An invalid of either sex cannot be either eminently useful or happy, and woman's conscientious and sensitive nature makes her especially uncomfortable under a sense of failure in duty, or the want of that buoyancy of animal spirits which is consequent upon impaired or feeble health. It is almost impossible to overestimate the difference in enjoyment or efficiency between a robust or infirm state of the physical system. God intended, doubtless, that man should share the pleasures of mere physical existence with those inferior creatures, upon which he has conferred only an animal nature. Their prevailing tranquillity and occasional exhilaration, demonstrate that to them mere physical existence is happiness, and their almost uniform health shows us to our shame, how much better they care for themselves by the promptings of blind instinct alone, than we do with all our boasted superiority of reason. American women have peculiar need of admonition upon the subject of health. Foreigners tell us, and our own countrymen returning from abroad, that when they first land in one of our cities, the whole population, and the women especially, appear like a nation of invalids. Thin, pale and care-worn, the whole people seem to glide about like bloodless spectres, just rising from the prostration of a universal pestilence, and in continual dread of the recurrence of another similar calamity. Beauty, they acknowledge they every where meet, of the most delicate and intellectual cast, but frail and transient as the bloom of spring. In Europe the grace of youth is succeeded by the full development of mature womanhood, hardly less pleasing and attractive. Instances of early decay are rare. Here, the instances are uncommon of any such luxuriant summer of existence, and multitudes find an untimely grave without ever knowing the blessing of physical strength and energy. In all temperate climates, there ought to be no symptoms of decline before middle life, but here not a few do we see pass the meridian before five and twenty, and from mere exhaustion, suppose themselves in a few years more, wholly unfitted for the pleasures of society. Such a state of things is certainly unnatural, and ought not so to be. What are its causes, and what are the remedies, if there be any? The evil commences at a very early period, and the blame lies partly at the door of a ! previous generation. The foundation is often laid in early childhood, of life-long disease, discomfort and weakness, by thoughtless parental indulgence. While the constitution is yet tender and unconfirmed, simplicity of diet is of the last importance. Indeed it is almost the sole condition of health and comfort. But what do we see? Parents so infatuated as to make the reward of extraordinary merit to be the privilege of indulging in the most pernicious articles of food. It is made a point of etiquette, to give the little victims, when they are too young to take care of themselves, and are strayed away from home, the greatest quantity and variety of sweetmeats, such as full grown people would refuse, from their apprehension of making themselves sick. At home, they sit at tables loaded with every kind of luxury, and are permitted to eat freely of all. The necessary and inevitable consequence of this is, that the digestive organs early become disordered, enfeebled, diseased, and when this takes place while the constitution is forming, there is scarcely any thing more incurable. Those organs are the fountain of life, and when preserved in perfect health, they give a full and perfect development to the whole system. The animal spirits continually overflow in mirth and gladness, the temper is serene, the mind capable of continued application, and the affections seem to embrace their natural objects with a greater warmth and tenacity. The child which is properly cared for, seems to belong to God's joyous creation. The glad tones of a group of such children, resemble the song of birds, which ushers in the morning, and proclaims the goodness of the Creator by a spontaneous, though irrational hymn of praise. If you see, as you often do among them, the pale, the sickly, the feeble and the sad, you may in nine cases out of ten, set it down to bad. domestic management, a reckless imprudence in diet or hours of rest. Boys, whose first years are spent for the most part in the open air, overcome in some degree these unfavorable influences, but girls who are shut up at home for more than half the year, are greater sufferers. To these years of unpropitious domestic influences, succeed those of school life. Six hours are passed each day in a close room, in which there is but imperfect ventilation, and |