WALKING 



the movement falling upon the ball of the foot. The body should be held 

 free and loose, inclined forward, but never slouchy or slovenly. 



The light stroke or push of the forward part of the foot is the pro- 

 pelling force. The propulsion should be noiseless, except when used 

 against hard substances. The heel should never touch the earth with any 

 degree of force. 



The stride should be in proportion to the length of the legs. The 

 longer — proportionately — the stride is, the more graceful the movement 

 becomes. 



The short, choppy movement is horrible, because it is unnatural. No 

 animal, except man (particularly woman) signals its approach. 



Then there is the joy of walking. No other form of exercise gives the 

 special happiness which is the earned value of the walker. 



The hill and valley are his playgrounds. The climb excites a healthy 

 ambition to surmount difficulties, and the short run sets his blood humming 

 with a music that lifts his head and heart heavenward. 



The big forest and the mountain top are his cathedrals. Walking 

 through the Sequoia forest his eyes follow the tall spars, the beautiful, 

 uplifted foliage of the giant redwood, until they rest upon the eternal blue 

 of a California sky, and he asks what is the mystery behind the clouds 

 with a sense of certainty that the answer will come in a form to increase 

 the joy of living. 



Or he rests upon the mountain top — hatless — breathing great tonic 

 breaths of pine-zone, emolient and grateful; breathing in at the same 

 moment the peace of God which passeth all knowledge, and gratefully 

 thanks the Creator for the joy of the hour; he rests and is devotional. 



Ah! then the return walk; the swish of it, the lilt of song in it, the 

 manliness of it all — down the mountain sides, through the brakes and ferns, 

 swinging along with a pride of movement and a heart in love with all nature, 

 in sympathy with every creature that lives and moves. 



No spot of earth lends itself more beneficially to the joy of the walker 

 than California — the paradise of the pedestrian. 



How any man can waste his hours indoors when wild flowers are 

 calling him out, sparkling water sprites laughing at his foolishness, great 

 trees offering him their umbrageous welcome, the brook, with its trout, sing- 

 ing its friendly songs for him, and all things that are beautiful in this, the 

 most beautiful of earth-scapes, calling him, is a riddle. 



The climate of this State permits all-year out-of-door life, and to be 

 out in the open is to be alive, full of life, to be happy, full of happiness. 

 The man or woman who walks has a personal kingdom, a royal domain, 

 where nothing common or vulgar offends the eyes. Only in cities do you 

 find things that are vulgar. Only in cities do men grow small and waspish 

 — out in the open he broadens and grows. He loves nature, and nature 

 repays his love a thousand fold. 



Physical joy is not the only blessing that walking earns. There is 

 the moral side to be taken account of. The eye is blessed with the ever- 

 greens, so rich in color throughout this State; but passing these and moving 

 into the deep seclusion of the woods, we become meditatively happy in 

 contemplating the infinitude of God's gifts to man. We see Him in the 

 the forest, Beneficence itself. We are removed from the sordid side of life, 

 its smallness, its meanness and all the accompanying irritants which mark 

 the struggle for place. Our environment is pure — and our thoughts take 

 on the character of our surroundings. 



We introspect, and much of the mystery of life is revealed to us. 



We build up character by meditation, comparison and straight think- 

 ing, and in the woods and on the peaks we realize more clearly than any- 

 where else the value of clean living. 



Our moral fibre is strengthened and our whole nature toned up to 

 active and intelligent progress. 



