ll about till you can reach a bed or carpet to wrap
yourself in, and thus put out the fire. Keep young children in woollen
dresses, to save them from the risk of fire.

In thunderstorms, shut the doors and windows. The safest part of a room,
is its centre; and where there is a featherbed in the apartment, that
will be found the most secure resting-place.

A lightning rod, if it be well pointed, and run deep into the earth, is
a certain protection to a circle around it, whose diameter equals the
height of the rod above the highest chimney. But it protects _no
further_ than this extent.

CHAPTER XXIII.

ON DOMESTIC AMUSEMENTS AND SOCIAL DUTIES.

Whenever the laws of body and mind are properly understood, it will be
allowed, that every person needs some kind of recreation; and that, by
seeking it, the body is strengthened, the mind is invigorated, and all
our duties are more cheerfully and successfully performed.

Children, whose bodies are rapidly growing, and whose nervous system is
tender and excitable, need much more amusement, than persons of mature
age. Persons, also, who are oppressed with great responsibilities and
duties, or who are taxed by great intellectual or moral excitement, need
recreations which secure physical exercise, and draw off the mind from
absorbing interests. Unfortunately, such persons are those who least
resort to amusements, while the idle, gay, and thoughtless, seek those
which are needless, and for which useful occupation would be a most
beneficial substitute.

As the only legitimate object of amusements, is, to prepare mind and
body for the proper discharge of duty, any protracting of such as
interfere with regular employments, or induce excessive fatigue, or
weary the mind, or invade the proper hours for repose, must be sinful.

In deciding what should be selected, and what avoided, the following
rules are binding. In the first place, no amusements, which inflict
needless pain, should ever be allowed. All tricks which cause fright, or
vexation, and all sports, which involve suffering to animals, should be
utterly forbidden. Hunting and fishing, for mere sport, can never be
justified. If a man can convince his children, that he follows these
pursuits to gain food or health, and not for amusement, his example may
not be very injurious. But, when children see grown persons kill and
frighten animals, for sport, habits of cruelty, rather than feelings of
tenderness and benevolen