Norwalk, Ohio. Women perfectly healthy, one, but doubtfully so. Medium, none. Invalids, nine.
Cleveland, Ohio. Women in perfect health, one. Medium health, two. Invalids, seven.
In traveling at the West the past winter, I repeatedly conversed with drivers and others among the laboring class on this subject, and always heard such remarks as these: "Well! it is strange how sickly the women are getting!" "Our women-folks don't have such health as they used to do!"
One case was very striking. An old lady from New England told me her mother had twelve children; eleven grew
up healthy, and raised families. Her father's mother had fifteen children, and raised them all; and all but one, who was drowned, lived to a good old age. This lady stated that she could not remember that there was a single "weakly woman" in the town where she lived when she was young.
This lady had two daughters with her, both either delicate or diseased, and a sick niece from that same town, once so healthy when the old lady was young. This niece told me she could not think of even one really robust, strong, and perfectly healthy woman in that place! The husband of this old lady told me that in his youth he also did not know of any sickly women in the place where he was reared.
A similar account was given me by two ladies, residents of Goshen, Litchfield Co., Connecticut.
The elder lady gave the following account of her married acquaintance some forty years ago in that place:
Mrs. L. strong and perfectly healthy. Mrs. A. healthy and strong as a horse. Mrs. N. perfectly well always. Mrs. H. strong and well. Mrs. B. strong and generally healthy, but sometimes ailing a little. Mrs. R. always well. Mrs. W. strong and well. Mrs. G. strong and hearty. Mrs. H. strong and healthy. Mrs. L. strong and healthy.
All the above persons performed their own family work.