CHAP* IX.] EXCESSIVE INDUSTRY. 123 



telligence afforded me, for he instantly added, in an under tone, 

 &quot; But if you and your lady should not attend prayers, it will not 

 be noticed.&quot; 



A Bostonian, who had returned from a tour in England and 

 Ireland, much struck with the poverty of the lower classes, and 

 with the difficulties experienced by those who are struggling to 

 rise in the world, remarked to me, &quot; We ought to be happier 

 than the English, although we do not look so.&quot; There is, in 

 fact, a care-worn expression in the countenances of the New 

 Englanders, which arises partly from their striving and anxious 

 disposition, and their habits of hard work, mental and bodily, 

 and partly from the effects of the climate. 



One of their lawyers expressed to me his regret that the mem 

 bers of his profession, and their most eminent politicians, physicians, 

 and literary men, would not spare themselves, and give up some 

 time to relaxation. &quot; They seem determined,&quot; he said, &quot; to 



realize the sentiment so finely expressed by Milton 

 

 To scorn delights, and live laborious days. 



Our ancestors had to work fifteen hours out of every twenty-four, 

 in order not to starve in the wilderness ; but we persist in strain 

 ing every nerve when that necessity has ceased.&quot; He then 

 reminded me how much more cheerful, plump, and merry the 

 young negro children looked in the South, than those of New 

 England, who had all the appearance of having been forced in 

 their education, and over-crammed at school. 



I suspect, however, that the principal cause of the different 

 aspect of the Anglo-Saxon race in England and America is the 

 climate. During both our tours through the United States, my 

 wife and I enjoyed excellent health, and were delighted with the 

 clearness of the atmosphere, the bright sun, and the great num 

 ber of cloudless days ; but we were told that, if we staid a 

 second year, we should feel less vigorous. Many who have been 

 , bom in America, of families settled there for several generations, 

 find their health improved by a visit to England, just as if they 

 had returned to their native air ; and it may require several 

 centuries before a race becomes thoroughly acclimatized. 



