Activity of body and mind are conducive to health.
Everybody ought to know that moderate exercise develops the muscular and
nervous power, hence the vitality of all creatures. Is the active,
prancing steed, or the inactive, sluggish swine, the better representative
of beauty, strength, and long life?
"The horse," answers everybody. Then avoid the habits of the other, and
you will be very unlike that indolent, unclean, and gluttonous animal.
When you see a man who reminds you of a hog, be assured he has swinish
habits.
Mental activity, unless it is excessive, is conducive to beauty, to
strength, and health. A writer in the American Odd Fellow has some good
ideas illustrative of my argument, that I may be pardoned for quoting
him:--
"We were speaking of handsome men the other evening, and I was wondering
why K. had so lost the beauty for which five years ago he was so famous.
'O, it's because he never did anything,' said B.; 'he never worked,
thought, or suffered. You must have the mind chiselling away at the
features, if you want handsome middle-aged men.' Since hearing that
remark, I have been on the watch to see whether it is generally true--and
it is. A handsome man who does nothing but eat and drink grows flabby, and
the fine lines of his features are lost; but the hard thinker has an
admirable sculptor at work, keeping his fine lines in repair, and
constantly going over his face to improve, if possible, the original
design."
Therefore, we infer that this moderate (outdoor) exercise is conducive to
beauty, health, and longevity. Moderate activity of the mind the same.
Idleness begets licentious thoughts and deeds. Activity of body and mind
in honorable pursuits calls away the nervous power from the lower to the
higher organs. A lively, cheerful, clean man or woman, is seldom wicked or
licentious.