Influence of Physical Surround
ings on Character.
From the Pittsburg News.
When John Stuart Mill was boy he
often visited at Fort Abbey. Dorsetshi-e,
one of the noblest and most expansive
houses in all England. In his autobiogra-
ply Mr.. Mill remarks more than opce
upon the widening effect produced on his
character by these soaei,.Ys ,., halls these Sc
meadow and pasture land. He was not
cabined, cribbed or confined; mind and
body had elbow room. The observations
Of Mr.. Mill convince every one of the
within the walls of narrow town. in
small rooms without Fairgrounds and with
nothing but cramped outlooks cannot but
tend to result In starved, abbreviated
childhood; while TO be surrounded by great
distances means wide views, unlimited
aims and ambitions.
OF course mere space will not in itself
make broad character, nor will a tiny
room in a tiny house always clip the wings
of poet. But the narrowness Of space
must further restrict the already restricr
ed mind and generally helps to confine
even the naturally open; while free space
must assist in developing whatever is large
in either nature.
This is especially true when boys are
forming their first Impressions Conse-
Quently 1t Is claimed that the young men
who have received their training in those
universities and colleges where there are
long walks. expansive campuses and bound
less landscapes over which the eye may
roam during the long strolls, the out
door games and the excursions indulged III
by the schoolboys have undeniably wider
opinion of things both external and inter-
nal than has the youth who has been
cramped in narrow town school. 1t has
the same effect as has the sitting atmos-
phere of the office and counting house on
the young man whose horizon is bounded
by grimy window and the back of
morotonous ledger.
1t Is often said that the narrowest peo-
pie Of Europe are Inhabitants of the deep
glens and walled valleys: the broadest
are the dwellers on the plains and pa-
teaus. Sailors. from their habit of never
living beyond their own deck rails. be-
come commonly short-sighted. On the
otfer hand. mountain guides, from their
tra1nlrg IN looking afar, are not only far
slghted, but will generally prove broad
minded in conversation. 1t was shep-
herds Of the boundless Assyrian plains
VINO invented astronomy-the widest of
sciences. 1t is mountaineers. a body
VINO supply the most powerful vocalists TO
the opera; men trained for generations
10 yodel across great mountain distances
must certainly acquire depth and ex-
pansiN eness of lung which naturally will
develop into high vocal efficiency There
never was a great painter says Mrs
Meyrell in one of her essays, who had
not exquisite Horizons
AGAIN. the man who has Travelled by
morse, camel. by boat or by foot is con-
sequently broader than the man who shuts
ntmseif up in railway carriage Gipsies,
circus men and even the stroling frequent
ers OF country fairs will nine cases out
OF ten. show remarkable degree of
breath of outlook. They can generally
read maps with singular acuteness and
their characters are generally of the most
cosmopolitan nature, they have seen more
OF man, his temptations. his weaknesses.
and consequently are charitable to a degree
rarely reached by the narrow stay-at-home
who can see only one side to case.
10 civilized travellers even the savasery
of the tropics has a widening influence as
IL upsets at one fell swoop ones con-
ceited idea that his own institutions are
the cr.ly existing ones which possess any
GOOD at all; political economy and rela-
tions Of classes need a complete revision
Wheh one has gone out and enjoyed