severe cases two pairs of
shoes should be used, changing alternately.

Care of the Finger Nails

The chief thing in the care of the finger nails is to keep them clean.
Each boy should possess and use a nail brush. Always wash the hands
thoroughly before eating, and use the end of a nail file to remove the
accumulation still remaining under the nails. Keep the nails properly
trimmed. They should not be too long nor too short. If long they are
liable to break and if short to be sensitive. Biting the nails is a
filthy practice and mutilates the fingers dreadfully and makes them
unsightly. It is a very hard habit to overcome ofttimes and will
require persistent effort in order to succeed. By keeping the nails
smooth the tendency to bite them will to some extent be overcome. A
bitter application to the nails will often remind one of the habit, as
often the biting is done unconsciously. The nails should never be
pared with a knife; a curved pair of scissors is better as the cutting
should be done in a curved direction; but the best method is to use a
file. The skin overhanging the nails should be pressed back once a
week to keep them shapely. Rubbing the nails with a nail buffer or
cloth will keep them polished.

Sleep

One thing a growing boy wants to be long on is sleep, and yet he is
most apt to be careless about it. It is during sleep that a boy grows
most and catches up. During his waking hours he tears down and burns
up more tissue than he builds. Good, sound and sufficient sleep is
essential to growth, strength, {232} and endurance. A boy scout should
have at least nine or ten hours sleep out of every twenty-four. If you
lose out on this amount on one day, make it up the next. Whenever
unusually tired, or when you feel out of trim, stay in bed a few hours
more if it is possible. A boy should wake up each morning feeling like
a fighting cock. When he doesn't he ought to get to bed earlier that
night. Sleep is a wonderful restorative and tonic. It helps to store
up energy and conserve strength.

Sleeping Out of Doors

The conditions under which one sleeps are as important as the length
of time one sleeps. Many people are finding it wonderfully helpful and
invigorating to sleep out of doors. Often a back porch can be
arranged, or, in summer, a tent can be pitched in the yard. But, by
all means, the sleeping room should be well ventilated. Windows should
be thrown wide open. Avoid drafts. If the bed is in suc