st have a regular
amount of exercise and of fresh air. There, in a nutshell, is the secret
of the whole matter. Given a fairly normal state of health to begin
with, that health may be maintained by a little wise direction of our
actions towards supplying the really very moderate demands of Nature,
upon which, however, modest as they are, she insists, to enable her to
carry on the process of healthy life. Deprive her of that little, and
the results are such as we too frequently see--broken-down health from
overwork (so-called) of many of our busy sisters. It is our intention
here to endeavour to put this plainly before our girls.

We will imagine, then, that some of our girls have to pass many--say
eight or ten--hours of their days in work; that that work is sedentary
work; that our girls are very apt to stoop, for their poor backs get
weary sometimes. We will imagine that it is winter, and sitting as they
do all day, they like to have all the windows closed. Our girls will not
feel very hungry when meal-time comes, especially if they have to
provide their own meals. In fact, many of our girls practise a little
economy in this direction, if the choice of doing so rests with them.
Economy, we all know, is imperative in many conditions of life--not only
amongst working girls; and it is a serious matter to practise it
wisely--to determine and mark clearly the line that divides the luxuries
from the necessities. In the former practise as much economy as you
will; in the latter it is only a false way of meeting matters which will
have to be balanced by-and-by with heavy interest.

Well, our girls not being very hungry (for their lungs are full of
impure air, and they feel tired and weary--rather sleepy too--all from
the same cause), they think they will make themselves "a nice cup of
tea--strong, you know." They do not care whether they have milk with it
or not, so long as the tea is strong and gives them a fillip. With this
they will eat a little roll and butter or bread and cheese. This
so-called meal is either partaken of in the room in which they work, or
our girls go out for it. In the latter case they stand a little better
chance; for often the fact of going out of the room in which they have
been seated all the morning brings with it a sense of returning
appetite, and induces them to procure a more substantial meal. But even
this is rarely the case; for they have an odd sinking at the chest, and
if they eat a heavy me