Do you know that clothes help to keep us well? The Pleasant Valley girls learned how, and we are to study, too.

Well people are usually happy people and they can do many more things for themselves and for others than sick people. Have you ever thought about this?

All people wish to be well, but many are not because they forget that it is absolutely necessary to think each day about keeping well. There are many things which help to accomplish this. One cannot wait until the end of the month or year to think about keeping well, but must do so every day, as you have learned. Exercise and good habits, sleep, proper food, recreation, and proper clothing all have a share. Clothes are more important than people think. Ill health is often the result of lack of thought in the protection of the body. Let us study how clothes affect health. You know clothing helps to keep us warm or cool, if we dress properly. You have learned how necessary it is to preserve an even body temperature. Growing girls must think about this, for no girl is well dressed who does not think about the relation of clothes to health. Is a dress really beautiful if it is unhygienic? Miss Travers told the Mothers' Club that clothing should serve our use in the best way, should be pleasing and artistic, but also comfortable enough to permit freedom. Did you ever feel sorry for the poor Chinese women who squeeze their feet? Many American women squeeze their waists as well as their feet. This prevents proper circulation of the blood and causes many-complaints, loss of hair, and serious troubles, because the circulatory system cannot carry nourishment to the many parts of the body.

Perhaps you have noticed some girls wear very thin stockings, low shoes, and low-necked dresses; really very scant clothing in cold weather. Is this a good practice, do you think? Why not ?

Heat and energy are generated by the body. We have learned that it is a machine. Food, water, exercise, rest, keep it going. Heat and energy are the result and are needed if the machine is to run well. If the heat is all carried away quickly because the surfaces of the body are exposed to the cold, then there is a waste of the energy which should go to provide for the necessary workings of the body.

Why do we wear clothing? The principal reason is that the body may be protected from the cold and that the temperature of the body may be kept constant. It protects also from sharp, hard objects and briers and stones which might injure the feet. Many people think only of the decoration. This does affect our choice of clothes too, but should not be the prime consideration. Miss Travers told the girls of Pleasant

Fig. 129. - Shoes are important. Why?

Valley to keep these things in mind in choosing clothes:

Some things to remember in choosing wearing apparel.

1. Adapt your clothing to your work. One cannot do garden and house work in stiff collars and unsuitable clothing.

2. The condition of health will affect choice. Strong, well people do not need the same kind of clothing as sick or delicate people.

5. Age makes a difference; young people are more vigorous than old people. Babies feel the heat or cold more than adults.

4. Clothing should be chosen in relation to climate and temperature; in winter, one should prevent an undue loss of heat, in summer, clothing should not interfere with loss of heat. Some important things about wearing clothing.

I Wet clothing is very dangerous and should be removed at once. If this is not possible, exercise, keep moving, until there is opportunity for a rubdown and change. John Alden always runs when he gets his clothes very wet.

2. The clothing worn next to the skin should be changed twice a week. The body gives off impurities which are absorbed by the clothing. This change is necessary if one wishes to keep well.

3. Clothing worn at night should be aired during the day, not shut up in a closet or folded and placed under a pillow.

4. Clothing worn during the day should be aired at night. This is necessary for health. The same underwear should never be worn day and night both. How do you air your clothes? (Fig. 56.) Many mothers do not change baby's shirt at night and wonder why he cannot sleep and is so cross. Sometimes this irritability is due to this very cause.

5. Outer garments should be rather closely woven, so that the wind cannot penetrate and carry the heat away too rapidly.

6. Heavy garments are a great burden. One wearing them is not free to act or work.

Next lesson we will study about selecting our clothes, shoes, underwear, and other garments with reference to health.

Exercises And Problems

1. Write on the blackboard some important things to remember in choosing wearing apparel.

2. Tell some important things to remember in wearing clothing.